If you're getting rejections from your submissions, please don't quit yet until you read the following article. I want you to get a perspective on rejection.
First of all, I'll assume you've been told a few things about rejection: Don't take it personally; it's a part of writing; and all well-established writers have been rejected at first, and are even rejected now. Good advice.
Then why are you still discouraged by rejection?
Here's why. We live in a world where ignorance is bliss. You get rejected all the time, you just don't know it. Perhaps a friend has considered calling you to do something and then changes her mind. You will never know. She isn't going to send you a rejection letter. Suppose you owned a business and sent out 1,000 direct mail letters and got a response of ten. This is considered a very good response in the direct mail field. Those ten responses cover your costs and time and then some. Do you lament over the 990 folks who didn't respond? No. Could you see if you demanded to have every one of them write back and tell you they aren't interested? You'd be blue then. Consider all the offers you reject on a daily basis. Ah, but as writers we put ourselves on the line by requesting to be rejected. The publishing industry is so unique in that aspect. We demand that publishers respond to us and let us know what they want to do with our writing. We have to in order to know what to do next with our particular article or book proposal.
The reason rejection is such a part of your life is because it is the nature of this business of writing. You can't expect a publisher to accept everything everyone submits. Even if every submission was spectacular, they still couldn't publish every one.
So you feel stupid when you get rejected. You beat yourself up. There are great ways to overcome this. Keep writing. Keep sending items out. Be very businesslike. Get a rejection letter? Make yourself feel better by sending out the same package that day to another publisher. Handle your submissions in a non-emotional way. While the writing itself can be emotional, the submission process cannot. Accept this and you'll be a lot happier. Try saying this to yourself the next time you get a rejection: "You don't want it? That's okay, I'll try someone else."
Heather L. Koppes is a freelance business writer. She writes company literature including newsletters, brochures, articles, case histories and press releases. You can check out her daily blog at http://heatherlkoppes.blogspot.com
tidy up service Glenview ..Imagine a three hundred page book was in the author's... Read More
Why is it that so many people don't take writing-as-a-job... Read More
'Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented... Read More
Productivity begins by recognizing and valuing your brilliance, time, and... Read More
Mindmapping is better than linear outlining because authors can use... Read More
Many writers stare at the blank page or clean computer... Read More
If you dread the thought of writing, if you fear... Read More
FERRETING OUT WORK You keep hearing that there's work out... Read More
I'm a writing fool! 2 book proposals, 1 user's guide,... Read More
"If you want to change your life," Harry Beckwith wrote... Read More
Balance your life ... Read More
During my 25-year career in a variety of professional positions... Read More
Sit back, and imagine what it feels like to be... Read More
No user manual? Surely you jest!It may seem comical, but... Read More
For several years before I left teaching to write full... Read More
Every morning I excitedly get out of bed. Just a... Read More
Have you ever had a student write to tell you... Read More
Is it possible to improve your writing instantly? The answer,... Read More
Riding on the fumes of potential, you take pen to... Read More
Good writing requires self-examination. Why is one writing? What part... Read More
It's a good idea to use TextPad because all opt-in... Read More
Every writer expends a great deal of creative energy developing... Read More
Written communication is often the first impression you make on... Read More
Technology vendors often contribute bylined articles to trade journals. The... Read More
So you want to be a successful author? You want... Read More
maid service near Winnetka ..Want to write a how-to article but can't come up... Read More
Don't they drive you nuts?You can visit all the rules... Read More
Every writer eventually develops her own unique style of writing.... Read More
When I was young, I used to talk to myself.... Read More
What a wonderful resource the Internet is!Students find information to... Read More
Dream that your book can be a number one best... Read More
Winning writing contests can provide several advantages to writers. For... Read More
You know, I really hate it when someone catches me... Read More
If you dread the thought of writing, if you fear... Read More
When you run an online agency for freelance writers, editors... Read More
One day in the mid-1970's a young man stumbled into... Read More
Your struggling to sell just a few copies of your... Read More
Far too many inexperienced writers create flat, stereotypical characters: the... Read More
Peter Abrahams is the author of thirteen novels, including "The... Read More
The principle for writing good screenplays begins with good idea... Read More
So you've got your plot outlined, a title lined up... Read More
You can create a great headline, a dynamic first sentence,... Read More
Here's something from my mailbag. "Dear Michael, do you need... Read More
Writers are an insecure lot.It's easy to understand why. You... Read More
1. Turning your idea into a bookWith non-fiction books the... Read More
Did you know that your back cover information is, after... Read More
Recently I was watching the Oprah show and it was... Read More
My Dad has this old joke that goes, "What's the... Read More
Many of us dream of writing a book. Why not.... Read More
Your query letter can be a deal maker or a... Read More
Writing |