I'm glad to hear that you haven't given up, when that is an option on the table, but rather you have chosen to keep going! That in itself is worth something!
I'm not a writer but for everything I have heard about the world of writing it is mostly filled with many stories of failure after failure, so it seems to me you're on the same path that many amazing authors took! I'm with you, I think 2018 will be your year! :)
2018 will be our year! Personally, I feel like it's better when everyone succeeds together. Some people want to succeed before they help others, but for me I want to succeed alongside everybody else. Grit and grind, brother. We rise up no matter how many times we fall down.