Rejection is avoidable.
You can quote me on that.
Obligatory disclaimer: if you’re interested in becoming a published author or illustrator, you must accept that rejection will forever be the nutty filling baked into the center of the submission process.
Trying to get published and avoid rejection is like trying to write a sentence and avoid using a verb or a noun (or walking away from a Krispy Kreme with the neon Hot Donuts sign blazing).
Rejection is preventable.
Unlike the sunrise, wrinkles or couch cushion crumbs, rejection is something you can put a stop to. It’s simple math (the only kind I know how to do).
No Submission = No Rejection
Conversely,
No Rejection = No Potential for Possible Publication
Darn it.
I know. Rejection is painful. But with the right mindset, rejection can also be viewed as progress (you know, in a twisted, squinty, very grown up attitude kind of way).
Since rejection is something every publication-pursuing person will face, I’ve pre-packaged this page with resources to prepare you for when rejection strikes.
These links take you to posts I’ve compiled over the oh-so-many years I have wrestled with rejection. I wanted to package them all on one page so that your teary eyes won’t have to search. They’re all here for convenient, one stop sobbing . . .
48 of the most important hours in a writer’s life
5 essential steps for first responders
Think you’re not a bully? Take the “Am I a Bully?” quiz
The importance of living dangerously
An open letter to all of the editors who have ever rejected my work
The one thing I never think about when I’m editing
Another thing that helps propel me through the rejection process is simply talking about it with other writers.
Please feel free to leave comments below–your insights, your sob stories, your questions and your lessons learned. You can count on me to respond–and not with a form letter! (Ouch. Too soon?)
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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