Rex Ogle: Don’t Take Rejections Personally
In this interview, author Rex Ogle discusses taking painful adolescent memories and reclaiming them in his new graphic novel, Fruitcake.
Rex Ogle is an award-winning author of more than a hundred books, comics, graphic novels, and memoirs, including Four Eyes, Pizza Face, Free Lunch (winner of ALA/YALSA’s award for Excellence in Non-Fiction), and Road Home (a Micheal Printz Honor and Stonewall Honor book). Under his pseudonym, Rey Terciero, he also reimagines classic stories as modern and diverse graphic novels, including Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy; Northranger (nominated for both Harvey and GLAAD Media Awards); and Dan in Green Gables. Learn more at RexOgle.com, subscribe to his newsletter for free books and lots of fun, and follow him on Facebook and Instagram.
In this interview, Rex discusses taking painful adolescent memories and reclaiming them in his new graphic novel, Fruitcake, his hope for readers, and more.
Name: Rex Ogle
Literary agent: Brent Taylor, Triada
Book title: Fruitcake
Publisher: Scholastic/Graphix
Release date: April 7, 2026
Genre/category: Slice-of-life, middle-grade graphic novel
Previous titles: Best known for Four Eyes, Pizza Face, Free Lunch, as well as titles under my pen name, Rey Terciero, such as Dan in Green Gables and Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy
Elevator pitch: Fruitcake follows eighth-grader Rex as he navigates friendships, crushes, coming out, and finding the courage to be himself.
What prompted you to write this book?
When I turned 40, my LASIK wore off and I had to go to the optometrist to get glasses. Sitting in that chair and reading the little letters on the wall made me recall in vivid detail the first time I got glasses as a sixth grader. Then I remembered—also in vivid detail—how I was bullied and called “Four Eyes.” Then other nicknames I’d been teased with like “Pizza Face” and “Fruitcake” came to mind. As an author who has long since processed those painful memories of being bullied, I decided I wanted to reclaim those names. They don’t hurt my feelings anymore—now, they’re titles of a graphic novel trilogy I’m super proud of.
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
Scholastic/Graphix was amazing! When my agent approached them with the trilogy pitch, they signed up all three books at once. We immediately went to work on the first book, which was back in 2020. Here we are six years later, and the third installment is about to release. But what makes me most happy is that the concept of the story hasn’t changed at all, it’s just grown stronger because I have amazing editors who make me look a whole lot smarter than I am. LOL.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
Publicity! I worked as a comics and book editor in NYC for 15 years, and I thought I knew this industry like the back of my hand. Turns out I still had a lot to learn, especially the work of publicizing a book. There are soooo many books out there and soooo many great books competing for placement on a bookshelf in stores or libraries. So, discoverability is a huge new arena I’ve been learning about, and it’s made me realize that writing a book is only the first hurdle to get my stories into the hands of readers.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
There are always little “Oh my!” moments when I write. Usually, it’s a joke that I write that I hadn’t anticipated, and soon as I type it, I’m giggling like a six-year-old. As for big “OH WOW!” moments, that’s easy: Dave Valeza’s art. He is a true genius in the way he captures the most complex tween emotions from only a few lines of text. Every time my editors sent me new art, my brain would melt. More than once, I teared up. I cannot sing Dave’s praises enough. I’ve already pitched him, like, 20 more book ideas in the hopes that he’d work with me again.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
My biggest want for my readers is simple: I want them to walk away with hope; optimism; and a warm, fuzzy feeling that lets them know they’re not alone. I write for young readers because I want to offer them shortcuts that I wish I’d had when I was their age. Growing up queer in Texas in the 80s and 90s was nothing less than terrifying and isolating. But I survived. And so can my readers. In every book I write, I want to tell a story about how to face difficulties in this world, and there are many, especially for kids today. They have a lot to navigate, and I hope they continue to find books that not only speak to them but motivate and encourage them, too.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
Don’t take rejections personally. Wear them like badges of honor. I’ve been rejected hundreds of times. (At this point, the more accurate number is probably over 1,000.) But having worked in publishing, I can say with ease that some of the most talented writers with the most exquisite work are often rejected because of small things that are out of everyone’s control. Sometimes it’s bad timing (as in a pub house just acquired something similar), sometimes it’s a poor pairing (as in an editor and author who have different visions for a book), and sometimes someone is just having a bad day (for real, I’ve seen one person in an acquisitions meeting sink the ship because something else was going on in their lives). We’re all humans, we’re all flawed, and no book is perfect. So, when you get a “no” (or no reply at all), it doesn’t mean you’re a bad writer. It simply means this isn’t the time or place for that particular book. But if you want to be a writer, keep writing. These things take time, and—if you’re like me—a lot of rejections, too. Don’t give up.
