I was rejected recently by a publisher I really really really wanted to get into. Of course, I was being overly ambitious (sending my manuscript to the very TOP of my submission list) but I already knew ahead of time that my chances of being accepted were slim, at best. There are some writers who take rejections way too personally and others who are hardly fazed by the experience. So I want to know how YOU handle rejections?
Honestly...I'm mostly apathetic toward my rejections. More so if it's done by the standard rejection form letter. If they can't be bothered to tell me WHY I was rejected, I can't be bothered to submit there again. Also, rejections are 100% subjective. Being rejected does not mean that you SUCK as a writer. It simply means the editors aren't looking for that particular whatever. You can be rejected 8 million or 8 billion times but it only takes ONE acceptance to get your manuscript published! Shop around on Duotrope long enough and eventually you'll find a home for your story.
Anyways, now that I've been rejected at my top pick, and I can submit to my second best choice...and on it goes! In the meantime, I should write something else during the holiday break!
Cheers from the Vegetarian Cannibal!
7 comments:
Most of us are rejected from publishers we really, really wanted to get into. How I react depends on what is being said. I had an agent be very blunt and I struggled to learn from what she said. I take it all as a learning experience. If we keep submitting maybe they will be sick of us and publish us. I have had 50/50 personal and form. There are many good resources out there to find publishers, and if you're like me, I research them carefully.
Sounds like you got your head on straight, Veg.
My cure for rejection is simple. I usually have so many projects going at once, I don't feel the sting of any one rejection.
for me it depends on what they say. if i get the generic "its just not our style" i don't find that very helpful and i get annoyed. but i get over it pretty quit. if the publisher has some advice for me, then i really appreciate that they took the time to tell me what would make my story better for another publisher. other than that i get used to it and work on something else.
Before I started submitting, I did my research on publishing and after hearing everybody’s horror stories about rejections, I sort of built a wall around myself. When I submitted my first ever manuscript, I kind of broke the rules and subbed it to seven publishers in one day (a mistake I will not repeat next time). I heard back from three of them; two yes’s and one no. The other four have not responded yet so I’m sure they’re no’s. I don’t care because that manuscript is already under contract, and even if that publisher would have said no, I would have found other ones to submit to. And if all say no, then the book must not be that good, time to move on to some other story. I’m a rather emotional person sometimes so building a wall around myself has really helped. It gave me to confidence to submit in the first place, as I’ve wanted to publish for a while but was always too afraid of rejection, so I would plot but not write.
Good responses, guys! Glad I'm not the only one, haha! I think many writers experience more rejections than acceptances but they just don't 'fess up to it!
rejections, i've had a few...
i like your attitude... if all they can send is a form 'no', i'd not resubmit, either! GRRRRRRRRRRRR
Thanks for visiting my blog, laughingwolf! :D
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