Writers face rejection in many forms. Those who are published face rejection from critics and fans. Those who are unpublished but have agents (this was me from 2008 until July, 2012) face rejection from editors. And writers who are unpublished and unagented (me now) face rejection from agents.
Lately I've met with a constant stream of rejections from literary agents. It's been tough not to let them get the better of me.
They all say essentially the same thing: I'm sorry but your project isn't right for me.
What does it feel like to get rejection after rejection? Picture a wave pounding you into the sand, chomping you around like a piece of extra sticky bubble gum and saying adios by leaving you with burning eyes and nostrils, just so another wave can do exactly the same thing to you.
Yeah, it totally sucks. So what should we do when rejection threatens to get the better of us?
There's the obvious action...stop querying agents. A no-brainer, right? Get rid of the source of the pain. Except that after writing five novels, I know deep down in my bones that this has become more than just a hobby to me. That it is a lifelong passion. Which means I have to keep going. So here's what I do when yet another rejection lands in my Inbox.
First, I let myself feel. Sad. Disappointed. Frustrated. And any other emotions that care to manifest themselves. But then I channel those feelings into words and write about them. The very act of writing is therapeutic. Sometimes it comes in the form of a blog post. Other times through a character who has to deal with similar struggles. Afterward, my feelings of discouragement and hopelessness seem to embed themselves into what I've written and all that angst I was carrying disappears. What I'm left with is hope. And hope is a fabulous thing. I've learned that it's okay to have hope. That I'll get an agent. That I'll eventually get published. But most importantly, that I'll never stop writing.
DON'T EVER GIVE UP is the common theme of encouragement from authors and agents alike. Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of hope packed into those four words. However, when they're coming from an author who's landed an agent and/or a book deal, it's a bit like having someone tell me I can finish a race when I'm not even halfway done and they've already crossed the finish line.
That's why I've come up with my own words of encouragement. They're not from an author who's looking back on the journey to publication, but from a unpublished, currently unagented writer still muddling though the process of breaking into the publishing industry...
DON'T EVER STOP WRITING!
These words are especially necessary when rejection threatens to get the better of you. Writing will snuff out the exquisite disappointment that rejection brings with it. Writing will give you hope. And hope will fuel your passion for writing. So don't ever stop. Never ever.
Lately I've met with a constant stream of rejections from literary agents. It's been tough not to let them get the better of me.
They all say essentially the same thing: I'm sorry but your project isn't right for me.
What does it feel like to get rejection after rejection? Picture a wave pounding you into the sand, chomping you around like a piece of extra sticky bubble gum and saying adios by leaving you with burning eyes and nostrils, just so another wave can do exactly the same thing to you.
Yeah, it totally sucks. So what should we do when rejection threatens to get the better of us?
There's the obvious action...stop querying agents. A no-brainer, right? Get rid of the source of the pain. Except that after writing five novels, I know deep down in my bones that this has become more than just a hobby to me. That it is a lifelong passion. Which means I have to keep going. So here's what I do when yet another rejection lands in my Inbox.
First, I let myself feel. Sad. Disappointed. Frustrated. And any other emotions that care to manifest themselves. But then I channel those feelings into words and write about them. The very act of writing is therapeutic. Sometimes it comes in the form of a blog post. Other times through a character who has to deal with similar struggles. Afterward, my feelings of discouragement and hopelessness seem to embed themselves into what I've written and all that angst I was carrying disappears. What I'm left with is hope. And hope is a fabulous thing. I've learned that it's okay to have hope. That I'll get an agent. That I'll eventually get published. But most importantly, that I'll never stop writing.
DON'T EVER GIVE UP is the common theme of encouragement from authors and agents alike. Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of hope packed into those four words. However, when they're coming from an author who's landed an agent and/or a book deal, it's a bit like having someone tell me I can finish a race when I'm not even halfway done and they've already crossed the finish line.
That's why I've come up with my own words of encouragement. They're not from an author who's looking back on the journey to publication, but from a unpublished, currently unagented writer still muddling though the process of breaking into the publishing industry...
DON'T EVER STOP WRITING!
These words are especially necessary when rejection threatens to get the better of you. Writing will snuff out the exquisite disappointment that rejection brings with it. Writing will give you hope. And hope will fuel your passion for writing. So don't ever stop. Never ever.
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