--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's my belief that you should never show…" description: "\"It's my belief that you should never show your work to anyone in the publishing world until it shines like a diamond. Rough drafts don't shine, as a ru..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/375/patrick-rothfuss-145_belief_it-s-my-belief-that-you-should-never-sho_2750527.jpg" --- # It's my belief that you should never show your work to… ![“It's my belief that you should never show your work to anyone in the publishing world until it shines like a diamond. Rough drafts don't shine, as a rule. Mine certainly didn't. That's why I was rejected for years and years.” quote by Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/375/patrick-rothfuss-145_belief_it-s-my-belief-that-you-should-never-sho_2750527.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/375/patrick-rothfuss-145_belief_it-s-my-belief-that-you-should-never-sho_2750527.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/375/patrick-rothfuss-145_belief_it-s-my-belief-that-you-should-never-sho_2750527.jpg) > “It's my belief that you should never show your work to anyone in the publishing world until it shines like a diamond. Rough drafts don't shine, as a rule. Mine certainly didn't. That's why I was rejected for years and years.” [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Showcase polished work only after it reaches high quality; early drafts are expected to be rough and may lead to rejection. **In simple terms:** Polish before publishing. Key Takeaway Refine until it shines. Themes writing creativity perfectionism Mood thoughtful inspirational Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - submission - editing - peer review - creative workshops Key Concepts drafting editing creative process Questions to Reflect On - How many drafts are enough? - When is work ready to share? A Different Perspective Perfectionism can stall progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diamond/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Publishing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/publishing/) [Rough drafts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rough-drafts/) [Shining](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shining/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I'm working on my own work, my own publishing company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-van-hamersveld/i-m-working-on-my-own-work-my-own-publishing-company/) [John Van Hamersveld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-van-hamersveld/) > [ “What I miss most since computers is the existence of rough drafts. \[…\]. I miss the mistakes, the words scribbled in the margin, the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-claude-carri-re/what-i-miss-most-since-computers-is-the-existence-of-rough-drafts-i/) [Jean-Claude Carrière](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-claude-carri-re/) > [When I was growing up the publishing world seemed so far away. When my mother wrote a book, she would look up the address…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiran-desai/when-i-was-growing-up-the-publishing-world-seemed-so-far-away-when-my/) [Kiran Desai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiran-desai/) > [I've never liked the publishing world's determination to pigeonhole every writer into a genre.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-r-lansdale/i-ve-never-liked-the-publishing-world-s-determination-to-pigeonhole/) [Joe R. Lansdale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-r-lansdale/) > [The publishing world has been very slow to adapt to the digital world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-calloway/the-publishing-world-has-been-very-slow-to-adapt-to-the-digital-world/) [Caroline Calloway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-calloway/) > [You know how some people are upwardly mobile? I'm sort of downwardly mobile in the publishing world, because of my sales figures and also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-tillman/you-know-how-some-people-are-upwardly-mobile-i-m-sort-of-downwardly/) [Lynne Tillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-tillman/) > [The publishing world is very timid. Readers are much braver.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiran-desai/the-publishing-world-is-very-timid-readers-are-much-braver/) [Kiran Desai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiran-desai/) > [In the publishing world, most editors are probably women. So I don't see the publishing world as a male-dominated one, especially within fiction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-donoghue/in-the-publishing-world-most-editors-are-probably-women-so-i-don-t/) [Emma Donoghue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-donoghue/) > [You know, in the old days, you might be able to slowly sort of build an audience for your work by publishing two, three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-harbach/you-know-in-the-old-days-you-might-be-able-to-slowly-sort-of-build-an/) [Chad Harbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-harbach/) > [But it isn’t a rough draft either. The one I turned in several months ago was rough. There were some bad plot holes, some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/but-it-isn-t-a-rough-draft-either-the-one-i-turned-in-several-months/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“The Christian publishing world has embraced the safe over the good”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-mark-bertrand/the-christian-publishing-world-has-embraced-the-safe-over-the-good/) [J. Mark Bertrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-mark-bertrand/) > [I saw that publishing all over the world was deeply constrained by self-censorship, economics and political censorship, while the military-industrial complex was growing at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/i-saw-that-publishing-all-over-the-world-was-deeply-constrained-by/) [Julian Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-assange/) > [I've been dreaming about having a press forever, like the '90s. I've always known so many great writers who aren't as connected to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-tea/i-ve-been-dreaming-about-having-a-press-forever-like-the-90s-i-ve/) [Michelle Tea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-tea/) > [My grief is that the publishing world, the book writing world is an extraordinary shoddy, dirty, dingy world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-s-naipaul/my-grief-is-that-the-publishing-world-the-book-writing-world-is-an/) [V. S. Naipaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-s-naipaul/) > [I have students that I tell, "If your book doesn't sell or you can't publish it, write another book. Quit sitting around." The publishing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-goldberg/i-have-students-that-i-tell-if-your-book-doesn-t-sell-or-you-can-t/) [Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/) ## More by Patrick Rothfuss > [Each woman is like an instrument, waiting to be learned, loved, and finely played, to have at last her own true music made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/each-woman-is-like-an-instrument-waiting-to-be-learned-loved-and/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Prefiero tocar canciones que divierten a mis amigos que complacer a quienes me juzgan basándose solo en habladurías" - Kvothe”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/prefiero-tocar-canciones-que-divierten-a-mis-amigos-que-complacer-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Wilem snorted."That