Episode 4: How Authors and Illustrators Learn from Failure — Building Your Platform, Handling Rejection & Growing Your Creative Career

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How Authors and Illustrators Learn from Failure: Platform Building, Rejection & Creative Growth

Failure is not the end of your publishing journey. It might actually be the beginning.

In Episode 4 of the Publishing Cousins podcast, hosts Melissa LaShure and Nikki pull back the curtain on their own mistakes. They share what went wrong, what they learned, and how those hard lessons shaped the careers they have today.

This is the episode every aspiring author and illustrator needs to hear.

Why Failure Is Part of the Publishing Process

Nobody talks about failure enough in the publishing world. But the truth is — you cannot grow without it.

“You cannot become better at what you’re doing unless you have failures,” Nikki says. “That’s part of the learning process.”

Whether you’re a debut author or a seasoned illustrator, setbacks are not signs to quit. They’re signals to adjust.

Author Mistake #1: Launching a Book with No Platform

Melissa’s biggest early lesson? Launching a book before anyone knew who she was.

“People aren’t going to buy your book when they don’t know you at all,” she explains. “The sooner your website is up, the better.”

Even a simple holding page with your name and a short bio counts. The longer your site exists, the more Google recognizes it as legitimate.

Starting your author website early also gives you time to build:

• A newsletter list
• A social media following
• Search engine credibility

Not sure where to start? Melissa recommends the free author website course by Thomas Umstead Jr. at Author Media. He walks you through exactly what your site needs and how to structure it.

Illustrator Mistake #1: Wasting Time on the Wrong Medium

Nikki’s big early mistake was spending years exploring mediums instead of developing her natural style.

“I even went as far as sewing fabric pieces into illustrations,” she says. “Why? I hate sewing.”

After years of experimentation, her breakthrough advice is simple:

Sit down with a pencil and paper. Draw what flows naturally. That is your style.

Imposter syndrome makes this hard. When you walk through a bookstore and see polished illustrations on every shelf, it is easy to compare yourself. But the moment Nikki let go of that comparison, everything changed.

How to Handle Rejection in the Publishing Industry

Rejection is a constant in this business. Nikki says it plainly:

“If you cannot handle rejection or critique, you are not going to go very far.”

She’s seen hundreds of talented people give up after one bad experience. Here’s the reality:

• Illustrators send samples to 300+ publishers and may hear back from very few
• Authors should query multiple agents at once, not just one
• You are competing with creators from around the world

Nikki reframes rejection this way: if it wasn’t the right fit, it wasn’t a failure. It was a redirect.

Editorial Feedback Is Not an Attack — It’s a Tool

Getting notes back from an editor or art director can feel personal. It isn’t.

Editors and art directors know what sells. Their job is to make your work marketable. When they ask for changes, they’re trying to help your book reach more hands.

“Fix the things that are wrong because they’re trying to help you make it marketable,” Nikki explains.

Melissa adds that joining a critique group before working with a professional editor is a great way to build this skill. Starting small, with one chapter or one illustration, helps you get comfortable receiving feedback without feeling overwhelmed.

The Imposter Syndrome Every Author and Illustrator Faces

Both Melissa and Nikki admit they still struggle with imposter syndrome.

Melissa once stopped herself from answering reader questions at her own events because she didn’t feel like a “real” author.

“Even published authors pick up other books and think their writing isn’t good enough,” she says.

The lesson: everyone battles this. Even writers you admire.

Build Your Author Website — Even If Tech Scares You

One of the most practical takeaways from this episode is this: build your website today. Don’t wait.

Melissa tried WordPress first and found it overwhelming, even as someone tech-savvy. She eventually moved to Squarespace and found it far more manageable.

If websites intimidate you, Nikki has a solution:

• Hire a local marketing firm or web designer
• Reach out to graphic design or web design students at a local college
• Ask high school students who are learning design skills

You don’t have to do it yourself. You just need to have a web presence.

The Publishing Cousins’ Key Lesson: Fail Forward

The message of Episode 4 is simple: don’t run from failure. Learn from it.

“True failure is not getting back up again,” Melissa says.

Every rejection, every editorial note, every experiment that didn’t work — it’s all data. It’s all making you better.

Keep going. The world needs your books and your illustrations.