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How long does it take to bounce back from rejection?
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It could also be as simple as it's not what the publisher is looking for, but don't stress it. Deep breaths, remind yourself why you write, and soldier on!
Don't give up! Everyone gets rejected at one point or another. I haven't even gotten that far! I have heard that you must have a thick skin. Write because you love it, edit because it's necessary, and keep trying because it's worth it. :) Hugs, please don't give up!
This is why I self publish. I can't handle rejection. period. Had therapy for years. I know myself.I write good stories, not great ones. This is enough for me.
To me, it depends on what they say as to the reason they are rejecting it. If they only state "We thank you but unfortunately we will not be publishing _____" Then I usually move on quickly. However if you get a detailed rejection of the place you submitted it bashing you and going over every detail you did wrong then chances are it might be a while before you get over it. That's what happened to me when I submitted to a small press. I thought they'd accept me no problem but not only did they reject me but they belittled me by going over why and if I'm serious enough. I was quite shocked and it really hit me so it took a while to get over but when I did I moved on and keep looking.
Q) How long does it take to bounce back from rejection?
A)Let you know when I have. LOL
A)Let you know when I have. LOL
I was rejected so many times by magazine editors when I submitted short stories many years ago, that I got over it quickly each time, and sent out the story elsewhere the next day. Usually I had several stories in circulation, so that lessened the blow--especially when I started to sell a few.
Can you make it with a thin skin as a writer? No doubt, but probably not without ulcers.
Can you make it with a thin skin as a writer? No doubt, but probably not without ulcers.
You are one rejection closer to acceptance.
Mod
Awesome way to look at it.
I've been rejected by publishers umpteenth times. I was always told you have a "unique insight into mankind but, it's not what we are looking for" or "maybe we're not the publishing house for you" or "we love your manuscript" advance was offered on the table (that happened when I was fifteen). That day I found out I was publishable. But, I turned the traditional publisher down because I realized I wanted to expand in my writing and the genre they wanted me to write would've kept me unhappily pigeonholed.Finding out that I was actually trade publisher worthy was a relief for my teenage ego at the time. The point I'm making is it doesn't mean you're not publishable. It just means you haven't found the right one. I've been an author for 25 years. I have been published traditional but, decided to go indie I haven't looked back since. Keep trying with the traditional publishers or do self-publishing.
With my own experience I found that I've gotten more traditional publishers attention by publishing my own books. Once they know you're already out in publication, it raises your chances. Well it did for me. But, I've been both traditionally published and indie published. So your experience may vary.
I have always been an Indie Published Author. The thing I like about it the most is that everyone I work with actually works for me. I have a great editor, CPA and an attorney.As long as the royalty checks keep rolling in, my wife is happy! That's the important part!
I thought this might make you feel better Rachel. It's a link to how many times famous authors were rejected. J.K. Rowling was rejected 12 times. http://www.google.co.za/url?sa=t&...
If that doesn't help try Google it. im sure you'll feel better to see you are in good company. At least you tried. Don't give up.
And this is why I'm my own publisher. I don't want to mess with the traditional route, which is completely out of my control. Some of the most successful books were rejected over and over and over. Traditional publishing is a crazy world. No thanks.
April wrote: "And this is why I'm my own publisher. I don't want to mess with the traditional route, which is completely out of my control. Some of the most successful books were rejected over and over and over...."Traditional publishing isn't for everyone, April, but it's not a crazy world at all. It's just hard to find a publisher who believes your work should be published, and for those of us who go down that route, rejection is one of the costs of doing business.
Mod
Only you can decide that. But, if you are, then skin can be toughened. How? Stick with it. Write more stuff. Submit more stuff. Maybe self-publish. It's super easy and you could have someone buy and read your story tomorrow!
Then you write more, edit, write, edit, rinse, repeat...
The only way you can ensure you will never make it as a writer is to give up.
