On Literary Rejection Letters
If you’re a writer, you might as well face it – You’re going to get a rejection letter sometime in your writing career. Would you give up on writing if you received one? Better not.
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Rejections! Have you ever had a rejection from a publisher? If you have, you know you take it personally. Maybe you cry, stomp your feet, toss the manuscript in a drawer, or swear you’ll never open your word processer again! All of these feelings and thoughts are a normal process for a writer. We write, therefore we want to get published. Publishing companies don’t do it to us on purpose. After all, they can’t possibly publish every single manuscript they receive. I consider myself lucky if a publisher asks for even a part of my manuscript after reviewing my query and synopsis.
We have to start out with a query letter. This in itself can be harder to write then our whole manuscript. This is our beginning. Don’t be messy on your query! Once a publisher, or agent, asks for your manuscript, go ahead and jump for joy, shout from the top floor of your apartment, stand on your street corner and hold a sign that says you sent your manuscript in! But, before you do this, slip into your thick skin. More than likely you will need it. If you’re lucky enough to be accepted, then have a party like you’ve never had before, because your life will be changed forever.
If you’re one of the normal ones, you’ll get a rejection. Rejections come in different shapes and sizes. Most are just form letters, if they take the time to do that much. I’ve had rejections come in as little as two words-”I’LL PASS” to a two page word by word description of suggestions to make it better. With the two pages of suggestions were the words, “Revise and send back.” My heart skipped to the moon over that one. Did I revise? Did I re-send it? You bet I did. To give you an idea of how the publishing world works I have to say that yes, I did all the revisions that was suggested to me, and I sent it in. They had my manuscript for TWO YEARS! By time someone actually read it, with revisions… the editor who gave the suggestions, had moved on. I asked for it back. This is how it works. Editors move on. Rejections come, and rejections go. You cry. You laugh. The one thing you will want to do is NEVER give up on yourself, or your writing. If you keep getting rejected over and over, it might be time to do a big revision. Do it! Keep pushing, keep polishing, and keep submitting. Keep at IT! Don’t give up! You will soon learn that rejections are a part of a writer’s life. Like it or not-this is how it is. But, when, and I say WHEN not IF, you get accepted-it will be the most fun, proud thing you’ve ever done! Honest!
Whatever you do… DON’T give up!
Mary J. Dressel is the author of the Enchantment Series Books, Visions of Enchantment and Enchantment’s Embrace.
Visit her Official Website at Mary J. Dressel Books.
You can also read other work by Mary at Triond .
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Tags: publishing, query, rejection letter, submission, Synopsis, writer
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July 26th, 2009 at 9:35 am
Mary J Dressel:
This is excellent advice. Being a writer is like being a boxer: you’re going to get hit. You are going to get knocked down.
The answer for the writer is, can I get back up? Can I take it?
I think a writer will be fine if the goal is to write. Publication will come in some form. It may not be in the form the writer wanted; but it will come in some form if the writer does not give up and keeps searching for an outlet.
Congratulations on your book series.
http://www.writinghood.com/online-writing/money-and-the-writing-of-sexy-short-stories-on-triond/
July 26th, 2009 at 10:26 am
Hi, Guy,
Thanks for your comment on my article. You are so right with what you said– “Being a write is like being a boxer, you’re going to get hit.” That’s a great way to put it, because you sure feel like you’ve gotten hit!
I will check out your links, and read what you’ve written. After all, I write romance so I’m interested in what you have to say on our topic. Thanks again!
Mary
July 26th, 2009 at 10:28 am
Hi, Guy,
Thanks for your comment on my article. You are so right with what you said– \”Being a write is like being a boxer, you\’re going to get hit.\” That\’s a great way to put it, because you sure feel like you\’ve gotten hit!
I will check out your links, and read what you\’ve written. After all, I write romance so I\’m interested in what you have to say on our topic. Thanks again!
Mary
July 26th, 2009 at 10:29 am
Hi, Guy,
Thanks for your comment on my article. You are so right with what you said– “Being a writer is like being a boxer, you\re going to get hit.” That’s a great way to put it, because you sure feel like you’ve gotten hit!
I will check out your links, and read what you’ve written. After all, I write romance so I’m interested in what you have to say on your topic. Thanks again!
Mary
July 27th, 2009 at 12:06 am
Hi, great advice, thanks for sharing.
July 27th, 2009 at 12:08 am
…Hi. great advice. Thanks for sharing.
July 28th, 2009 at 4:50 am
This is a fantastic article. It can put you off when you get these rejection letters but at the end of the day it will always, editors can’t publish everything. It is important to write a query letter before you submit anything. Check out my profile, I have written a few articles on freelance journalism and marketing. Keep on writing