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Punching Through the Rejection Barrier
Maintain Your Sense of Humor and Just Keep Trying
Paraphrasing Paul Simon, there must be fifty ways to be rejected. “I’m going to have to pass on this” is among the most common. Or, “We have determined this is not right for us.” And so on. If you’re a writer, you likely have a collection of these.
Rejection Shock
Here’s the type of rejection I most dislike: Following all the guidelines to a T, I prepare to send “A Day in a Frog’s Life” (not a real title) to an appropriate publication. The publication warns that a submitter might not hear back for up to three months. I’m okay with that.
I send “Frog” off, feeling good that I bucked the headwinds and fought through the submission inertia. I take pride in entering the story title, date submitted and the publication name in my writer’s log.
Now, I can move on to the next story, which is inching along through my editing process. I feel momentum building. Pulling the trigger on the second story will be easier.
Except, I happen to glance at my email and “Frog” has been rejected. What? Already? I sent it out a mere five hours ago. Ouch. I thought it would be out there for three months. Pulling the next story aside, I place it under mental hold. Submission inertia reforms with all its wariness and self-doubt.
