81. From 100 Rejections to Glitter and Gold: Jill Beissel’s Debut Story

In this conversation episode, I sit down with Jill Beissel, debut novelist and author of Glitter and Gold, to talk about what it really takes to stay resilient on the path to publication. We’re speaking to writers who are deep in the query trenches, facing rejection, or holding onto the dream of signing with a literary agent and landing a traditional book deal.

What we’re exploring:

✨ How Jill faced over 100 rejections before finding the right agent and publisher.
 ✨ Why joy in the writing process matters more than outside validation.
 ✨ The balance between persistence and patience while querying.
 ✨ What it feels like to finally hold your debut novel in your hands after years of effort.

What I want novelists to remember:

Rejection isn’t the end of your story—it’s part of the path. Every “no” brings you closer to the right “yes.” Your resilience, your joy, and your belief in your story are the things that will carry you through to publication.

🎙️Learn more about Jill Beissel at jillbeisselwrites.com

🎙️Learn more about my coaching and editing services at nicolemeier.com

📚Learn more about Portland Book Festival at PDXBookfest.org

Transcript

THE WHOLE WRITER EP 81 - With Author Jill Beissel

[00:00:00] Jill Beissel: The growth in your writing and your voice as an author happens in those ugly moments, and whether you're early morning writer or late at night, those are the moments where you continue in the hard times to show up for yourself on the page. And once you can grasp that. Then publication just kind of feels like the icing on the cake.

[00:00:33] Nicole Meier: Welcome to the whole writer, A place where we talk about what it means to show up as a writer, not just a better writer or a more productive writer or a published writer, but a whole one. Someone who's grounded in their voice, in their community, in their creative path, even when the world tells them to hustle, compare, or conform.

[00:00:54] Nicole Meier: I'm Nicole Meier, a multi published author and book coach who believes that nurturing the person behind the page is just as important as refining the words on it. Each week we'll explore the terrain of riding life with honesty, warmth, and practical wisdom, creating space for you to write from a place of wholeness rather than depletion.

[00:01:14] Nicole Meier: Whether you're drafting your first manuscript or publishing your fifth book, you'll find conversation and companionship for the journey here. So settle in, bring your questions and your curiosity, and let's discover what it means to write and live with authenticity and purpose. Welcome on in listeners. I am so happy to have you joining me in this conversation today with Jill Beisel.

[00:01:40] Nicole Meier: We know each other personally, and I've been following her career, and I'm so excited to talk about all things debut novelist today. But before I welcome Jill in, let me just tell you a little bit about her. After a career in local news television marketing where she earned Emmy and Adie awards, and more than a decade in corporate retail advertising, Jill Beissel turned her focus to fiction.

[00:02:03] Nicole Meier: Her work explores the complexities of female relationships and the cost of wanting deeply and living honestly set against atmospheric backdrops and infused with emotional suspense. She lives in Phoenix with her husband, two children, and a very old dog who insists on curling up at her feet when she writes glitter, and gold is her debut novel.

[00:02:25] Nicole Meier: Welcome, Jill. 

[00:02:27] Jill Beissel: Thank you, Nicole, for having me. 

[00:02:29] Nicole Meier: So excited. Yeah. I'm so happy to have you here. This is so fun for me because you and I have not connected since a writer's conference. Was that in 2023? Yes. Okay. 2023 in Chicago. Yeah. Oh my gosh. And you were working on the book that is now about to be pubbed, is that correct?

[00:02:46] Jill Beissel: Yeah, that was the conference that I had pitched it, and I think we had first met the year before at the Albuquerque WFWA conference. Yes, I remember. You were so kind. I was this writer who didn't know very many people there, and I think the few women that I had met the day before, I couldn't find them.

[00:03:08] Jill Beissel: And you just came up to me and you were so warm, and it just made me feel so welcome. So I really appreciate that. 

[00:03:16] Nicole Meier: Oh, that's so nice. I just love connecting with writers in real life because that's how our community expands, right? I mean, you met new people that trip. I met people, including you, and then I genuinely get excited to see everyone's books come to market because I think, oh, I was with them when they were working on it.

[00:03:35] Jill Beissel: Exactly. I know, I think I, with that conference in 2022, I was maybe only 12,000 words into my first draft, so it's come full circle. It's pretty cool. 

[00:03:47] Nicole Meier: Well, this will be great because I really wanna talk about what it's like to be a debut novelist. I wanna explore some ways that you sort of navigated non-linear paths to publishing and ask about your book coming up, because there are so many listeners who really are where you were maybe six months ago, a year ago.

