Melica Niccole

On what subject(s) are you an authority?

Oh! How am I an erudite to the many lessons life has brought my way. Life provides a rights of passage to its many directions that some either learn or they do not. We repeat what we don’t learn in many ways and forms.

In order to be an erudite we must fail and sometimes fail greatly in order to succeed. To many the word no is a form of failure and a stepping stone to others. Just imagine you are a writer. An amazing author (By your standards of course). You submit your manuscript to one of the largest publishing companies and you receive a rejection letter. Heartbreaking, but not life threatening. To some this is failure, but others the push they needed to break away and publish non-traditionally.

My manuscript has been rejected from mainstream publishers; however I have done well with self publishing my work. When one door closes, another one ones. Hearing no does not stop me from doing what I need to do. It just pushes me to work harder. Being an author for over 15 years, I am offered many amazing opportunities. In fact, I was offered an opportunity to participate in Otterbein University’s National African American Read-In event with the National Council of Teachers of English. This was an amazing opportunity, which I attribute to my failures and successes.

Don’t let failure discourage you from success.