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Understanding Rejection Slips
by Jennifer Minar
You think you've nailed it.
You watch for the postman day after day, and finally he arrives with
the SASE envelope you so lovingly sealed weeks before. Your heart
pounding, you run to the mailbox (in your towel) and snatch it out
of his hands. It feels awfully light, but you ignore that minor
detail.
You dash back into the house and slam the door behind you. Letting
the towel slip to the floor, somewhere between the foyer and living
room, you now stand next to the kitchen counter.
Taking a deep breath, you pry it open. Then you read: Dear author,
"Thank you for your submission. However this piece is not for us…"
Your breath catches in your throat. You feel your spirit being
sucked from your very being. Reaching for your towel, you curse
angrily. What does this person know anyway? He doesn't know me! But
as your anger subsides and you realize that there's a reason this
person is in the position he's in, you ultimately begin to do the
worst thing possible: you begin to question your worth as a writer.
Why do you put yourself through this torture? I'll tell you
why...because rejection slips go with the territory. For a writer,
rejection slips are simply a rite of passage--and by understanding
what they are and what they aren't, you may not only ease some of
the pain, you'll grow as a writer.
All writers suffer rejection. Yes, even the greats. An editor from
the San Francisco Examiner sent this in a rejection letter to
Rudyard Kipling: "I am sorry, Mr. Kipling, but you just do not know
how to use the English language." Even e.e. Cummings wasn't immune
to rejection. Did you know it was Cummings' mother who first
published his poems after a dozen publishers rejected them? Beatrix
Potter's The Tale of Peter Rabbit was rejected at least six times
before she published it herself. If these acclaimed authors faced
rejection, why wouldn't you or I?
Rejections aren't personal. Publishing is a business, not an art. If
the agent or editor thinks he can sell your idea or manuscript,
he'll buy it. Perhaps your piece wasn't for that editor, that
particular day. Maybe he had a similar piece in queue. In fact,
there are many trivial factors that determine whether or not a
publisher decides to buy your book. Most times it doesn't have
anything to do with the quality of your manuscript. So don't take it
personally.
Value criticism. If an agent/editor scribbles a note on your
rejection letter, pay attention! More often than not, writers are
simply sent a form letter, left to wonder why a piece was rejected.
If he scribbles some advice, don't discount it just yet--there may
be some merit to it. For instance, if you repeatedly get rejections
on a certain piece, or a comment is made by more than one editor,
you will want to consider the possibility that maybe it's not sharp
enough...yet. Conversely, do not make changes you do not feel are
right. Talk to someone who has read your work, and find out what
they think about the suggestion.
Rejections should be seen as a sign of accomplishment. Rejections
are a sign that you're working hard. Be proud that you actually
wrote something, polished it, researched your markets, and mailed it
out. That, in itself, is an accomplishment. Most people will go to
their graves with the unrealized intention of getting this far!
Don't let rejection slips slow you down. You're chasing your
dream--and if you want it badly enough, you won't quit. You'll keep
chasing it until you catch it.
About the Author
Jennifer Minar is a freelance writer in the writing and health &
fitness markets. She is also the founder & managing editor of
Writer's Break
http://www.writersbreak.com, a web site and ezine for fiction
and creative non-fiction writers; and Industry News @-a-Glance, an
ezine for the retail pharmacy industry.
© Copyright 2003 Jennifer Minar
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