The One Who Stops, Loses (Volume End)

{From: Novel Acquisitions (Snack Novel)

Subject: Re: Novel Submission for Premium Partner Program

Thank you for your pitch regarding 'REVERSAL' for the program. Unfortunately, we do not think your work is a right match for this program.}

My lips squeezed and my throat dried up. I clenched my mouth shut and took in a very deep breath.

A very deep breath.

I marked the email as read, swiped off the notification, and pushed the phone in my pockets.

My feet suddenly felt extremely light, every muscle in my body seemed to be flying away. It was like the world was swept off from under my feet.

"Haah…"

[Host…]

"It's ok. I am not stupid enough to expect things to work out so soon."

I took in another breath. It was strange, I was feeling light headed. What was this?

It felt bad. Terrible.

Really bad.

But I was sure I wasn't showing it on my face. I kept my face as calm as possible, still taking deep breaths.

That was all one could do.

Just like that, I let out a sigh and walked back home.

***

[Rejection Emails are a myth]

A groan left me at the terrible window that the system showed me.

I tried my best to not act disheartened. When I came back home, I had to spend time with my parents over dinner. Every second was hell.

I didn't want to speak, I didn't want to say a word.

My voice got stuck in my throat. But not talking was not an option.

What if they asked if something happened? That would be even worse.

It was extremely tough, but they didn't notice anything off about me. 

As soon as I returned to my room, I put on some music and plopped on my bed.

A rejection…

[I mean it, host. Rejection emails are a myth. For the most part, there are only 3 scenarios where you would get a rejection email.]

I was in no mood to listen to the system.

But not doing anything hurt more. I tried to tell the system to continue, but only air left me as I opened my mouth to speak.

[Almost 95% of all submissions are straight up ignored because they suck that much.]

Thankfully, it got the message.

[The first and most common scenario where you'll get rejected is if the book caught your eye but doesn't fit the publisher. Snack Novel here.]

That was obviously not the case.

[The second reason you get rejected is if your work is good enough to catch their eye, but not quite good enough to be publishable. The kind of result that promising rookies end up with.]

"Those… would say that improvement is needed…"

Or maybe they won't. I had no idea. I wasn't anybody in this industry.

[See, you have things to look up to.]

This system. It did not lie.

There was a third scenario too, just as it had mentioned. But the system was glossing over it.

"They might also reject you if they are a small platform, right?"

An individual email for every submission took too much effort since there would be hundreds of them.

But I have been writing on this platform for a good 3 months now. 

Snack Novel was just a small part of the bigger platform, which mainly focused on comics and webtoons. It was more than likely that they would bring in authors personally.

Since few people were pestering them about submissions, they had the leeway to reply to everyone. Eventually, if Snack Novel focused on the Novel part of the platform, the replies would end too.

"Haah…"

I sighed again and slapped my thighs.

I pushed myself off the bed and sat up straight. 

[Host…?]

The dizziness hadn't gone. The light-headedness was still around.

But, there was something that hurt more.

Memories flooded into my mind.

It's boring, so I'll stop playing the piano.

My art isn't pretty, so I'll stop practicing.

I am only multiplying stupid numbers, so I'll stop programming.

Over and over and over.

I hadn't even needed a setback, I just stopped.

Biting my lips, I pushed myself off the bed and got to my laptop.

[Host…?]

Not this time.

Not again…

I didn't want to stop again. Not with this, not with writing.

[What are you doing?]

"It's good. Now I am not obligated to stick to Snack Novel, right?"

I didn't know what kind of choice it was. Whether it was correct or not, starting with Snack Novel…

But it had taught me a lot. Now that I had learned a final lesson too. I was going to change things up.

"There is another sphere here. A place different from these companies."

I had been reading a lot of webnovels these last few months. Naturally, that included works published in the west.

And I had learned once again of other sites that I could use. 

There was some hesitation at first, but not anymore. If Snack Novel and their acquisitions didn't suit me, then I just had to do something on my own.

"I am going to publish on independently owned platforms. Not something that contracts its authors."

[You mean you want your readers to support you now? The only way you'll make any money is if people pay you from your own support page, if they become Patrons or something. You'll risk marketing and immediate payments.]

"So be it…"

I grinned. It wasn't getting rid of the thoughts of rejection, but doing something else pushed it away.

There was something that the System wasn't talking about, but I knew it well.

The amount of money that some of the topmost authors on these independent platforms made through their patrons…

Exceeded well over ten thousand dollars a month.

It would push all the benefits of a platform away. But if that was how I could continue writing, then so be it.

I'll try to raise myself, ground up, all on my own.

I immediately opened a new tab and clicked on the search box.

"These little hindrances aren't going to stop the Greatest Webnovel Author, are they?"

[Hah… If this was a test, you would have passed with flying colors.]

My fingers tapped on the keyboard. 

It was time to target a new market, a new place.

Flip a new page in my own story.

—Clack.

The enter key resounded. And the new website opened up in front of me.

{Imperial Path}