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Rejection slips are a heartrending but inevitable part of the writing process. After finally finishing a piece, editing, and sending out twenty self-addressed stamped envelopes with the enclosed manuscript, you wait. Two months pass, maybe three. You nervously chew your hand and get compulsive about checking and rechecking the mail. Finally, after what seems like an eternity, there it is -your self-addressed stamped envelope peeking out of the top of the mailbox. You tear it open like a kid on Christmas morning only to find the following:
A) Dear writer. We regret to inform you that we are currently unable to use the enclosed material.
B) Dear writer. Thank you for sending (fill in the name of your story). Your work received careful consideration. Unfortunately, this manuscript is not for us.
Finally, there’s the rejection slip that all writers loathe more than any other. When you see this one, you know your work went immediately from the envelope into the editor’s wastebasket.
C) Dear writer. We are no longer accepting submissions at this time.
Yeah, right. But that’s only the beginning. When the nineteen other envelopes come back with similar rejection slips, that’s when despair sets in. That’s when you begin to question your writing as well as your self-worth. It’s also when your pliant, fleshy, writerly skin needs to transform into a hardened shell -an impenetrable, protective covering from the harsh reality of public rejection. Here are some tips and tactics to help along the transformation.
- Unlike many writers who never show their work to anyone but family, friends, and writing workshops, you are now engaged in the process of getting published. It’s a giant step forward, and it should fill you with added confidence.
- Take a moment to remember all the writers who had their desk drawers stuffed with rejections before they found success. C.S. Lewis, author of the Chronicles of Narnia, is said to have received over 800 rejection letters. Stephen King and J.K. Rowling would also be on a top ten list of writers with the most rejections.
- Multiple rejections are not an excuse to stop writing. If an editor takes a moment to comment on your piece, take his or her feedback seriously and use it to improve your work.
- Don’t let one rejection slip prevent you from sending work to the same publisher or small literary journal again.
- Research how to go about finding a literary agent, but keep in mind the process is similar to sending work directly to a publishing house. In other words, you may have to pitch your book idea to an agent, and they may or may not accept it.
- The brick and mortar book industry is not what it used to be. Many big publishing houses are not taking on new or unknown writers. However, this is the technological age, and more and more writers are self-publishing eBooks.
- Sit down at your computer and write another story. Creativity is the best therapy.
- Self-Publish. When no one else find the value your in work, take control and reap the rewards of investing in publishing your book yourself. Find a reputable publisher to help your produce your book so that it has the same quality as royalty-publishing.
