Bonnie Garmus was a copywriter. She earned a living writing advertisements, marketing materials, speeches, and
presentations—and was darn good at it. However, like many writers, she longed to become a published author.
“I’ve got a couple ideas for a novel,” she thought to herself. In between raising her two daughters and typing furiously to meet deadlines at work, she carved out pockets of time to pursue passion projects.
She pitched her book ideas to literary
agents and publishers, hoping to secure a book deal. She got not one, not two, not three, but 98 rejections. A few of these “No’s” were extremely harsh. “Too quirky.” “700 pages? Way too long.” “There’s no market for this.”
Some feedback felt helpful. Some, not so much. Bonnie kept plugging away, went to events to meet fellow authors, took writing courses, and continued to hone her craft. Even though her early projects seemed to be going nowhere, she didn’t
quit.
And
then…
She had a
horrendous day at work.
Bonnie delivered a presentation to her colleagues (white men in the tech industry—she was the only woman in the room) and felt ignored and dismissed the entire time. Worst of all, at the end of the meeting, a coworker took credit for her
work. He literally repeated everything she just said—as if these ideas had sprung from his own mind—and his fellow Bay Area tech-bros exclaimed, “Wow! Visionary!”
Profoundly irritated, Bonnie went back to her desk. But instead of working on the assignment her boss wanted her to do, she started writing a new novel. This time, a story about Elizabeth Zott, a scientist in the 1960s who is
underestimated and mistreated, and who refuses to conform to societal norms. Brimming with rage, Bonnie channeled her frustration onto the page and finished chapter one.
That book, Lessons in Chemistry, eventually led to a top agent and a lucrative book deal. It has sold more than 2,000,000 copies, stayed on The New York Times bestseller list for over 61 weeks, and is being adapted into a TV show starring Academy Award winner Brie Larson as Zott.
Lessons in Chemistry is Bonnie’s debut novel, published in her 6th decade of life. It came out just before her 65th birthday.
- Don’t give up even if 98 people say no.
- A moment of intense frustration might lead to your greatest
work.
- It is never too late for your wildest dreams to come
true.
- And, when someone belittles you … success is the
greatest revenge.
-Alex
PS. Read Lessons in Chemistry. It will be one of your favorite novels of the year. Here’s an inspiring conversation with the author presented by the Seattle Public Library, an article about her journey, and an interview.
PPS. Ready to write your first book? Check out Get It Done, the company I co-founded with my friend Lindsey Smith. We have courses on how to self-publish a book, how to get a traditional publishing deal, how to create a marketing plan for your book, and more.
PPPS. Not interested in writing a book,
but you’re a book-lover and always searching for something new to read? Visit One Idea Books and Gifts, the bookstore that Lindsey and I co-founded. And, sign up for the One Idea newsletter for tons of book recommendations.
PPPPS. This music is so soothing. And, this album gets me into a deeply focused zone.
PPPPPS. What's something that angers you? Or, something that breaks your heart? How could you channel your emotions into an art project, a book, or solution?