Preditors and Editors ™
A guide to publishers and publishing services for serious writers
What Does Rejection Mean?
- The first thing you should do is sit down and remember that rejection usually means that your work didn't fit into the publication's marketing niche. After all, publishers are out there working to make a living. To do that, they've identified markets where they can survive. Many a good story has been rejected for no other reason than this. It is not normally a reflection on you to be rejected unless you submitted a sloppy manuscript with spelling errors, misused grammar, and other problems.
- Check over the rejection letter you just received. Is there a personally written note to you from the editor? If so, you're in luck! If nothing else, it means the editor is interested in helping you develop as a writer. Clearly, the editor sees promise in your talent. It might not be much that the editor had time to write, but it could be the key to improving your writing so that you don't get as many rejection letters later on. The editor might even point out a flaw in the story that you can correct in a rewrite. As well, you'll gain an idea about what that particular editor is searching for in submissions. You'll know then what kinds of writing to submit to that editor.
- But it's a form rejection! So what! Even form rejections can tell you a lot if you know what to look for. Besides, lots of editors will still take the time to pen a few words on a form when the editor sees talent emerging. It should be encouraging even if the editor only checked off on the space indicating that the publication wants to see more of your work. It means that you're getting closer to what the editor is searching for to publish. Just remember that some editors see nearly a thousand submissions every month. It's easy to understand why some editors use a form reply for rejections.
- Okay, so I haven't been rejected personally. What do I do? Well, you could rewrite the story to correct problems the rejection might have indicated, decide that the story is fine, or evaluate the story as unsalvageable. That's entirely up to you and it's your judgment call alone. Most writers don't rewrite unless they've received the same remarks concerning the same manuscript from two or more editors. When you work on something else, keep in mind what problems were pointed out in any previous story rejections. After all, editors want to publish your work, provided you submit what they're searching for. When an editor states that your characters are bland, then you need to have more energetic and imaginative characters. If there was no conflict according to the rejection, then create personal problems for your characters to solve as they face whatever dilemmas you posed for them in the main story line.
- Make sure that you've written your best and send it in. Even if you get rejected once more, you just might find that you came even closer to acceptance than before. If that's the case, then it's only a matter of honing your talent until you're being published consistently instead of being rejected. After all, the key to being published is persistence and practice at discovering what the editor and the public want. If acceptance was based solely on artistic talent alone, there simply wouldn't be as much opportunity for new writers as there is. However, that would be boring as we'd be hostage to what those few artistic individuals decided to write about as none of their work would ever be rejected by editors.
- Lastly, even though rejection hurts, keep it in mind that the rejection wasn't meant as a personal insult against you. It truly is a matter of marketing. If you will hone your writing skills to produce what editors want and sell yourself in your cover letters or queries, then you can eventually become successful in the publishing business.