How do you cope with rejection
Got my rejection for Summer (the first time) this morning: 'As with
the earlier novel, we were impressed by the level of writing but
ultimately I have to say, we didn't fall in love with the
story.'
It's not the first rejection I've had and I'm sure it won't be the last but this one really, really hurts because I became SO attached to this book. This is my third attempt at a novel and so far I've given up on each after 5 rejections because I find it so depressing.
So please cheer me up guys, give me your best tips for coping with rejection!
It's not the first rejection I've had and I'm sure it won't be the last but this one really, really hurts because I became SO attached to this book. This is my third attempt at a novel and so far I've given up on each after 5 rejections because I find it so depressing.
So please cheer me up guys, give me your best tips for coping with rejection!
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37 Comments
Somewhere out there will be the person who loves it...you just got to keep throwing more stuff at the wall till it sticks!
Hang in there....after all 5 rejections is nothing really!
Maccy x
1) swearing
2) Weeping on the Cloud, or to other group-of-fellow-sufferers of choice
3) chocolate
4) Raging on the Cloud, or to other group-of-fellow-sufferers of choice
5) shopping
6) Fuming on the Cloud, or to other group-of-fellow-sufferers of choice
7) alcohol
8)"f**k 'em, what do publishers know?"
9) "I'll show 'em!" [buys new blank notebooks and nice pen and starts Chapter One]
10) [some months/years later, stuffing subs of New Novel into post box] "There! That'll show 'em!"
11) [back home from post box] "Chapter One of New Novel Two, here I come."
Oddly enough, I suspect your personal reply was harder to take than my anonymous rejections. I can tell myself that with so many submissions it's very likely that on the day that mine arrived, the letter or the first page or whatever simply didn't grab the reader at that particular moment.
My sympathies!
think but first I'm going to print out 5 copies of the chapters/synopsis and find 5 agents more worthy of me!!! And Athelstone, you're spot on, anonymous ones are so much easier to take....
Cheer up curly one- I've had 5 rejections and 2 non replies so far. All of the rejections have been the very standard '' your book isn't for us and what's more- we won't even tell you which agent we are so that you have to work it out for yourself'' type email.
They're really busy, and they get hundreds of applications- I wouldn't be surprised if half of them don't even read more than the first page of a submission.
It's Friday- official drunken day of the week- so crack open the alcohol and let's get merry together xxx
You know, if you get all 5 no's, why not try have a session with the Writers Workshop; it may just be that, as I feel with my work, you need a professional eye cast over things just to get your work ready to publish - don't forget, being ready to publish is not the same, I think, as having a great book. It's like this - you can sell a painting if it's the right subject matter and the right, commercial style anywhere; but you can't sell great art until the world is ready to hear your voice, and that can take a life time.
It's not that your book is 'bad', but it might be it needs to be 'framed' in a slightly different way. Once you've published 5, then you get the freedom to publish what you like but hell, even established authors have to get deals for new books, and work on them with editors to make them sale-able - we just don't see the work that editors do, believe me, a lot of 'great' novel weren't so great until they were tided up by a great editor! I'm going on a bit, but look at Wordsworth - he was actually dependent on Dorothy to make his work ready to publish, his original opener was 'I wandered lonely as a clown,' it was Dorothy who crossed that out and put 'cloud!' The genius was there, just needed some tidying up!
Do hope the chocolate is working a bit....TFx
But in the light of day, whenever you can bear to think about it again, sort out a strategy for what to do. It might be to get editorial advice, it might be to try some new agents, it might be to try a rewrite of the covering letter or even of the story itself. Whatever, I think it sounds too early to give up with this story now - go for it!
Look on the bright side, it could save money on toilet paper for a while, or they would be useful for decorating a small room like the loo.:)
The best piece of advice (after the chocolate, naturally) is to start the next book. For some additional motivation, you might take a peek at this blogpost. http://debialper.blogspot.com/2011/01/thickest-skin.html
Good luck!
Right, time for a drink. Cheers everyone!
Can you explain why you chose the agents you did? Was it with a pin or after careful reading of the agencies and particular agents likes and dislikes? There seems to be a large variation in suggested response time, shortest, 2 weeks, longest, 3 months+. Do they stick to their response time?
A significant number accept submissions as email attachments. Did you do any of those?
A small number of agencies seem to want to be told if you are approaching other agencies simultaneously. Did any of your chosen ones ask for that, and if so did you tell them the truth?
Over the last week I have sent off 10. It wasn't quite as straight forward as I has imagined. Almost every one wanted something slightly different, eg: 2 chapters/3 chapters/6 pages/8,000 words max, include/exclude previous writing experience, do/do not describe target readers, why your book is special, do/do not email.
Did you use the Internet, or just the Yearbook in making your selections.
Thanks.
http://www.james-hughes.com/index.php/literary-rejections/
No idea how much of it is true but I love reading this stuff!
On the plus side you know you can write! They've taken the trouble to tell you that in their letter, which they didn't have to. It's just a case now of finding agents who love your story too. So, in reality, you're half way there!
I was rejected a few months back and it hurt, so I really do sympathise. It was a compliment slip reply too! Since then, I've re read my how to write a script book and have been editing. It doesn't sound like you need to do any of that.
Don't give up! And good luck, Minx x
Wake up and repeat as nessicary.
I find an effigy and pins also has a certain satisfaction.
Keep trying, never give up 8-)
xx
Heck, we just have to accept it and move on - it's par for the course, and a you've passed the initiation ceremony with a badge of honour (metaphorically speaking).
My personal remedy is to write the most critical critique on the forum - ha ha just joking.
CK, take the positive.
This is just one rejection; not worth the angst. You will be successful. Full stop.
I cope with rejection by not expecting too much in the first place.
By writing for myself and developing my own path.
By thinking 'oh well it's their loss'
By seeing how many successful authors there are now that suffered rejections.
By being thankfull I'm productive and learning.
Toe
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