One Stab after Another

[A. S. Behsam]

Rejections. Rejections. Rejections. Mostly personal. But still. Rejections.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Keep going! They're a depressing part of the process. And personal is good. Cake?

 

[Abernovo]

Personalised rejections are good. Sending good thoughts and e-cookies.

 

[A. S. Behsam]

Things like 'really liked the concept of The Autumnal Equinox', or 'We think you have tremendous potential', or 'Your craft is strong' may be good to hear, but then the 'BUT' comes in and ruins everything.

I'm getting depressed.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Really, don't. We all get told ths stuff. Go and write another while you sub - then you can see the road ahead. It is so hard; only the tough make it. And you're tough.

 

[Abernovo]

What springs says. I've had them from magazines. They suck.

Keep subbing. A lot of it is finding the right fit. You're strong and you're talented. Stick with it, and write the next one while you're waiting.

 

[jastius]

the best selling book 'the help' that they made a movie out of was rejected by publishers over sixty times.
keep at it. apparently the harder it is to get published the better your book turns out to be.

 

[mosaix]

Keep writing new stuff to keep your mind off things.

 

[Boneman]

Rejections are always depressing, BUT, if you get personalised ones, would you prefer that to total silence? ie never hearing from them, not a single word? That is worse, I promise you. And personalised is so much better than standard card rejections, any day of the week.

BUT: why are you getting the rejections? If they are telling you why, (which you don't get with standard rejections and total silence) then you need to realise you have talent and ability, but it needs to be better utilised to produce the work that will garner acceptance. You have to ask others to be brutally honest and tell you why you're getting the rejections, if you're not sure.

My advice: walk away from your work for a week, at least - go do something unconnected with writing, that gives you some pleasure, and when you come back, google 'famous authors who were rejected' and troll the internet for a day, finding that every writer has to go through rejections, even multi-million selling authors. None of us is any different, we have to kiss an awful lot of frogs before our kissing technique produces the Prince...

 

[Abernovo]

Shouldn't that be trawl the internet, Boneman?
Casting a net to collect info, rather than trolling, which is something different.

Ooh, look who's wearing the pedantic hat today! Sorry Boneman.

However, I agree with Boneman, Aty. Take a step back and catch your breath. Change projects, concentrate on your art, go and see a friend, then look at the work and the rejection again. Personalised rejections at least give you a hint on how to get published.

 

[Boneman]

Shouldn't that be trawl the internet, Boneman?

Not the way I do it...


I recall my very first rejection for a novel. My pages came back to me, and 'No thanks' was scrawled across the top of page one. I thought a rude word and became more determined to show stupid pillocks like him that I would make it.* Six years later, I'm getting warmer, and the name of that agent is engraved on a literary bullet, which one day, I will fire at aconvention, when I tell him how he turned me down and I went on to become published successfully. Don't let rejection ruin your dream - turn the dream into reality by never giving up. Took Patrick Rothfuss 14 years and rejection by every known agent in the universe (his words, not mine) to get there.

*And OMG, if I re-read that first draft now, I'm so embarassed, I think I'd scrawl 'No thanks' on it... But eighteen rewrites/edits later (and more to come, I'm sure) it's close to being publishable, and garners partials and full requests from agents, who give me wonderful feedback. That, as I said, was over six years ago, so you've a long road ahead, do not be put off by negative signposts!!

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Ha! He was one of first rejections, too. Suffice to say, he doesn't get to look at my stuff now that it actually makes sense.... it was rubbish, though...

 

[A. S. Behsam]

Thank you everyone.

I'm getting through this fine, I guess. Thanks for always being there fore me. <3

To bury the sadness, I updated my website and now the galley and almost all of the pages are up and running. > http://asbehsam.com/

Thanks to Gary who gave me this website last year, and I'm grateful for all the support I've been receiving from you all.

I'll keep writing, and I'll keep fighting.

~Aty

 

[Gary Compton]

Thanks Aty.

I know I keep saying this but you are so young compared to most of us here. We're all at the position you are and yet most of us are 20-30 years older. Keep smiling and KEEP believing.

 

[paranoid marvin]

Rejections are always depressing, BUT, if you get personalised ones, would you prefer that to total silence? ie never hearing from them, not a single word? That is worse, I promise you. And personalised is so much better than standard card rejections, any day of the week.

BUT: why are you getting the rejections? If they are telling you why, (which you don't get with standard rejections and total silence) then you need to realise you have talent and ability, but it needs to be better utilised to produce the work that will garner acceptance. You have to ask others to be brutally honest and tell you why you're getting the rejections, if you're not sure.

My advice: walk away from your work for a week, at least - go do something unconnected with writing, that gives you some pleasure, and when you come back, google 'famous authors who were rejected' and troll the internet for a day, finding that every writer has to go through rejections, even multi-million selling authors. None of us is any different, we have to kiss an awful lot of frogs before our kissing technique produces the Prince...

I agree. A personalised rejection shows that they've taken the time to read what you've written rather than just dismiss it out of hand; it shows that they think you're worth their time and effort to help you.

Remember you only need one acceptance out of a hundred rejections to make it; it's all about perseverance and belief in yourself.

 

[Ian Whates]

Aty, don't get too down about this. When I first started submitting short stories seriously, back in 2006, I was receiving just one sale for every eleven rejections. But I kept at it, making well over 100 submissions in the first 12 months.

I now have over 50 published (or sold and soon to be published) short stories, five novels in print via two different publishers, and two short story collections.

But I still get stories rejected.

 

[A. S. Behsam]

Thank you Marvin :3

Thanks a lot Ian <3 :')