Rejections and Acceptances: My Journey as a Writer
When I was a studying Professional Writing and Editing, I was told to volunteer at publications as a way of getting your work published. I did this at a local volunteer-run newspaper and wrote mostly what I was told to write about. For no money, just the sheer joy of starting a portfolio.
Fast forward to another year and a bit, and I had a better sense of what I wanted to write about. With the help of the writing course, I crafted a review of an unusual bookshop in Melbourne and it was accepted into a national magazine. For money!
Later, as a university graduate, I sought out an advertised editor position. I called for more information and the man seemed keener to talk about an upcoming non-fiction book series they wanted writers for. That’s how I ended up writing a manuscript about dog breeds with all the information a dog seeker needed to match their lifestyle to a breed. When I had finished the manuscript, I attempted to contact this man, to no avail. Unbeknown to me, it was simply a vanity press, and that great non-fiction series didn’t produce more than one title. I was left with a manuscript that had no publisher.
Undaunted, I contacted 15 publishers. I had a full manuscript and even photographs from dog breeders, many of whom I had interviewed about their chosen breed. It was rejected by every publisher. Some rejected it because it didn’t fit into their line, or they had a similar title being published soon. Some gave a form receipt or did not reply.
I left the project and continued on with my freelance work for magazines. But magazine editors often change hands. And when they do, freelancers, (or at least this one), weren’t really needed anymore.
By then, I had become aware of Smashwords, an ebook distributer and online bookstore. The free ebook, Smashwords Style Guide is an easy how to guide on turning a Microsoft Word document into an ebook. I tried this avenue. It worked. I started a whole series called Which Is Your Perfect Pet? with titles on Dog Breeds, Cat Breeds, Birds and Designer Dogs, with more to come. So far, the books have sold in 32 countries worldwide.
Where would I be if I had given up on my manuscript? The work was rejected, not the writer. Just because someone else rejected the work, doesn’t mean I stopped believing in it.
I kept this mantra alive when it came to my creative work, namely my poems. I have had around 30 poems published, but two of my favourite poems, Camouflage and Tangled Web, were collectively rejected over 60 times. Due to this burn, I decided to self-publish a collection of poetry, just so these could somehow see the light of day. At the tail end of organising the publication, I decided to send them out to literary publications just one more time. And yes, they were finally accepted. I had found the right publications at the right time.
Rejection isn’t the end of the world for a writer. For me, and so many others, it can be a catalyst for a career moving forward, on our own terms.
Fast forward to another year and a bit, and I had a better sense of what I wanted to write about. With the help of the writing course, I crafted a review of an unusual bookshop in Melbourne and it was accepted into a national magazine. For money!
Later, as a university graduate, I sought out an advertised editor position. I called for more information and the man seemed keener to talk about an upcoming non-fiction book series they wanted writers for. That’s how I ended up writing a manuscript about dog breeds with all the information a dog seeker needed to match their lifestyle to a breed. When I had finished the manuscript, I attempted to contact this man, to no avail. Unbeknown to me, it was simply a vanity press, and that great non-fiction series didn’t produce more than one title. I was left with a manuscript that had no publisher.
Undaunted, I contacted 15 publishers. I had a full manuscript and even photographs from dog breeders, many of whom I had interviewed about their chosen breed. It was rejected by every publisher. Some rejected it because it didn’t fit into their line, or they had a similar title being published soon. Some gave a form receipt or did not reply.
I left the project and continued on with my freelance work for magazines. But magazine editors often change hands. And when they do, freelancers, (or at least this one), weren’t really needed anymore.
By then, I had become aware of Smashwords, an ebook distributer and online bookstore. The free ebook, Smashwords Style Guide is an easy how to guide on turning a Microsoft Word document into an ebook. I tried this avenue. It worked. I started a whole series called Which Is Your Perfect Pet? with titles on Dog Breeds, Cat Breeds, Birds and Designer Dogs, with more to come. So far, the books have sold in 32 countries worldwide.
Where would I be if I had given up on my manuscript? The work was rejected, not the writer. Just because someone else rejected the work, doesn’t mean I stopped believing in it.
I kept this mantra alive when it came to my creative work, namely my poems. I have had around 30 poems published, but two of my favourite poems, Camouflage and Tangled Web, were collectively rejected over 60 times. Due to this burn, I decided to self-publish a collection of poetry, just so these could somehow see the light of day. At the tail end of organising the publication, I decided to send them out to literary publications just one more time. And yes, they were finally accepted. I had found the right publications at the right time.
Rejection isn’t the end of the world for a writer. For me, and so many others, it can be a catalyst for a career moving forward, on our own terms.
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