[00:04:05] Nicole Meier: So I'm gonna dive into my first question because I do know a little bit about your journey. You had around a hundred rejections on your previous novel manuscript. So my question to you, because so many of us have been through that process of getting rejections, is how did you either find the resilience or the inspiration to start writing glitter and 

[00:04:25] Jill Beissel: gold?

[00:04:27] Jill Beissel: Yeah. When you hear that number, gosh, a hundred, it's like, wow, I'm proud of that resilience. And I'd say on a surface level, my work that I did in my day job definitely sort of helped. With that, I'd have either news anchors or reporters say, no, rewrite that. That's not great. Turn it around in 10 minutes. Or having, in the corporate world, a dozen stakeholders and you've met the objective of the project, but they're like, I don't like the way you said this or that.

[00:04:58] Jill Beissel: So that definitely made my skin thicker, and I think writers can tap into some kind of resilience they have from. A tough situation where it's like, oh yeah, I came up the other side. I'm okay. But I think on a deeper level, it's connecting to the why, why I'm writing. It's that process of fingers to keyboard or brainstorming or coming up with that light bulb moment that gives that sparkle and that fri that I had as a kid where when I would make my imagination come alive with.

[00:05:38] Jill Beissel: Different stories and storytelling, and that's something that's internal, that no external thing can take away from me. So not to say that I was immune from being super hurt, especially after having an agent that had a full for months and then be like, sorry, and just a quick, like a short just wasn't for me.

[00:05:59] Jill Beissel: But thanks and giving yourself permission to have those feels, but then. When I would pick myself back up, it would be like, okay, do you love this? Do you love the journey? It was always, yes. I always love going back to the paper, 

[00:06:16] Nicole Meier: so that's so interesting. You raised a few things that I wanna touch on. You talk about you learned how to work in your previous job with editors and an audience, and I so champion that when writers can do the same thing because really.

[00:06:32] Nicole Meier: Getting that real life experience of learning to get feedback, take it graciously, learn how to evolve, learn to hone your craft, like that's all really important. But you also talked about your why, so I'm actually curious if, first of all, I don't know if anyone's ever asked you this, but was your why different for the first manuscript than it is for the second?

[00:06:51] Nicole Meier: Second? Great question. I would, 

[00:06:55] Jill Beissel: I would say a little bit. I think that first manuscript, it started. Like with so many writers during COVID. Yeah. And you just kind of want that escape. And I had always been one who loved writing, and so initially it just started as, okay, it's something to do. It's something to take my mind off of everything happening around me, this little slice of imagination that I can control.

[00:07:24] Jill Beissel: But in continuing forward with it, it's more about. That little warmth and sparkle and enjoyment that I get out of it that I remember as a kid. 

[00:07:39] Nicole Meier: Yeah. Which I love. I always talk about the energy you put into the work really comes through for the reader. Whether you're reader is an agent, a publisher, editor, and when we write something because we think we should be doing it or we have to be doing it.

[00:07:52] Nicole Meier: The joy goes out the window and you're bringing that idea of it was joyful for you and you had sort of that warm, fun feeling of writing again. So I love that you put that energy into the work. Yeah. Okay. So I know that you signed with Rising Action as a publisher, so I'm curious about the journey to get there.

[00:08:17] Nicole Meier: They're a small press. They're a very well-known small press. They have great books that come out. Tell us about that journey from, okay, I finished the manuscript for glitter and gold. I'm sure you decided to get some early readers and some feedback. What happened between then and signing a contract with the press?

[00:08:35] Jill Beissel: I had the goal in mind of there was that WFWA conference in Chicago in 2023 and so. I'm used to deadlines, but it was like a nice chunk of time, like, okay, I'm going to get my manuscript ready. And I have a wonderful critique group that we meet pretty much every other week. And so I had some of their feedback and I had worked with a developmental editor who also gave some feedback on a pitch.

[00:09:06] Jill Beissel: But I went to the conference and I was so. Nervous to pitch. There was several agents there and some small presses and everyone was so gracious. 'cause I was kind of like, oh, can I use my, my paper? And they're like, oh yeah, go for it. Oh, to read your pitch you mean? Yes. Yeah. Yes, because I was just terrified.

[00:09:27] Jill Beissel: You think like, oh my gosh, there's so much on the line here and I've. Flown all the way here and spent all this money. 

[00:09:33] Nicole Meier: Absolutely. 

[00:09:35] Jill Beissel: Yeah. You kind of put this unnecessary pressure on yourself when in reality they're wonderful people and they care about your work and not how nervous you, right? Yeah. So I met with Alex at Rising Action, and I feel like just from.

