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Wednesday, May 30, 2012

I Sing Rejection Blues

I feel like I'm locked in a dank, cold jail cell, leaning against the bars. I am cute as can be (think Chicago, or if you're more of a Disney fan, Lady and the Tramp when the dogs start howling) and you feel very sad for me as I cry out my sad song in the darkness.



I got rejection bluuuuuuueeeesssss......

Ha Ha, if you actually sang that to yourself as you read it you get 2 points in the game called life and I like you a little more.  ;)

So remember a few months back when I wrote about my 3 rejection letters and I was all happy and positive and excited to be starting the process of trying to become a published author. Ah, those were the days. I would open the emails with excitement, read the line of "sorry this doesn't fit what I'm looking for" and move on. Because of course, someone else was meant to be the agent who would snatch me up, not this stupid person who rejected me. They were just silly, or busy right?

Flash forward to now... the tally is somewhere in the 20's. I could tell you the exact number if I had the energy or emotional strength to open that excel file and count them, but I don't.  Suffice it to say, I've gotten rejected, a lot. Probably the hardest was the rejection after my full manuscript request.

A word to editors and agents here.... if you make a full manuscript request, couldn't you at least take the 2 min to type even one sentence of suggestion? Because when you send back "Sorry I don't have the time to give you any information why I'm rejecting you" it stings twice as much. Don't you understand the full request is exciting, and tells us writers you were interested in our story? We deserve something to let us know if we're on the right track.

Don't worry I haven't given up, it will take a lot more than that for me to stop. But the rejection has weighted my spirits. I haven't done hardly any writing on my WIP in months. I open the document and even though I have the next few chapters planned out, I can't seem to get back on the horse.

Then I think to myself, ok, what is the worst case scenario here? That I never get published. Well, alright that's not so bad. It doesn't take away the fact that I wrote one novel and am working on a second. It's sad to be sure, but it doesn't mean it won't ever happen. And it doesn't mean I should stop either. I think the biggest fear you can get as a writer is that all the time/energy/effort you've put into your manuscript will be for nothing. A waste of hundreds of hours. But is it really a waste, even if I never get published?  The writing process has made me a better writer, made me wonderful friends, opened my eyes to the struggles and successes of millions of people embroiled in this profession, and it's made me have confidence in myself, even while others reject me. In no way is that a waste of time, right?

So I'm going to keep reminding myself all these things as I continue on my writing journey. I know it's going to be hard, but it will be worth it in the end.  To all my fellow writers, don't get discouraged. Keep writing, even if no one else understands or wants your work yet. You're doing something, putting yourself out into the world, and that is important and special.

Good luck and may the writing come easily to you all!


7 comments:

  1. Hi Devin, I've been meaning to respond to your email. Don't be too discouraged. EVERYONE gets tons of rejections. As for my publisher they are currently closed to submissions as they revamp their distribution process but I am very happy with them and feel like they've done a great job both with editing and promoting Losing Beauty

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  2. What a great post! Don't worry something good is in store for you.
    Thanks for your encouragement!
    Cheers. :)

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  3. Devin keep your chin up and keep putting one foot in front of the other. I know where you are coming from and I've been singing the reject blues the last month or so.

    It's like blind dating, it only takes one agent who really LOVES your work, the problem is finding them amongst the 1,500 or so agents out there!

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    1. Anita, you're fantastic, thanks! Thanks for the encouragement. :)

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  4. I'm sending you lots of cyber hugs. Don't get down, hunny. Your MS is perfect, your story amazing and you will get published. Just a numbers game. I need more of Apex. xx

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  5. Hey Lady,
    I'd like to remind you that you don't NEED a publisher. You can, of course, self publish, and promote the book yourself. Email me for more details if you want to tackle it this summer. Hugs from Florida! -Jenny (jenny@rebrandedmedia.com)

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