Rejection

You've sent off your resume and a few clips to the managing editor of a publication that you've been dying to work for. After weeks of nail biting and excessive email checking, you finally receive word back: "Thanks, but no thanks."

Rejection can be so disheartening. It's difficult to put a lot of hard work into a piece only to have it deemed unworthy of publication by the company that you choose to offer it to. Perhaps worse yet are the companies that don't even bother to get back to you at all. Not contacting someone back, after they've sent their work to you for your review, is akin to saying "You're not even worth the time that it would take me to type up an email to tell you that I don't want your work." Ouch.

So, how do we writers get past rejection? First and foremost, we must remember that rejection is all a part of the job. If you're going to be a writer, you're going to have to have (or, at least, develop) a thick skin. Business is business and just because one publisher has no use for your work, that doesn't mean that there aren't more publishers out there who are willing and eager to buy it. You just have to find them.

Secondly, you must maintain confidence in your work. Regardless of how many rejections you receive, you must stay on top of your game as far as believing in your ability as a writer. Why? Because part of being a writer is being a salesperson. You're selling your writing ability to clients every single day. How can you sell something that you have no confidence in? Do you want to buy something from someone who is iffy about the product that they're selling? No! When you believe in yourself, it shows. When you don't believe in yourself, that also shows. Believe in yourself. Believe in your work. When you get rejected, just keep in mind that no one's saying that your work is bad; it's just not good for them at that time.

Finally, improve your chances of success by submitting as many resumes/queries/clips to as many potential clients as possible. The laws of probability dictate that the more that you put yourself out there, the more likely you are to land a gig. It's true that, sometimes, even with a bunch of submissions to publishers, you may still wind up empty-handed at the end of the month. Keep in mind that writing for a living can be a gamble. Some months are just better than others. You might be a failure this month and a complete success the next. You'll never know if you don't hang in there and keep trying.