R is for Rejections
"Rejection slips are badges of honor.
Purple hearts.
They mean you've done your duty. You've written your stuff and sent it out.
You've done your part.
Show me a writer who doesn't have a stack of rejection slips and I'll show you an unpublished writer."
~Richard Laymon, A Writer's Tale
After rereading Laymon's chapter on rejections, there's not much that I can say that he doesn't. Unfortunately, copies of A Writer's Tale are few and far between. (I just realized that I have a signed and numbered copy. How did *that* happen?) I'll rehash:
A rejection may mean a number of things: It could be the story, novel, or concept isn't ready to be submitted. Writers need to continuously hone their craft. Maybe there's a plot hole that was overlooked. Maybe the writing could sparkle more.It could be that the market isn't ready for the story. If the crux or style of the story is a little "out there," it could be a hard sell. It could be that the agent/editor isn't interested in the story or doesn't personally think he/she can sell it. If an agent mostly reps thrillers and the submission is kinda thriller, but mostly romance, the odds of a rejection might be high.It may be that the agent/editor just agreed to sell/publish a story that is very similar. Subbing a teenage vampire romance to Stephanie Meyer's agent, might not go well.One thing is clear in all these cases: a rejection isn't personal. Yeah, I know. It's a rejection of the work, personal work!, that we do, but we need to be a little like coral. Let the submission be a finished fragment that can go on alone, separate from the whole. Most rejections are form letters. Heartless? Maybe, but understandable. If a rejection is more than just a form letter, take heed. It's a rare sliver of advice.
Publishing is becoming a different place with the independent movement. I'm still in favor of the traditional route because, well, it's what I know. Rejections have made me work harder than I might have otherwise. As always, my experience is my own.
Purple hearts.
They mean you've done your duty. You've written your stuff and sent it out.
You've done your part.
Show me a writer who doesn't have a stack of rejection slips and I'll show you an unpublished writer."
~Richard Laymon, A Writer's Tale
After rereading Laymon's chapter on rejections, there's not much that I can say that he doesn't. Unfortunately, copies of A Writer's Tale are few and far between. (I just realized that I have a signed and numbered copy. How did *that* happen?) I'll rehash:
A rejection may mean a number of things: It could be the story, novel, or concept isn't ready to be submitted. Writers need to continuously hone their craft. Maybe there's a plot hole that was overlooked. Maybe the writing could sparkle more.It could be that the market isn't ready for the story. If the crux or style of the story is a little "out there," it could be a hard sell. It could be that the agent/editor isn't interested in the story or doesn't personally think he/she can sell it. If an agent mostly reps thrillers and the submission is kinda thriller, but mostly romance, the odds of a rejection might be high.It may be that the agent/editor just agreed to sell/publish a story that is very similar. Subbing a teenage vampire romance to Stephanie Meyer's agent, might not go well.One thing is clear in all these cases: a rejection isn't personal. Yeah, I know. It's a rejection of the work, personal work!, that we do, but we need to be a little like coral. Let the submission be a finished fragment that can go on alone, separate from the whole. Most rejections are form letters. Heartless? Maybe, but understandable. If a rejection is more than just a form letter, take heed. It's a rare sliver of advice.
Publishing is becoming a different place with the independent movement. I'm still in favor of the traditional route because, well, it's what I know. Rejections have made me work harder than I might have otherwise. As always, my experience is my own.
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