But I needed it to work, so I didn’t give up.

I did some Googling and found another (more complicated and annoying) option to try. Following those instructions while throwing in my own little curve ball did the trick and it’s now up and running again.

I persisted until I got it right because getting it right was important to me.

27 quotes about persistence

I want you to persist as an author, too. Let these quotes about persistence from notables inspire and motivate you to stay with it.

1. “Persistence, persistence, and persistence. The power can be created and maintained through daily practice – continuous effort.” ~ Bruce Lee
2. “Paralyze resistance with persistence.” ~ Woody Hayes
3. “I would say that more people fail than succeed because few are able to show persistence in the long run.” ~ G. S Clason
4. “He conquers who endures.” ~ Persius
5. “Perseverance – that was the key word then, and it still remains the basic principle for anyone who wants success. You cannot creatively get anywhere in this life without sturdy application of the persistence principle.” ~ Dr. Norman Vincent Peale
6. “Patience is the productivity factor which keeps you persistent in working on your task.” ~ Abder-Rahman Ali
7. “There is no magic to achievement. It’s really about hard work, choices and persistence.” ~ Michelle Obama
8. “Money grows on the tree of persistence.” ~ Japanese proverb
9. “Continuous effort–not strength or intelligence–is the key to unlocking our potential.” ~ Winston Churchill
10. “Success is almost totally dependent upon drive and persistence.” ~ Denis Waitley
11. “Permanence, perseverance, and persistence in spite of all obstacles, discouragement, and impossibilities: It is this, that in all things distinguishes the strong soul from the weak.” ~ Thomas Carlyle
12. “A river cuts through rock not because of its power but because of its persistence.” ~ James Watkins
13. “Whatever you want you can have, if you want it badly enough, and if you are willing to persist long enough and hard enough in doing what others have done to accomplish similar things before you.” ~ Brian Tracy
14. “Remain persistent and don’t stray from your path. The power to change your opinion about yourself and your outlook on life is in your hands.” ~ Gavin Bird
15. “Persistence is the twin sister of excellence. One is a matter of quality; the other, a matter of time.” ~ Marabel Morgan
16. “Talent is nothing without persistence.” ~ Dean Crawford
17. “If you have mastered your profession but lack the ability to be persistent, you will not succeed. You are a failure when you stop trying again and again.” ~ Dozie Uzochukwu
18. “Whoever knocks persistently, ends by entering.” ~ Muhammad Ali
19. “Patience, persistence, and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success.” ~ Napoleon Hill
20. “Press on. Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.” ~ Ray Kroc
21. “When life knocks you down you have two choices – stay down or get up.” ~ Tom Krause
22. “If you do not have persistence then no amount of education, talent, or genius can make up for it.” ~ Stephen Richards
23. “Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did.” ~ Newt Gingrich
24. “Persistence prevails when all else fails.” ~ Author Unknown
25. “Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
26. “The key of persistence opens all doors closed by resistance.” ~ John Di Lemme
27. “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.” ~ Calvin Coolidge

Which of these “spoke” to you? Which ones made you think, “I need to keep doing this?” Please tell us in a comment.

Tip of the Month

I like to share a “Tip of the Month,” a free resource or tool for authors, on the last Wednesday of the month.

This month’s free download is for those of you with audiobooks.

BookBub, the daily deal newsletter that also offers marketing information and resources for authors, is offering the “Ultimate Collection of Audiobook Marketing Examples.” Download your copy here.

Be sure to subscribe to BookBub’s Partners Blog, too. You’ll get solid advice in your inbox every week. I highly recommend it.

Sometimes, it’s nothing more than perseverance that separates successful authors from those who fail — no matter how you define fail.

Many authors are familiar with the story of how best-seller Chicken Soup for the Soul was rejected by 123 publishers before it was acquired. It’s a contemporary example of why authors must persist.

How do you persevere?

Perseverance can come in many forms, of course.

For some, it might be moving on to the next book.

For others, it could be listening carefully to less-than-glowing reader reviews and improving the manuscript. It might involve applying what you’ve learned from feedback to the next writing project.

For others, it could be building on a positive response by doing one thing a day to promote the book.

It can also mean just showing up in front of your computer to write at the same time every day, even when life knocks you off your feet.

Why you should persevere

Buzzfeed‘s list of “20 Brilliant Authors Whose Work Was Originally Rejected” documents why you hang in there.

After all, Beatrix Potter self-published The Tale of Peter Rabbit in 1901 after publishers rejected it and look where she ended up. She succeeded because she persevered.

If you believe in your book, don’t give up. Get help making it the best if can be if that makes sense — and for most of us, it does — but don’t give up.

If you have something to say, work at saying it better than anyone else.

Package your book so it looks just as good as anything that you see on display in a brick and mortar bookstore.

Find your audience. Tell them about it. Promote it to the right people.

But don’t give up. For many authors, success is about perseverance more than anything else.

That might just be the case with you.

Ready to persist with book marketing but not sure what to do? Get a book marketing tip delivered to your inbox every day for just 99 cents for the entire year — that’s $.0027 per day and per tip — with the Build Book Buzz “365 Daily Book Marketing Tips” series.

Why do you persevere? What’s your motivation? Tell us in a comment.