Rejection. A word all writers hate with a passion, right? You put your heart and soul into your work and sacrifice it to the editorial gods. Then you wait, hoping against hope that it would be accepted.
You receive a standard note from them to say; “Thank you for submitting your story to us. Unfortunately, it is not for us at this time.” Your heart sinks, and you feel defeated. Don’t be! Editors have different tastes. What one editor turns down, another might publish.
“You have to work hard and unremittingly, and sacrifice a great deal; when you fall at, or fail to clear, an obstacle (usually an editor), you have to pick yourself up and go on.”- Faith Baldwin
All writers are vulnerable. When we write with the door closed, our stories seem great to us. When the light of the outside world shines in on us, it is scary. Writing is fun, but it is also hard work and very frustrating at times.
If you are lucky, the editor might give you some feedback on how to improve your story. Most of the time they don’t, and you are trying to figure out what is wrong with it. When an editor asks you to do a rewrite, do it. It is an indication that they think your story has some promise, like a conditional acceptance.
“Perseverance is failing 19 times and succeeding the 20th.” —Julie Andrews
I have received rejection after rejection. Then one of my stories got published, after it’s been rejected seven times. That one publication boosted my self-confidence immediately; at least someone thought I could write!
“I discovered that rejections are not altogether a bad thing. They teach a writer to rely on his own judgment and to say in his heart of hearts, ‘To hell with you.”-Saul Bellow
I started looking at rejections as a tool to improve my writing, not a drawback. So I decided to try for at least 100 rejections per year! I started going onto writing sites to see how to improve, and I am still learning each day. I realised that the more you write, the better your writing becomes.
“When you find something at which you are talented, you do it until your fingers bleed or your eyes are ready to fall out of your head.” – Stephen King
Send out your stories to as many magazines as possible, even the ones that don’t pay. When you are lucky enough to find an editor that is approachable and supportive, you can learn a lot from them.
Enter competitions regularly, but do not pay to enter them. They must pay you for your work, not the other way around. I recently received two contracts from two different publishers that wanted to publish my novel. The catch was that I had to “help pay the publishing costs,” which was an astronomical amount. Yeah right!
Engrave this in your brain: EVERY WRITER GETS REJECTED. You will be no different.”- John Scalzi
You know you have a good story, right? All you need to do is to find the right publisher that agrees with you. Decide to look at rejections as a tool for improvement. Continue to write, even when you do not feel like it. Sooner or later, it will pay off.
“This manuscript of yours that has just come back from another editor is a precious package. Don't consider it rejected. Consider that you've addressed it 'to the editor who can appreciate my work' and it has simply come back stamped 'Not at this address'. Just keep looking for the right address.”- Barbara Kingsolver
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