We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Rochelle Weinstein. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Rochelle below.
Alright, Rochelle thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
For most of my life, I’ve been risk adverse, but after I’d written two novels, I knew I’d already taken a huge leap. My faith and courage couldn’t stop there. The querying process to get those two novel into the world was not kind. I was rejected by over 100 literary agents. I asked myself,” What is your goal for your work?” A simple but necessary question. This was 2011. Self-publishing was on the rise, becoming a viable option for writers. The naysayers were loud. They tossed around criticism like candy. “Self-publishing lacks credibility…it’s a vanity play…you’re shooting yourself in the foot.” I understood the risks, but I was driven. I had worked hard, and I wanted to see my books out in the world, even if for family and a handful of friends.
Following my gut instinct, armed with an advertising/marketing/promotional background, and what I believed was a “decent” read, I self-published my first novel WHAT WE LEAVE BEHIND in 2012. THE MOURNING AFTER followed in 2013. The sales from these two books combined landed me an agent for my third novel, WHERE WE FALL, and a book deal with Lake Union Publishing. I have gone on to publish four more books with Lake Union, and my eighth novel, WE ARE MADE OF STARS, releases February 25, 2025.
All because I took a risk.
And here’s the thing. As a newbie, self-published author back in 2012, I had no connections to the greater publishing world. I was my own business, managing multiple responsibilities: writer, advocate, editor, sales and marketing. Imagine my surprise when I joined Publisher’s Marketplace (the go-to for all things publishing) in 2017 and searched my name. There, under BESTSELLERS, I learned that my first novel, the self-published “don’t do this or you’ll tank your career” book had hit the USA Today Bestseller list. On October 16, 2014. Two years after it released, and another three years until I figured it out.
I’ll say it again. All because I took a risk.
I didn’t have this bestseller status buoying me through some of the toughest times. I only had perseverance and grit and resiliency. And while it’s nice to have the title, it’s the journey I’m most proud of. I think back to the choices I made and what might have been had I not taken a chance. Had I not believed in myself and my work, had I just given up after that first rejection. I’m here to tell you: when a door closes, find another door. NO means NEXT OPPORTUNITY.
Keep your eyes on the prize, but know that struggles and rejection are badges of courage, tenacity and grit showcase your capabilities. Those are the lessons I carry with me today and fuel my tank when it feels depleted. More than any accolade, this is the real measure of success. To face the unknown and to keep going.
Rochelle, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I am the USA Today and Amazon bestselling author of What You Do To Me, When We Let Go, This Is Not How It Ends, Somebody’s Daughter, Where We Fall, The Mourning After, What We Leave Behind, and We Are Made of Stars (2/2025). I spent my early years, always with a book in hand, raised by the likes of Sidney Sheldon and Judy Blume. A former entertainment industry executive, I split my time between sunny South Florida and the mountains of North Carolina. When I’m not writing, I can be found sharing monthly book recommendations at Miami’s NBC-6, AQUA Magazine, and Women Writers, Women’s Books, teaching publishing workshops at Nova Southeastern University, hiking, reading, and finding the world’s best nachos.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
I think the main essay answers this!
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
For me, the most rewarding aspect of being a creative is doing something I love every single day. And when the gift means landing in readers’ hands and impacting their lives, the payoff is priceless.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.rochelleweinstein.com
- Instagram: @rochellebweinstein
- Facebook: @RochelleBWeinstein
- Linkedin: Rochelle B. Weinstein
- Twitter: @RochWein
