How to Handle with Rejection

There may, perhaps, have been one author in history whose first novel was accepted by the first agent or publisher he sent it to, but if so, I’ve never heard of it.

What I have heard of is the (now) big name authors whose bestsellers were rejected hundreds of times before being accepted. At the time of writing, Robert M. Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycling Maintenance was rejected 121 times before becoming the cult hit of the 1970s. And Jack London, you know, from The Call of the Wild, received more than 600 rejection slips before earning a single acceptance. James Joyce, Frank Herbert, and James Patterson were all rejected multiple times before going on to achieve their success. I’m not telling you this to depress you, but so you’ll know that if you start to receive ‘NO’s, you’ll know you’re not alone.

Even in this age of electronic communication, a large number of agents and publishers don’t bother replying when you send a manuscript or a query. Have a look at their website and see how long they say they reply. It’s not rude to send them a reminder once their deadline has passed, but if another two weeks or a month passes and you hear nothing, cross them off your list. You may yet hear from them, but odds are you won’t.

If you do receive a response, even if it’s a rejection, consider it a gift. At least now you know. The fact that your correspondent has taken the trouble to reply is a positive thing, though I realise it won’t feel that way to you.

Other than an acceptance, or a request for the rest of the manuscript, the best reply you can receive is one in which the publisher or agent explains why they’re passing. These letters are free education. Take them seriously, and be grateful for them. Of course, gratitude is unlikely to be your initial reaction. So here’s some ways you can avoid being completely sidelined or depressed by a ‘no’.

Vent. Yell, get mad, complain bitterly. Just don’t hurt yourself or anyone else. Try to channel those emotions into some physical activity like running or swimming. Don’t get mad at your spouse, or the cat, or some innocent stranger. Even getting upset at the person sending the rejection is a waste of energy. Over your career, unless you become one of the elite authors, you will probably receive more rejections than acceptances. It’s frustrating, but it’s the way things go.

Set it aside. Just put that rejection aside for a few days and try to think of something else. The idea is to be able to face the rejection calmly and perhaps learn from it. I am, of course, here assuming that the rejection in question has come with some sort of a positive. “Try us again,” is one of the best. Take that advice seriously. You think an editor says that to everyone? Of course not. This may be a rejection, but there’s hope at the heart of it.

Study it. I’m assuming here that you’ve received the sort of rejection that comes with some words of advice or specific comments about your story. “The protagonist is too goody-goody.” “The plot is a mess in the second half.” “This type of novel is out of fashion.”

Take your time thinking over the comments. Depending on your degree of experience, you may know in your gut if the comments are correct. In my experience, sadly, they usually are right. I say usually because agents and editors are as fallible as the rest of us, which is why so many great novels were passed in the, ah, past. My own personal experience, which I have shared previously, is when I sent my first novel, A Biased Judgement, to a certain UK agent. She sent back a letter, very kind, praising my writing. But, she said, “No one is reading Sherlock Holmes novels any more.” At that very moment, Anthony Horowitz’s The House of Silk , was number one in the bestsellers’ chart. It is a Sherlock Holmes novel.

My point is just because someone has a fancy title, ‘Literary Agent’, or ‘Publishing Editor’, or what have you, doesn’t mean that they’re infallible. Of course, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re wrong, either. Let your disappointment settle and then try to examine your manuscript with a clear eye. If you don’t agree with the comments, by all means disregard them. But be honest with yourself. Don’t discount comments simply because it will mean a lot of work.

Don’t let your emotions lead you. I’ve heard horror stories of agents receiving hate mail, nasty phone calls, and even death threats as a result of rejecting someone’s work. You want to be known for your work and for being easy to get along with. You don’t want your name to be the one agents talk about with a shudder. Being upset is understandable. Being abusive is not.

Keep writing. Once you have written your novel and submitted it, start planning your next one. Even if you never find anyone to accept your first work, it wasn’t a waste of time. You will have learned so much from the writing, and the next novel will come together much more easily.

Keep submitting. Keep sending your novel out. All you need is one agent and / or one publisher. Finding him or her may take time, but keep trying. Remember, Stephen King’s first novel, Salem’s Lot, was published after his second, Carrie.

In future weeks, we will examine what happens when your novel is accepted, and how to approach your second novel. However, my own next novel, Great Warrior, is being released on May 15th, so I want to tell you some more about that, including my 5-star review, next week.

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