The Rewards of Rejection
by Shaunna PrivratskyRejection hurts, whether you’re a seasoned freelancer or a novice writer taking the first exhilarating steps on the path of publishing success. After three years of prolific writing in many genres, I’ve "earned" many rejections. I’ve learned the hard way how to rebound from rejection and reap rewards. I call it the 4 R’s of rejection: realize, reflect, revise and resubmit.
First of all, you must realize that a rejection slip is not personal. The editor is not rejecting you as a human being, only letting you know that your submission is not what she needs at this time.
Take her words at face value. Editors want to accept your work; it’s their job to select content for their magazines or anthologies, and they must fill a quota of words by a printing deadline. Most editors are writers too, and are thrilled when you make their jobs easier by submitting work that needs little editing.
Most rejections from professional markets are polite. If you are the unfortunate recipient of a rude reply, don’t respond in kind. The publishing marketplace is a tight-knit community and you don’t want to burn any bridges. Simply realize that you wouldn’t have wanted to work with that type of editor anyway.
A large number of rejections may be form letters. They may come addressed to "Writer", "Contributor" or even have your name typed in - misspelled. Don't get discouraged - do more research and send them another submission.
If you are lucky, the editor may give you a few reasons why your piece didn’t work, or maybe even praise it. Maybe she listed several areas that need improvement or he said he loved it but they’re overstocked on contemporary horror. Now it’s time to reflect. Take a critical look at your story - was the editor right? Perhaps your story would be much better if you followed his suggestions. However, unless he specifically asked you to, do not send a revised version. He is more apt to reject it again and label you a novice, or even worse, a pest. Instead, send him a new story that is even better than the first.
If you have waited a long time and an editor still hasn’t responded, check the publication's submission guidelines. If the stated response time has elapsed, send a polite e-mail or note inquiring about the status of your submission. Sometimes the editor has simply mislaid it and is happy for the reminder. Even if you get a rejection, at least you will be able to move on to another market.
After a rejection, look over your story and determine what needs rewriting. Revise, revise, and revise until your prose is the best it can be. Then send the story out again. Sometimes it takes more courage to resubmit a story to a new editor than it did the first time around.
One way to lessen the pain of rejection is to have many irons in the fire. Send out multiple queries and submissions. That way, if one story is turned down, you still have several more with the potential for acceptance and publication. However, don't send the same story to several markets at once unless their submission guidelines state that they accept simultaneous submissions. Breaking the rules will eventually get back to you.
I’d love it if my work were accepted the first time out, but in the meantime, I’ve found that persistence pays. If your story is declined, run through the 4 R’s then send it out the same day. That way, it is always active. One of my short stories was recently published after being rejected eight times.
Remember the basic premise of publishing success: You will never be a published author if you don’t submit your work.
Take that "no thanks" and turn it into a positive rejection. Practice the 4 R’s of rejection by realizing, reflecting, revising and resubmitting and you’ll be well on your way to becoming a published author. Remember that a rejection is simply another opportunity to sell your story.
Shaunna Privratsky has authored over 200 articles, including pieces in The Writer, Funds For Writers, Write Success and Absolute Write. Her book, Pump Up Your Prose, can be purchased through Amazon or her website, "The Writer Within". While you're there, check out her acclaimed writer's e-book series and free newsletter, and learn her money-saving secrets at The Discount Diva.