Stinkin' Rejections!

 

Writers deal with many situations. Rejections of writing they have submitted for publication is only one, but it's pretty large in stature. A few synonyms for rejection are: decline, repudiate, refuse, and spurn. snub, turn down, disapproval and several more. It doesn't matter what word you use, it's still a rejection of your work. A stinkin' rejection!

One very important thought to remember is that a rejection of writing you submitted is not disapproval of you, the writer. It is an editor declining to publish your submission. Our first thought when a rejection arrives may be: He hates it! That is possible, but not necessarily probable There are many reasons an editor does not accept what you sent. He/she may have recently published a piece that was very similar or on the same topic. He/she may have an abundance of stories or essays and needs to slow down on the acceptances. He/she might like it, but not well enough to accept and have to do a large editing job. Maybe your submission was not right for that publication, which means you need to be more careful in selecting a market. So, hating it, is far from the only reason you received a rejection.

Should you feel hurt or angry when a rejection arrives? It's only being human to feel that way at first. Disappointment figures in, too. What do you do when a rejection arrives, often after waiting a long time to hear about your submission? We all react differently. Some will be deeply disappointed. Others will be angry to the point of throwing a few things or stomping around the house shouting. Others will be  so hurt by the rejection that they'll crawl into a quiet spot to nurse their wounds. Go ahead and react whatever way feels best to you. The rule here should be that you can react, but only for a short time. Don't let the rejection rule your writing world. 

Is there a lesson to be learned from rejections? Sometimes, there is. It may not be sitting there for us to see immediately. Wait a while before you attempt to figure it out.

Deal with the rejection for a day or two, then move on. Once you've calmed down, read your submission as objectively as you can. Do you see where you might improve it? If you're happy with the piece as is, start looking for another publication where you can submit again. If you see places where you can add or delete, work on it. Most rejections come with only a No, not a reason why. There are editors, however, who will send a note to let you know why your word was not accepted. Feel blessed if that is the case. 

Stinkin' rejections! Right? They are, but also a part of our writing journey. We've all read about famous authors whose work received multiple rejections before being accepted. Why should you and I be any different. The part we need to focus on is a lesson learned and to continue growing as a writer.