“My Gutsy Story®” by Jonathan Yanez
Everyone told me I was happy. I was young making more money than I thought possible just a few years out of college. It wasn’t what I had gone to school for, my English degree was lost somewhere in my closet, forgotten between the paychecks and promotions.
Even then I never stopped writing. Sure it was nothing big but I would still write a short story here, work on a novel there. Months would go by where I wouldn’t read or write anything but the love for the craft of story telling never left.
Life flew by, taking the shape of suites, business meetings and alcohol, lot’s of alcohol. Anyone that’s been heavily immersed in the business world, especially right after college will know what I mean.
In the course of five years I had a life that from the outside, looked as though I had everything together; a beautiful wife, a stable job and even a promotion on the horizon. Still I wasn’t happy. I knew that I would eventually reach a breaking point where I just wouldn’t be able to do the long hours, the work on the weekends or the political tap dance required in the corporate world.
Then in it happened. In June of 2012, after five years with my company I just couldn’t do it anymore and I quit. In retrospect it’s actually scarier than it was then. In the moment I was determined to follow my passion and write. “Life is too short and tomorrow is promised to no one,” I would tell myself.
With no back up plan and the full support of my wife I jumped head first into the struggle of becoming an author. Working ten-hour days I immersed myself in everything a writer should be doing; social media, reading other successful authors in my genre, sending out query letters and of course writing.
In a few months I had written the first draft of my debut novel, The Beast Within, a young adult urban fantasy. Then the hard part came, the rejections. I pitched my book to everyone. No one was spared both agents and publishing house felt my determination. Everybody had the same polite rejection note with alternating phrases like, “unfortunately we have to pass” or “this just doesn’t seem right for us.”
As these rejections piled up I refused to give into defeat. I told myself I would take one hundred rejections on this book and if I still didn’t have a contract by then I would write another book and take another one hundred rejections, repeating the process until something gave.
Well my rejection pile almost did hit the triple digits. Finally after eighty rejection letters… yes you read that right, EIGHTY, number eighty-one offered me a contract. What’s more they offered me a contract for not only The Beast Within, but for an entire series.
In January 2013 after eight months and eighty rejections I was a signed author. Since then I’ve been hard at work adding a total of seven titles under my belt; five traditionally published and two self-published books. I’ve signed contracts for my books to be made into audio format, ebook format as well as having two of my books considered for film adaptations.
Looking back I know I have been blessed. But I also know that without that single gutsy leap of faith none of this would be possible.
JONATHAN YANEZ spent five years after graduating from college in sales and management before he realized life is too short to be doing anything but what you love. He lives in Southern California with his wife where he writes everyday, grateful for the opportunity.
If you would like to know more about his upcoming series including release dates and insider information you can visit him at www.jonathan-yanez.com and subscribe to his newsletter.
Please join Jonathan on social media and click on the cover to go to Amazon.
SONIA MARSH SAYS: You show us how perseverance pays off and that you believed in your passion with such dtermination, that you made your dream come true. Thanks for sharing your story which will inspire other writers to not give up. I look forward to having you share your story on November 1st, at the kick-off of our next:
My Gutsy Story® Anthology: Taking Chances and Changing Your Life
My Gutsy Story® Anthology: Taking Chances and Changing Your Life
What: Author Sonia Marsh launches the second publication in her My Gutsy Story® Anthology book series by hosting an evening of inspirational stories moderated by former PBS SoCal anchor Ann Pulice. Marsh, the award winning author and founder of My Gutsy Story® series, will also announce her next gutsy adventure, signing up for the Peace Corps. The event is open to the public and all attendees will receive a copy of the newest My Gutsy Story® Anthology.
When: Saturday, November 1
4:00 to 6:30 p.m.
Where: Zovs Restaurant in Tustin
17440 E. 17th St., Tustin, CA 92780, (MAP)
ph (714) 838.8855
Who: Moderator Ann Pulice is an award-winning journalists and was co-host on PBS SoCal’s Real Orange for 17 years.
Panelists include:
- Sonia Marsh: Award-winning author of Freeways to Flip-flops and founder of the My Gutsy Story®
- Julia Capizzi: Orange County Peace Corps representative and Bilingual Returned Peace Corps Volunteer who has lived abroad in El Salvador & Bolivia.
- Colleen Hannegan: Author and professional speaker, certified business advisor, personal life coach for women in transition.
- Mariana Williams: Author and founder of the “Long Beach Searches for Greatest Storyteller,” married to Oscar-winning singer/songwriter Paul Williams.
- Jonathan Yanez: Went from renting cars, to following his dream of becoming an author. His three-book series publishing contract has now been optioned for film.
Cost: $40 (includes book, wine and appetizers) before October 20th and $45 after that date.
More: Marsh hopes the My Gutsy Story® Anthology series and events will create a global community to help one another take risks in life. Her first publication, Freeways to Flip Flops, a chronology of her family’s one-year adventure in Belize, recently won the Reader’s Favorite, 2014 Gold Medal book award.
RSVP: For more information call (949) 309-0030 or e-mail: Sonia@soniamarsh.com
EventBrite: To sign up for the event
