Rejection!
Goodreads author Susan Finlay is posting a series of pieces on "Writing and Publishing Tips" from authors around the world, to help writers. The series covers a wide range of subjects including: self-publishing, how to write dialogue, how to write a book review and ten things no one tells you about book publishing, to name but a few of the topics posted so far. My contribution to the series has been a post reflecting on the necessity of rejections. It begins as follows:
I’m going to share my thoughts on an essential part of being a writer: getting rejected.
If you want your writing to be published, but don’t choose to go down the self-publishing route, you will have your work rejected – over and over again. And, guess what, rejection hurts.
Whether it is a single poem, a short story or an entire novel, and regardless of the quality of your writing, you are going to receive a huge number of rejections. Even successful, big name authors have had them. I can remember being told this when I started submitting my work for publication. Fine, I thought. Forewarned is forearmed: I’m prepared. Except I wasn’t. However many rejections you think you’ll get, you’ll receive more. The sheer volume of rejections is soul-crushing, but if you’re a writer, unless you choose to go straight into self-publishing, you are going to have to deal with the rejections.
Editors, publishers and agents receive many more submissions than they need. They have to be selective. It’s not personal for them, but it will seem so to you. You are the one who will have to work through the rejection and come out the other side, stronger and still fresh for the fight. I’ve known talented would-be writers give up after six, ten, twenty rejections because they believe they’ve reached the end of the line: they’ve only just started. Traditionally published writers are published because, in addition to the quality of their writing, they persevere...
To read the entire article please go to Susan's blog, Susan Finlay Writes: https://susansbooks37.wordpress.com/2...
I’m going to share my thoughts on an essential part of being a writer: getting rejected.
If you want your writing to be published, but don’t choose to go down the self-publishing route, you will have your work rejected – over and over again. And, guess what, rejection hurts.
Whether it is a single poem, a short story or an entire novel, and regardless of the quality of your writing, you are going to receive a huge number of rejections. Even successful, big name authors have had them. I can remember being told this when I started submitting my work for publication. Fine, I thought. Forewarned is forearmed: I’m prepared. Except I wasn’t. However many rejections you think you’ll get, you’ll receive more. The sheer volume of rejections is soul-crushing, but if you’re a writer, unless you choose to go straight into self-publishing, you are going to have to deal with the rejections.
Editors, publishers and agents receive many more submissions than they need. They have to be selective. It’s not personal for them, but it will seem so to you. You are the one who will have to work through the rejection and come out the other side, stronger and still fresh for the fight. I’ve known talented would-be writers give up after six, ten, twenty rejections because they believe they’ve reached the end of the line: they’ve only just started. Traditionally published writers are published because, in addition to the quality of their writing, they persevere...
To read the entire article please go to Susan's blog, Susan Finlay Writes: https://susansbooks37.wordpress.com/2...
No comments have been added yet.
