Handling Rejection as a Writer: A Tip From BLE
Handling rejection as a writer is difficult. Doubts start to set in and, if it’s a particular doozy, humiliation. It’s a curious thing how the publishing industry can make you do what the philosophers tell you not to:
Don’t judge a book by its cover.
Don’t find happiness in others’ validation.
Yet, isn’t that exactly what the submission process entails? Each time you submit a manuscript, you’re investing in the hope that someone will see the value in your work and offer a path to publication.
So, as the BLE team consists of editors and publishers, we thought we’d write you a rejection letter. Not to reinforce these tropes, but to give you some insight and hope. To handle rejection better as a writer.
It’s simply really – Don’t make rejection all about you.
Dear writer,
Thank you for your submission. Unfortunately, we’ve decided not to publish your work.
While we know this is disappointing (to say the least), we’re not going to start off with “it doesn’t fit our publishing list at this time” or simply advise you to try again during the next submission period. Instead, we want you to understand.
It’s not necessarily you. For various reasons, it’s us.
- There’s someone else – It’s not that you or your work aren’t good enough. Both absolutely have potential. It’s just that, in this case, someone else was better. Better characters, better pacing, better sales skills.
- It wasn’t the right time or place – Talent (which you have in spades) isn’t the only factor. Luck and timing (which you have no control over) also play a role. Your work doesn’t align with market needs right now. You were one of the last submissions that didn’t even get reviewed because we’ve already made our choice. Someone on the inside recommended another work to us and we listened.
- The submissions got too much – Just like you put your heart and soul into this submission, so did hundreds, thousands of other writers. Did we read every single one in minute detail? No. Often, submissions are a numbers game. It’s about cutting until there’s a workable number of finalists. Didn’t follow the submission instructions? Out. Not a genre we publish? Out. Did the first two lines capture us? No? Out.
- Our tastes take preference – Saying “we’re only human” seems a pathetic excuse. But it’s true. As much as we try to stay objective, we have preferences and biases as editors and publishers. These sometimes reflect in our choices.
What does this mean for you?
You also have a choice. Give up or continue the fight. “Rage, rage against the dying of the light,” commands Dylan Thomas. Are you going to heed the call?
Every writer knows JK Rowling was rejected by 12 publishing houses before getting a contract. Stephen King had the infamous nail in his wall, graced with every rejection letter he received (later replaced with a spike because the weight was too much). Ray Bradbury spoke about a snowstorm of rejections on his house’s walls.
Even the greats can’t win them all. But they never would’ve become great at all if they stopped. Stopped trying. Stopped believing. Stopped writing.
So, when the devil, taking the spectre of an evil editor with a red pen, whispers over your shoulder as you read this or a future rejection letter, “You’re a failure”, will you listen? Are you really going to be deterred by the likes of us?
Take a look around. In books, magazines, journals, newspapers, online. Not all published works are the stuff of legends. But someone believed enough in the work to publish it. Just like someone will believe in you.
Our next open submission period is whenever you’re ready to try again.
We look forward to hearing from you soon.
Kind regards, best wishes and sincerely,
Your past, present and future editors and publishers
Blue Leaf Team
The Blue Leaf Editing team has over 10 years of combined editing, publishing, and book industry experience. We’re passionate about content and storytelling, and sharing our knowledge with others.
info@blueleafediting.com