For me, the problem wasn't so much the rejection as the utter lack of a clue as to why I was rejected. Was my blurb bad? Was my query too amateurish? Were my margins an affront to someone's nitpicky senses?My personal favorite was always "I have too many clients right now." I always translate that as "I don't want to make any more money" and then laugh it off.
Keep plugging away, or go the indie path. As others have said, only you can decide.
Good luck.
Back when I was trying to land an agent, I recall regarding rejections with frustration for a few minutes before moving on. There's a myriad of reasons why a manuscript will be rejected, reasons that don't always have to do with the manuscript being "not good enough," that it's best not to worry about it. After all, even the great novels considered classics today were rejected numerous times before publication. I bet the publishers who rejected them are kicking themselves now.
Steve wrote: "Traditional publishing isn't for everyone, April, but it's not a crazy world at all. It's just hard to find a publisher who believes your work should be published, and for those of us who go down that route, rejection is one of the costs of doing business. "You're right, of course. Each person has to follow his or her own path. Traditional publishing isn't for everyone, just as self-publishing isn't for everyone. We all have to find our own way... find out what works best for each of us.
Rachael, the short answer, as some have written above, is: "No time at all." Researching this aspect, I understand that one should expect this (rejection "form" letters) as the norm, and expect dozens of rejections as a new author trying to get into this arguably overpopulated, hyper-competitive field. Why? The process is said to be such. New submissions, unsolicited, are typically filtered by some intern or lowly employee to see if it merits any attention from the busier, more important folks in the pecking order. If it passes this college or high-school grad nitpicker armed with a long list of checkboxes to tick off, the busy supervisor (a green employee, usually) might glance at it, look at your bio and query letter, and not read any further. If it gets past this stage too, you might find someone (a junior editor) taking the trouble to read through the 15,000 or so words you've carefully submitted. All this is driven by the tens of thousands of submissions publishing houses must go through.
If your work is solicited, that's a cut above already, and may merit a diligent look. Nevertheless, they may yet not respond back, which they'll most politely ask you to consider a lack of interest on their part. Penguin-Randomhouse offered me this kinder alternative to their rejection letter.
If you've done the hard work of finding an agent to represent you, and said agent is truly invested in you and your work, and said agent is well-known and well-connected in this snooty field of human endeavor, and if your work matches a hot-button subject publishers are salivating over, a newbie submission so promoted might have a chance at full consideration, and further exploration by the editorial staff at a publisher.
Take heart. The amazing ability to self-publish all kinds of material these days is a boon to the diligent, determined writer. And the many support groups that exist - SIA the foremost among them - make the process a snap. Perhaps the second, third, or the fourth work you publish may gather enough attention on its own, and with your promotional work, that it gets noticed...
At first, the rejections hurt and I would be depressed when I got the letter. I eventually got to the point that, whenever I was rejected, I would just shrug and think "your loss" and keep researching markets.Now, of course, as a self-published author, I'm dealing with a new kind of rejection...the kind that comes from people not buying the books. I'm still working on that one.
Don't sweat it. It might have been rejected because your manuscript wasn't pretentious enough. Or because the publisher was having a bad hair day. Or more likely because they didn't know what to do with it. How long to get over it? Get over whaaaat? ;)
Consider this: Lots of big hits began as Indie published titles. Example: The Martian. Even 50 Shades of Gray.Focus on writing the best story you can. Don't focus on the gatekeepers who are often wrong.
Michael wrote: "Now, of course, as a self-published author, I'm dealing with a new kind of rejection...the kind that comes from people not buying the books."That's not necessarily rejection; more likely, lack of exposure. And that's fairly easily fixed, but it takes time.
The day Indie Authors have gatekeepers, is the day we become what we despise.
Hi Rachael,Judge a writing contest. I just sent the scores in a few minutes ago for a competition. From 128 entries about 5 deserved first place, a dozen deserved second place, two dozen third, and so it went - almost impossible. I judged my first contest (public school), last year and will never again feel bad about receiving a rejection.