[00:09:54] Jill Beissel: The pitch, she set me at ease. She was interested. We had some conversations after, which was really nice, and then she had it for, I'd say two or three months and then reached out and oh my gosh, I was so incredibly excited and it's been amazing working with them because I feel like I get that sort of small, intimate feel of small press, that collaboration.

[00:10:22] Jill Beissel: They're also distributed by Simon and Schuster, which really helps. It's exciting to see the book up for pre-order on the Barnes and Nobles and stores. Yeah, 

[00:10:33] Nicole Meier: and Simon and Schuster, their distribution. 'cause one of my publishers also distributes through them, they will get you into brick and mortar and really there's like a sales team, a lot of people that aren't familiar with the difference between the big publishers, small presses, hybrids, and self-publishing.

[00:10:48] Nicole Meier: I always say, what kind of distribution do you want? Because so many people say, I can't wait to see my book in a bookstore. But then they will sign with a small press. That says, oh no, we do ebook only. So I'm thrilled for you that you have distribution. To me, that is a win. 

[00:11:03] Jill Beissel: Yes, absolutely. Yeah. I'm super excited about that, and it's fun to see it getting ready to go into brick and mortar or going on a.

[00:11:12] Jill Beissel: Different websites where I was like, ah, 

[00:11:14] Nicole Meier: pinch me. And you can also, one of the things that I love doing is you can build a relationship with local independent bookstores and they will be thrilled to know that they can get your book easily. That's always really exciting. Yes, absolutely. Okay. We've talked a lot about your manuscript and your why and then your publisher, but what we didn't tell the listeners about.

[00:11:36] Nicole Meier: Is, can you give us a very small premise about what it's about and what genre that your book is in? 

[00:11:43] Jill Beissel: So I'd say it's pretty squarely in book club fiction, and it's a female led suspense set in the Arizona Mountains. It follows Delaney Byrne, who after her mother's death. And a breakin that hits at a long hidden treasure.

[00:11:59] Jill Beissel: She sets out for one last treasure hunt with her estranged best friend and a rag tie group of treasure hunters. I loved growing up the Goonies and Indiana Jones. Yeah, I want this female led and I've just always loved those kinds of stories. So what I could do to bring heart in. Kinda a female lens to it.

[00:12:23] Nicole Meier: I love that.

[00:12:29] Nicole Meier: This episode is sponsored by Literary Arts, the incredible nonprofit, the champions, writers, readers, and youth. They're behind one of the most exciting events of the year, the 2025 Portland Book Festival, happening Saturday, November 8th in downtown Portland, Oregon. This is the Pacific Northwest's biggest celebration of books, and the lineup is absolutely amazing.

[00:12:53] Nicole Meier: Stacey Abrams, Nicholas Boggs, Omar Eked, Angela Flournoy, Jill Lepo, Susan, or, and so many more. It's a full day packed with conversations, inspiration, and the magic of being surrounded by people who love books just as much as you do. Grab your tickets and learn more@pdxbookfest.org or see the link in the show notes.

[00:13:20] Nicole Meier: I love a good adventure, and I'm always so envious of people that can write those kind of plot twists, which have mystery and suspense, because that's not my skillset. So I love reading books like that because I get really excited to figure out, can I figure this out? Are they gonna figure it out? So what a clever premise.

[00:13:40] Nicole Meier: I love it. Okay, so let's move on to still talk about your book, but I wanna talk about the actual creation of it. So you wrote this while working full-time with two small children. So can you share how you made that work day today? 

[00:13:57] Jill Beissel: Yes. So, gosh, because it was such a dream of mine and I had that sort of fire and spark to do it, it was okay, how do I make this happen?

[00:14:08] Jill Beissel: And. As a recovering, I would say perfectionist. I was like, I can't make this happen every day, and that's okay because I've got such a big plate. So I would find slivers of nighttime where after the kids go to bed, might be from eight to 10 and I'm falling asleep at my computer. But those incremental two hours, two or three times a week.

[00:14:38] Jill Beissel: It really added up, and sure, there were times where I would feel like, gosh, I'm never gonna get this done. But then if I would've kind of stayed in that mindset, yeah, I never would've got it done. But now here I am with a finished book that's going to debut. So yeah, that's really exciting. I think just finding those hours in the week.

[00:15:06] Jill Beissel: Make the biggest difference. 

[00:15:08] Nicole Meier: Yeah. And I love that you said you allowed yourself, I don't know if you said the word permission, but I was thinking you're giving yourself permission. And I think that's so key to say. You don't have to write every day, you don't have to break your neck every morning to do all the things for people under your roof and write at the same time.

