Five Tips to Cope with Rejections

Today I received an email from the editor. He explained politely why he was not in a position to accept my story.

Very brief sentences. But they cause much pain on writer’s ego.

For the beginning writers, who are not yet accustomed to the strain and stress of the freelance life, the rejections are much disheartening.

How the writer steels himself under such conditions is an important factor for his future success. These tips will help:

(1) Recollect the stories of leading writers whose works were rejected many times. All writers who have written bestsellers had such frustrating experiences. However, they have also good experiences to tell. Many of their rejected stories were published by other publications and became popular.

(2) Realize that the editor rejected your story not because of its unworthiness. At the present context, they may not need a story on the particular topic. Or, they might have already published a story on the same subject. There might be a number of reasons.

(3) If you are still depressed, seek the moral support of other writers. Many writer forums are helpful to ventilate your feelings to fellow writers. It would relieve your pressure.

(4) Polish your rejected story. Send it again to other promising publications. Survey the publication’s content carefully before submission and see whether your story satisfies its submission guidelines. Continue your efforts.

(5) When your productivity is high, you will have no time for depression. Act as a global freelance writer.If the number of your story proposals and your submissions are in hundreds and they are under consideration for editors around the world, more chances exist both for acceptance and rejections. Soon it would become a routine. Afterwards, you won’t get disappointed over rejections.  

Tell yourself again and again:” Be tough and smart.” This quality is indispensable for freelance writers.