Good for you. It gave me great satisfaction, when I was shooting travel articles to newspapers, to send out my 'worst editor of the year award' letter to the guy who sat on the story for months while sending his own reporter to my destination, spilled coffee on the ms., and/lost my slides (remember those?). Now I often refer to the story of the novel 'zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance' for inspiration. Iirc, the author tried for 10 years to find a publisher. It was finally accepted by the same house that had rejected it twice. And ... I wonder what became of the editors who rejected Harry Potter, and how they spun or deleted that tidbit from their resumes.
Howdy Rachel,Firstly, allow me to say that I like the comments and support from this group. And I totally agree with Steve Harrison's remark: "You are one rejection closer to acceptance."
Though, I've only recieved rejections from short stories and articles to various magazines I submitted, I honestly have to say that I thank God for every rejection. Certainly, it made me a better writer. And I consider such rejections as a blessing because obviously, God has something far better in mind for me. Thus, I don't allow it to upset me or question my abilities as an Author. I have learned to find the good in even the bad and expect the extraordinary outcome from it. I'm glad I'm a self-publish Author.
So, continue to do your best at putting out your absoulte best and keep moving forward in your writing.
I've had plenty of rejections for short stories, and it's certainly better to have a feedback rejection than a form rejection, but whenever I submit a story I always have another marketplace ready to send it to the same day if I get a rejection. What it sometimes comes down to is finding the right market. One short I had rejected eight times recently sold. If you get feedback take it on board, but don't give up and don't let it get you down.
I think another part of the problem is the number of agents/publishers that demand "exclusivity" when submitting. The worst part of the rejection, really, is having wasted 6-24 weeks waiting to get back that form letter rejection, when you could have dozens of other submissions out concurrently if not for that requirement.
Joe wrote: "I think another part of the problem is the number of agents/publishers that demand "exclusivity" when submitting. The worst part of the rejection, really, is having wasted 6-24 weeks waiting to get..."
And sometimes much longer. Back in the '90s I submitted a MS for a novel to a publishing house and they kept it for more than two years before sending it back--praising its professional quality but saying "it's not quite what we're looking for."
And sometimes much longer. Back in the '90s I submitted a MS for a novel to a publishing house and they kept it for more than two years before sending it back--praising its professional quality but saying "it's not quite what we're looking for."
Joe wrote: "I think another part of the problem is the number of agents/publishers that demand "exclusivity" when submitting. The worst part of the rejection, really, is having wasted 6-24 weeks waiting to get..."You don't have to fit in with these highly unreasonable requests. This is a business you're running - send it to half a dozen agents/publishers and ignore their requests for exclusivity. What do you have to lose?
If I may suggest something that helped me: go look up your favorite book on Amazon, the one you loved and thought was perfect and wished you'd written. Check out the one-star reviews on it. Remember that not everyone sees things the same way, or values them the same. Then take a deep breath, remember that you have five-star readers waiting to find you, and keep pressing on. It didn't cure my rejection blues but it helped me get over them in a few hours instead of obsessing and withdrawing from writing altogether.
Mod
Excellent suggestion, Dawn. I did that a lot before I published. It really helped to thicken my skin before I started getting negative reviews of my own.
Dawn wrote: "Remember that not everyone sees things the same way, or values them the same."And sometimes it feels like the one-star reviewers are the agents and slush pile editors. ;)
Take those emotions and project them onto a character. :)
Charles wrote: "Take those emotions and project them onto a character. :)"Heh, the last time I did that, a slaver was brutally strangled by one of his slaves. :p
The rejection that hurt worse: Large Agency in London called me to accept my second novel and told me how great it was. A year later they called to say how bad it was. I never forgot that and it made me tougher.
how long it takes to bounce from a rejection? the time it takes to sober up lolz ^_^||
I wanted to ask: how long does it take other people to bounce back from rejection? This is my fourth time (the first with this particular story); you'd think I'd be used to it by now, but I'm devastated each time. Am I too thin skinned to make it as a writer? Should I give it up as a bad job or think that I wasn't what that publishing house was looking for?