I’ve loved reading everyone’s thoughts about rejections. I read an interesting feature recently, wish I could remember where, about how rejections can’t really exist. It wasn’t related to writing, it was related to trying new things, but it could easily be applied to writing.
It was along the following lines. If you try to do something and don’t succeed first time, you haven’t actually lost anything. How can you have lost what you didn’t have in the first place?
So, for example, with writing, if you try to break into a new market (or an existing one for you) and they say no, then you haven’t lost anything because you weren’t in there before you asked. So what’s the problem? How can it be a rejection?
Simples! As they say on the advert!
The same goes for sending out query letters for features or thee chapters and a synopsis to an agent. We have absolutely nothing to lose!
But we can all get jaded and feel depressed when editors say no. And then our creativity suffers because we think our work must be rubbish. Which brings me nicely on to my course next Saturday 28 January which is called, Kickstart Your Creativity.
This is for writers who are feeling jaded – who isn’t in January! You can bring along a half finished story and hopefully I’ll be able to inspire you enough to get it started and out to an editor – or you can start a story from scratch. Either way, I’ll inspire you to write something new. And hopefully something saleable. See my website page under courses for full details.
And all for £35.00!
Which you can hopefully earn back when you sell the story to a magazine!
Wholeheartedly agree with you, Della!
I don’t know if one of the thoughts you refer to was my blogpost (http://alison-morton.com/blog/2011/11/13/rejection-why-it-shouldnt-be-followed-by-dejection/).
Hurtful as rejection seems, it’s essential to keep a sense of proportion.
Sounds as if your course is good January pep-up!
I reckon that almost half of my published stories were previously rejected by a different magazine before they found a home – one was rejected six times before I sold it. Once I got the acceptance, those rejects certainly ceased to exist for me!
That is a good way to look at it!
Della, I’ve nominated you for the Irrestibly Sweet Blogger award. Please pop over to mine if you’d like to accept it.
Patty, I know I’m probably asking a silly question but how exactly do I do that. Or have I left it too late? Sorry, only just caught up with your comment. xx