[00:15:26] Nicole Meier: And I think that giving ourselves permission. Is one of the best things we can do, rather than this sort of hard charging, gaining sort of attitude. It's like give yourself permission to have the creative process that works for you. But I also wonder were there any challenges with that? Although you have said you were kind of falling asleep sometimes at the laptop, but were there any challenges with just keeping yourself accountable or making sure you at least touch the work a couple of times a week?

[00:15:55] Jill Beissel: Sometimes there would be nights where I'm like, oh, I'm just, I'm just too tired. And my husband was actually a great person holding me accountable. Like, just, just go in there Then for 20 minutes. And I was like, okay, fine. And then usually those 20 minutes would turn into the two hours. And then I also had a friend who introduced me to writing sprints.

[00:16:20] Jill Beissel: It was someone. Local who did nano rmo, and I don't do nano rmo, but she invited me to one and she's like, yeah, you can get some stuff done. So, and I just loved it. I loved, especially for drafting and, and the idea, nope, this doesn't have to be perfect. I'm just putting that first impression that brain dump out on the page.

[00:16:43] Jill Beissel: So I'd say letting those shackles of perfection go and just. Lowering the expectation, especially in the drafting stage. And then you really, I kind of ended up surprising myself how far that would take me. 

[00:16:59] Nicole Meier: Yeah. I love that. Were they 20 minute writing sprints? How long were 

[00:17:03] Jill Beissel: the sprints? Yes. The sprints were 20 minutes.

[00:17:05] Jill Beissel: And what was cute was my friend also had little prizes that she gave everyone. 

[00:17:10] Nicole Meier: Oh my gosh. 

[00:17:11] Jill Beissel: So I was like, Ooh, I really like this. I should find a way to give myself a little. Treat after doing it at home. 

[00:17:18] Nicole Meier: Yes, that is actually something that's really important is to reward yourself for the small wins. And a small win literally is riding for 20, 25 minutes.

[00:17:27] Nicole Meier: I, on my very first book, I kept a drawer of Hershey's kisses in my desk and I would reward myself and there's something that your brain and your creative process connects and says, oh, if we keep doing this, it's a rewarding, joyful experience. So good on your friend, and by the way, good on your husband first, just encouraging you and keeping you accountable and such a gentle and sort of positive way.

[00:17:50] Nicole Meier: I wish we all had accountability partners like that. So incredible. 

[00:17:55] Jill Beissel: I was very fortunate and I also tried to think of like, well, what would I be doing if I wasn't doing this? And for me, I was like, okay, watching TV at night, dozing off. And I'm like, let me see how I can sort of maximize that creativity and that joy.

[00:18:17] Nicole Meier: And these days for anyone listening, if you find yourself scrolling in bed, scrolling social media, scrolling, the news channels. Scrolling shopping websites. Ask yourself for these 20 minutes that I'm scrolling, what if I touched my creative work? I mean, it would make such a difference to so many of us.

[00:18:36] Nicole Meier: 'cause we all kind of slip back into old habits sometimes. 

[00:18:40] Jill Beissel: It's so easy to do that. And yeah, I would think, okay, if I scrolled, I wouldn't remember anything from what I scrolled. But what I'm putting on the page is memorable and it's going towards investing in my future self. Right. Oh my gosh. I love that.

[00:18:58] Nicole Meier: Okay, let's stay on your book for a minute more. So, glitter and gold, as you said, is a modern day treasure hunt, and it's also, I've heard, has emotional depth to it, which I love. I love good character driven novel. So can you talk a little bit about how you balance adventure with character development?

[00:19:14] Nicole Meier: 'cause that's really interesting to me. 

[00:19:16] Jill Beissel: Yeah, absolutely. I would say that I've always approached. Those things, whether with the character and their emotion and something external like the adventure or treasure as not separate, that they have the symbiotic relationship where they work together and benefit one another.

[00:19:38] Jill Beissel: And I think that the character's emotions and their contradictions are what spark choices that lead to that sort of forward momentum. So. I try to shape the main character Laney, her goals and emotions in a way that when she risks herself in that storm, or pushes into the cave or picks up that gun, that I understand who she is as a person and what drives her, what fears she has.

[00:20:12] Jill Beissel: So that just feels totally earned. 

[00:20:16] Nicole Meier: I love that. I'm curious, does one of those aspects or elements come more naturally to you? Are you more inclined to go down the rabbit hole of character development, or are you more inclined to go down the rabbit hole of suspense and adventure? Or is it kind of equal?

[00:20:33] Jill Beissel: Good question. I think both, but I guess if I had to choose it would be character development. And I also really love and have. As a kid, when I wrote it was like I'd have to pull back on setting as a character. I just love feric setting and so I think that really plays into all of that as a whole. 