doesn't sound suspicious at all," he said. "And you wonder why people talk about you." "I don't wonder why they talk," I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/wilem-snorted-that-doesn-t-sound-suspicious-at-all-he-said-and-you/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“The point isn't to win the game. The point is to play a beautiful game. (paraphrased)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/the-point-isn-t-to-win-the-game-the-point-is-to-play-a-beautiful-game/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I was nervous about writing Slow Regard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/i-was-nervous-about-writing-slow-regard/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I am no poet. I do not love words for the sake of words. I love words for what they can accomplish. Similarly, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/i-am-no-poet-i-do-not-love-words-for-the-sake-of-words-i-love-words/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“There is something deeply satisfying in shaping something with your hands. Proper artificing is like a song made solid. It is an act of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/there-is-something-deeply-satisfying-in-shaping-something-with-your/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [He had a bright, reckless tenor that was always wandering off, looking for notes in the wrong places.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/he-had-a-bright-reckless-tenor-that-was-always-wandering-off-looking/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I smiled,"Deoch, my heart is made of stronger stuff than glass. When she strikes she'll find it strong as iron-bound brass, or gold and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/i-smiled-deoch-my-heart-is-made-of-stronger-stuff-than-glass-when-she/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I have a blog where I keep in touch with my fans. I write about things that are important to me. Sometimes on there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/i-have-a-blog-where-i-keep-in-touch-with-my-fans-i-write-about-things/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [Soft fantasy worlds have a much looser cause-and-effect relationship. Alchemists can turn lead into gold and nobody wonders about how it will impact the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/soft-fantasy-worlds-have-a-much-looser-cause-and-effect-relationship/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [But how awful would that be? How terrible to live surrounded by the stark, sharp, hollowness of things that simply were enough?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/but-how-awful-would-that-be-how-terrible-to-live-surrounded-by-the/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [ Here's the thing: Authors live or die by recommendations. \[That's one of the reason I review so many books on Goodreads.\] Giving books you… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/here-s-the-thing-authors-live-or-die-by-recommendations-that-s-one-of/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I was pretty poor for a long time. Not \*poor\* poor. But college student poor. I lived for most of my adult life living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/i-was-pretty-poor-for-a-long-time-not-poor-poor-but-college-student/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) [Explore all 895 Patrick Rothfuss quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) ## More Belief quotes > [“Cine a ucis stelele? Cine a surpat drumul spre viitor al celor din morminte?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ionel-teodoreanu/cine-a-ucis-stelele-cine-a-surpat-drumul-spre-viitor-al-celor-din/) [Ionel Teodoreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ionel-teodoreanu/) > [“MIND & GRIND Self-belief and hard work can propel you past more talented peers”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamil-ali/mind-grind-self-belief-and-hard-work-can-propel-you-past-more/) [Kamil Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamil-ali/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [It took me 20 years of hard training to get the physique I have today. what you need is what i had - BELIEF…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-warren/it-took-me-20-years-of-hard-training-to-get-the-physique-i-have-today/) [Branch Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-warren/) > [“Here is a fundamental difference between the man of faith and the man of unbelief. The unbeliever is 'of the world', judges everything by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-w-pink/here-is-a-fundamental-difference-between-the-man-of-faith-and-the-man/) [Arthur W. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-w-pink/) > [“She herself vacillated when it came to belief. She did not particularly believe in God. Or, rather, she didn't believe in a particular God.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allegra-goodman/she-herself-vacillated-when-it-came-to-belief-she-did-not/) [Allegra Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allegra-goodman/) > [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [“Rigid traditions capture souls prisons of spiritual thought man’s religion has captured a god grown too small and very weak.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle/rigid-traditions-capture-souls-prisons-of-spiritual-thought-man-s/) [David W Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle/) > [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. Our belief in tolerance and liberty which shines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/we-can-find-common-qualities-and-common-values-that-have-made-britain/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [The inner defenses are unconscious. They consist of a kind of magic aura which the mind builds around cherished belief. Arguments which penetrate into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-inner-defenses-are-unconscious-they-consist-of-a-kind-of-magic/) [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) > [I have tried to resign myself, and to console myself; and that, I hope, I may have done imperfectly; but what I cannot firmly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-have-tried-to-resign-myself-and-to-console-myself-and-that-i-hope-i/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [In business, as in politics, it is never easy to go against the beliefs and attitudes held by the majority. The businessman who moves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-paul-getty/in-business-as-in-politics-it-is-never-easy-to-go-against-the-beliefs/) [J. Paul Getty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-paul-getty/) > [There's no greatest moment in the arts. It's a life; it's a continuity thing. You can't have a great moment because it's spiritual. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leroy-neiman/there-s-no-greatest-moment-in-the-arts-it-s-a-life-it-s-a-continuity/) [LeRoy Neiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leroy-neiman/) > [To preserve an unclouded capacity for the enjoyment of life is an unusual moral and psychological achievement. Contrary to popular belief, it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/to-preserve-an-unclouded-capacity-for-the-enjoyment-of-life-is-an/) [Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) [Browse all 10,268 Belief quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's my belief that you should never show your work to anyone in the publishing world until it shines like a diamond. Rough drafts don't shine, as a rule. Mine certainly didn't. 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