Raven Howell's Blog - Posts Tagged "receiving-rejections"
Rejection Reboot
Ouch. "Thanks for considering us for your submission, however it's not right for our publishing house. We wish you luck placing it elsewhere." If you're a writer, you have probably seen these words before.
We ALL get rejections. I feel mine come like a rainy season - one after the other until finally there appears a sunny crack in the clouds. Meanwhile, I know it can feel debilitating, and often, an author may sink into hopelessness.
But take the time to just stop. Practice some self-care. Take a deep breath and think of the reasons you write. Remind yourself to not take it personally. YOU are not getting rejected, it's the manuscript that isn't befitting at this time with this publilsher. No biggie - you can move on, and you will.
For the fun of it, write a short story, paragraph, or funny rhyming verse about the rejection - express yourself, and give yourself a laugh at the same time!
Of course, if you receive professional criticism, great. Time to listen and incorporate any updates that would benefit your writing. But aside from that, try to connect with a family member, friend or another author. You'll most likely receive understanding and compassion because in one way or another, even if you're not a writer, the experience and pain of rejection is universal.
For me personally, I often "listen to my instincts". And often, it works. For instance, at one point, my instinct told me that receiving a particular rejection was a good thing because my hoped-for book needed to have a venue/a publisher to reach a special learning disabled child. So a week later, when I received an acceptance from my publisher, and was told they wanted to produce a dyslexic format, I knew things were as they should be.
Another re-boot from rejection that works for me are gentle, positive affirmations. It helps in bringing back clarity and focus, practice kindness and release stress.
Reconnect with your talent, your passion, your beauty. And KEEP ON! The world wants to hear from you.
Spin a Circle!
We ALL get rejections. I feel mine come like a rainy season - one after the other until finally there appears a sunny crack in the clouds. Meanwhile, I know it can feel debilitating, and often, an author may sink into hopelessness.
But take the time to just stop. Practice some self-care. Take a deep breath and think of the reasons you write. Remind yourself to not take it personally. YOU are not getting rejected, it's the manuscript that isn't befitting at this time with this publilsher. No biggie - you can move on, and you will.
For the fun of it, write a short story, paragraph, or funny rhyming verse about the rejection - express yourself, and give yourself a laugh at the same time!
Of course, if you receive professional criticism, great. Time to listen and incorporate any updates that would benefit your writing. But aside from that, try to connect with a family member, friend or another author. You'll most likely receive understanding and compassion because in one way or another, even if you're not a writer, the experience and pain of rejection is universal.
For me personally, I often "listen to my instincts". And often, it works. For instance, at one point, my instinct told me that receiving a particular rejection was a good thing because my hoped-for book needed to have a venue/a publisher to reach a special learning disabled child. So a week later, when I received an acceptance from my publisher, and was told they wanted to produce a dyslexic format, I knew things were as they should be.
Another re-boot from rejection that works for me are gentle, positive affirmations. It helps in bringing back clarity and focus, practice kindness and release stress.
Reconnect with your talent, your passion, your beauty. And KEEP ON! The world wants to hear from you.
Spin a Circle!
