76 Rejections and counting. My path to publication

​I think I'm getting closer to having a book accepted for publication. After a writing history of 76 rejections, it's about time. My first submission was in September 1996 and was a cute story about the sounds a child hears in the night. At the time I had a two year-old daughter and one due any day. That was almost thirteen years ago.  The year I turned 30, I desperately wanted to be published. Just once and I'd be satisfied, I told my husband. That's when I knelt down and prayed and then got up and worked on revising a short story I submitted to the Friend magazine. When I received the acceptance in the mail with "Contract Enclosed" stamped on the envelope, I cried for joy. By then I had 12 rejections, and I had joined a writer's group. They have helped me to improve the craft of writing, have rejoiced and commiserated with me, and have become my friends. Since 2003, the Friend magazine bought two more of my stories. And with the recommendation of  a member of my writing group, I've become a regular contributor to a local magazine, Treasure Valley Family Magazine.  I've written more short stories, picture books, a middle grade novel, and a YA novel.  The YA novel, A Kiss and a Curse,  is a Sleeping Beauty re-telling based on the point of view of Juliana, the lady-in-waiting, a character who loses everything with the prick of a spindle. I've had positive response and rejections for Juliana. I attended an SCBWI writing conference in Boise in September of 2007. The visiting editor reviewed the first ten pages then and has since read the entire manuscript and offered helpful suggestions for revisions. After the SCBWI conference in September 2008, the visiting editor requested I send the manuscript to her by e-mail. She's had it for about a month now. So, I decided it was time to query an agent.  The first agent sent me a rejection based on a query letter only. The second agent requested the manuscript and responded that he wasn't head over heels but it was well done and recommended I submit to another agent in his agency. The third agent declined reviewing more than the first ten pages and responded that I am a strong writer and have a commercial concept, and then gave me two more recommendations of agents at different agencies. Yesterday I e-mailed one of the agents.  I hope to find an enthusiastic agent and editor soon. Because believing is what makes it real.