Rejections are numerous for every writer. Be they playwright, poet,
novelist, or cook-book author. We all know the emotional risk, the
gamble of the publishing world. We all wish to avoid rejection -
here are some ways to do so.
1. KNOW YOUR MARKET
Or hire someone who does, or find an agent who does. Don't
send haiku to a market which only wants experimental poetry. Don't
send a non-fiction how-to article to a literary fiction journal. Get
sample copies of the publications you are considering submitting to.
Many of our clients have attempted publication on their own. Their
approach to this amazes me everyday. They act as if they are
planting wildflowers - scattering their submissions to the wind and
hoping that by luck of Mother Nature - one seed will take root and
grow into a by-line.
2. NO FOLLOW-THROUGH -
Just like the ball player that suddenly goes into a slump, many
writers fail to have any follow through in their swing. In your last
rejection you had an editor tell you to send more of your work, or
they told you that this particular piece was "close but no cigar",
have you followed through? I doubt it. If an editor takes time out
of her extremely busy schedule to write you a note that says
"Please Try Again" - then by all means, that is what you
need to do - and ASAP. Find some of your work that is a little
better suited for her publication and SEND IT ! They may still
reject your work, but they may remember you and ask you to submit
again, or they may accept the work, or even make suggestions as to
how they feel it could be improved. Don't let a wounded ego, hurt
feelings, or false pride stand between you and being published.
3. ALL YOU'RE REALLY SEEKING IS TO SAY THAT YOU HAVE BEEN
PUBLISHED -
Let's face it - you don't really like all the hard work that
writers must do. The revisions, the outlines, the synopsis, the
query letters - all you want is to see your name in print. You are a
dreamer, a pie in the sky kinda guy. You never realized that writing
requires effort. If you actually do see a project through its first
draft - you submit it, and then blame the editor for being so stupid
in not seeing your talent.
4. YOU KNOW NOTHING OF CRAFT AND DON'T WANT TO TAKE THE TIME TO
LEARN IT -
You can turn a good phrase. Your friends tell you you have a way
with words. Writing is easy - everyone loves your letters. You're
widely read and can recognize poor writing when you find it. But
yet, you have no idea of the technique needed to avoid the mistakes
that you find in other's writing. Developing characters, building
suspense, constructing a plot are all things you think will come
naturally. Well, they won't. You need to read magazines, and books
on how to write. You need to attend workshops and lectures detailing
the fine points of the craft of writing.
5. YOU DON'T READ -
If you want to write poetry you must read poetry. Romance is what
you want to write - then reading comic books isn't going to help
you much. You need to be a voracious reader to become an
accomplished author. Hemingway read 3 hours a day, everyday. Read
whatever you can get your hands on and then read more . Study your
chosen genre.
6. YOU GIVE UP TO EASILY -
One or two rejection slips has you brooding around the house for
weeks. Many manuscripts take up to 50 or 60 rejections before they
are published. In fact, the works of Thoreau or Emerson may never
have been read if they had given up as easily as you. After
receiving countless numbers of rejections these great authors
self-published their works. Zelda Fitzgerald told F.Scott she would
not marry him until he became a published author. F.Scott literally
wall-papered his room with rejection slips before he and Zelda
actually wed. Most magazines in today's market only publish about
2 % of the material sent to them, and many of our current best
sellers would have never been published if the writer had given up
after a dozen rejections.
7. YOU WRITE POOR QUERY LETTERS -
A good strong query letter is a great way to better your chances of
selling your work. Many well-written, potentially publishable
manuscripts are rejected because of a bad query letter. Many authors
hate to write query letters, some don't even bother to find out if
the publisher they are submitting to prefers a query. Writing, and
more specifically - publishing is a business - you must learn, to
sell yourself and your product.
8. YOU DON'T BELIEVE IN REWRITTING OR REVISON -
If you submit the first draft of your work to a publisher, then you
deserve the rejection that will inevitably follow. Many top selling
authors go through as many as 20 drafts and revisions.
There are many more reasons why our work gets rejected, to list
them all would require a book in itself. The reasons listed above
are the most common ones that I see personally with my clients. The
best way to succeed as an author is to know your market, learn how
to handle rejection and criticism, be persistent, study your craft,
and be willing to revise. If you falter or stumble in any of these
areas - you drastically reduce your chances of ever being published.
Leslie Blanchard is a published author, critic and poet who has
devoted over 23 years to the creative process. Her experience
includes editing copy and proofing for several small presses and
large houses as well as teaching and mentoring in the literary
arts. Leslie was the founder and literary agent for Bearlife
Women's Writing Advocate - which sadly she had to close in May
1997 due to Multiple Sclerosis. She is also the editor and
publisher of A
Writer's Choice Literary Journal.
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