Coping With Rejection

by Elvina Payet

You passionately believe in every story that you submit. When you get back a letter that says this is nice, but not quite what we were looking for, it’s inevitable that you start feeling a little down.

Rejections will depress and paralyse, but you must accept the challenge to go on.

Rant, rave, cry, scream – for the first week. Let the negativity flow out. Photocopy your rejection letter (keep original for learning and tax purposes), then shred or burn the copy. Even better, BURN the shredded paper.

Put the original letter aside and don’t look at it for at least a week.  

Give yourself a booster/pep talk. Call your writer friends to cheer you up. Don’t talk to friends or family – they won’t understand.

After a cooling down period, read the letter again. Hopefully, suggestions have been included – think these over. Call a writer friend to discuss how to solve the manuscript problems (if any).

If you feel comfortable or think it’s necessary, make changes to the manuscript. If you believe no changes are required, send the manuscript to someone else.

Don’t give up – your book won’t get published sitting in a cupboard or desk drawer.

Always remember that the rejection should never be taken personally. It is not you being rejected, it is the material you submitted. It simply reads that the work isn’t right for that particular publisher – it doesn’t fit their needs. That same work may perfect fit another publisher’s requirements.

Rejections can give you a purpose to keep writing. They tell that you need to work more.

Every aspiring writer needs to read the work of published authors to better learn and understand how a well written manuscript is constructed. As in any career, growth and education should be an on-going process.

Start a new project, keeping in mind the comments (if any) received in the letter. Use the letter as a learning tool.

The key is to NEVER GIVE UP! If you truly want to be published, you must believe in yourself, educate yourself, continually hone your skills and keep submitting.

Life is tough. Other people don’t always recognise good things. Don’t give up, no matter how many times you are rejected.

Think of every rejection you’ll receive as bringing you that closer to an acceptance. Persistence pays off. Would-be crime novelist John Creasey received an unbroken succession of 743 rejections. Over 60 million of his books have now been published.

REJECTION PHRASES

Unfortunately, I didn’t have sufficient interest in the project to request more material.

 Jennifer Enderlin, St. Martin’s Press 

Story doesn’t fit line or just isn’t liked.

At this time, I cannot acquire your book. 

Judith Stern Palais, Penguin Putnam (Berkley) 

Again, could mean anything.

In general, I can tell you that the books that tempt me most at this time are those that never step beyond the bounds of the genre, yet manage to be unique in some way. I am less interested in characters with unusual occupations than I am in those whose relationship, and the problems standing in the way of its fulfillment, are in some way special.

(Hand written) Our stories focus on the internal romantic conflict coming solely from the hero and heroine. Therefore a love triangle format interferes with this internal conflict and isn’t suitable for Silhouette Books. Again, I’m sorry that I am unable to comment in detail on your project.

Unfortunately this particular submission is not up to our publication standards. Your material is competently written and you have obviously researched the genre. However, the feeling was that your approach lacked the extra degree of emotional punch and excitement for which we look.

On balance, we would not recommend that you attempt to revise this story. We do suggest that you continue to read as many of our current titles as you can, which provide the best guide to our readers’ tastes.

Whilst we appreciate the care and attention that has gone into the preparation of your submission, regrettably we feel your story and characters are not suitable for any of our publishing programmes.

HM&B Presents, July 1997

Thanks so much for querying Silhouette Books and for thinking of us with this project. Although there are appealing elements at work in this story, I'm afraid it does not work for us.

Silhouette Desire, January 1998

Sadly we feel that this story would not appeal to our readers, and so must regretfully say no to your work. Due to pressure for submissions, it is not possible to give detailed reports to all authors, only those who have

submitted full length manuscripts and are close to being a possibility for publication.

M&B Medical, October 1998

Whilst we appreciate the care and hard work that has gone into the preparation of your work, we regret to have to inform you that it does not meet the criteria for publication for our line.

We are enclosing a report on your work which we hope you will find helpful.

M&B Medical, March 2000

Thanks very much for the opportunity to consider your manuscript, and sorry to say no. Unfortunately, the overwhelming volume of submissions to this

line sometimes makes it necessary to use a form letter to respond.

Please be assured that your manuscript was actually read--by a real editor.

Kensington Publishing Corp, August 1999

• This sounds like a fascinating work, one many will want to read. However, we are not interested in publishing it.

• I read it with considerable interest. However, I regret we have no interest in publishing it at this time.

• What is left out is at least as critical as what was left in, and I had a sense that not enough was being left out.

• I once sent a request for guidelines to a publisher and had the request returned with a form rejection letter! Needless to say, I’ll never submit anything to that house.

• The day my boyfriend dumped me, I got my first rejection letter from a magazine. I drank a lot that day.

• This doesn’t meet our current editorial needs. The timing is just wrong. Best of luck trying someplace else.

• We regret that we are unable to use the enclosed material. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to consider it.

If personal note is attached, especially with the words "Please try again with something else," DO IT!! Send another manuscript – they wouldn’t have taken the time to write if they didn’t see something in your writing.

©  Elvina Payet. Not to be reprinted or used in any way without permission from the author.