[00:20:55] Nicole Meier: Yeah.

[00:20:56] Nicole Meier: Balancing all together, the atmospheric setting Totally. Can be a character and I am excited to see how it is in your book because it sounds like that's something you really lean into and that definitely intrigues me as the reader. Yeah. Okay. In addition to leaning into your strengths, writing this manuscript, do you have any resources, books, courses, podcasts, anything that you kind of love to help inspire you as you went?

[00:21:22] Nicole Meier: Oh my 

[00:21:23] Jill Beissel: gosh, there's so many. I think I'm just one of those who loves to just absorb everything. I love to collect information. I love to collect vibes. Whether it's, I think. From, like I said, Goonies and Indiana Jones to like even outer banks or, I love a great playlist and I know some are like, how can you listen to the lyrics and the words and then do the writing?

[00:21:54] Jill Beissel: And there's something that for me, like it's such a brain primer and it kind of sets me into that world. So I really love that. So that inspires me. I think there's so many podcasts. I'm gonna put you on the spot aside from this one. I think there's the shit about writing that has been so helpful, and that's how I found my critique group.

[00:22:20] Nicole Meier: Okay, so I would love for you because so many of my listeners are in that messy middle or even areas of self-doubt or wondering where in the world do I go from here because I have received a rejection. What would you tell writers who are in that long, slow path to publication right now? 

[00:22:38] Jill Beissel: The thing that helped and comforted me the most was that Ann Lamont, her Bird by bird analogy.

[00:22:47] Jill Beissel: It's always been so helpful for me in this writing journey to think of taking such a big endeavor and kind of breaking it up into more manageable chunks like. It would be great to get 200 words written or something. Just setting those really tiny goals because I think it's important, so you don't set yourself up for disappointment or failure.

[00:23:17] Jill Beissel: Publishing can feel like this big looming finish line at the top of a mountain, and you have to remember to celebrate all those vistas along the way, whether it's. Hey, I've finished one chapter, or I am a third of the way through, or, oh, I had this huge breakthrough. So I think it's so important to celebrate that, and I think it's important to remember that publication isn't the end all, be all goal, and it's in our nature to kind of continue to push.

[00:23:55] Jill Beissel: Then the goalpost, even once you get there, you're like, oh, well. I wonder how my sales are doing? Can I get in front of this influencer? Can I get in this bookstore? And so there's all these external factors and those things are all wonderful and helpful, but they are all external. They're not going to make you a better writer and.

[00:24:20] Jill Beissel: The growth in your writing and your voice as an author happens in those ugly moments, and whether you're early morning writer or late at night, those are the moments where you continue in the hard times to show up for yourself on the page. And once you can grasp that, then publication just kind of feels like the icing on the cake.

[00:24:46] Nicole Meier: Wow. Beautifully said. I'm so happy you talked about the external versus the internal, and it's something we have to remind ourselves. No matter how many books we have out there, is all of those external payoffs or results or prizes are not going to make the writer that doesn't improve our skill. That doesn't.

[00:25:06] Nicole Meier: Necessarily connect us deeper with our why, and I'm so happy you pointed that out. And listeners, I hope you're taking notes because that was definitely a golden nugget of truth. Thank you. So speaking of gold, let's tell people when your book comes out, where they can follow you. Where they can find you, all of the good information.

[00:25:27] Jill Beissel: So glitter and gold comes out October 7th. You can find it. Wherever you love to get your books and hopefully supporting independent bookstores, you should be able to get 'em there and you can find me at Jill Beis writes on Instagram. And one of these days, maybe I'll get a Substack or TikTok. 

[00:25:50] Nicole Meier: I'm over to Substack.

[00:25:51] Nicole Meier: It's my favorite place to hang out. Yeah. Yes. I'm liking it. Absolutely. This has been such a treat, Jill, and I cannot wait to get my hands on your book. Congrats on all of your success and your beautiful journey, and thank you for being on the whole writer. Thank you, Nicole. Okay, listeners, we'll see you next time.

[00:26:11] Nicole Meier: Thanks again to the Portland Book Festival for sponsoring today's episode and for creating such an amazing space for book lovers to connect. If you're in the Pacific Northwest this November, definitely check out what promises to be an incredible literary celebration. Until next time, keep reading.

[00:26:32] Nicole Meier: If you want to check out my coaching programs for fiction writers. Visit nicolemeier.com. That's M-E-I-E-R. And if you like this episode, I'd love you to take a minute to leave a rating and review for this podcast. This will help more writers like you to discover the show and to get going on their writing journey.

[00:26:53] Nicole Meier: Thanks so much for listening. Until next time, happy writing everyone.