From Cheryl's Writing Crate
Whether you’ve been writing for a short
period of time or have been published for many years, chances are you’ve faced
some type of criticism for something you’ve written. I’ve been writing professionally for 12 years
now, and I can still remember the very first time I received a rejection. Ugh! It was the third personal essay I had ever submitted. Because the
first two had been published, I never dreamed I’d be faced with this hurtful type of criticism on my third try. (How naive of me!)
Worse, this particular essay was all
about kindness. Though I thought I had presented my views on this topic with
a very unique and fresh perspective, the editor scribbled a note on the back of
it that said, “Even Pollyanna wouldn’t want to read this.”
Now that I’ve been writing for awhile, I
know that rejection letters or negative feedback simply go with the
territory. Thankfully, I no longer take it
personally. I have tried (when I’m in a good mood that is!) to glean
something constructive from them.
Overall, I’m very grateful that most of
my work is praised as humorous, thoughtful, and creative as the columns and
articles I write are generally not controversial, but more in the lines of
entertaining or thought-provoking. But as a published author
currently in the midst of writing a first novel, I know I need to be prepared
for the rejection and disappointment that goes hand in hand with getting
published.
Here are some helpful tidbits I’ve kept
on file throughout the years for accepting rejection as gracefully as possible.
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| Turn rejection into a positive, no matter how small! |
Don’t take it personally: It’s important to remember that the critiques and rejections are of our work,
not us, not our family or our pets, just something we wrote.
Persistence
Pays Off: If you keep writing, you’ll keep
getting better as long as you are open to improving your craft. Writers that persist and put themselves out
there have a much better shot of getting published.
You’re Not Alone: J. K.
Rowling was rejected the first time she sent out Harry Potter--and thirteen more times after that. Stephen King’s novel Carrie was turned down more than a dozen times before it was
published and he shot up the bestseller lists. William Golding’s The Lord of The Flies was rejected more than twenty times
before it was finally picked up. These
are just three of thousands of examples of authors who never gave up. I’d say we’re in good company!
Make it a
Motivator: When I send a query to a
magazine, I visualize receiving an acceptance e-mail or letter from the
editor. I also realize that sometimes it’s
a matter of odds before my idea is accepted, so each time I submit something I
know I’m one step closer to either getting published or crafting an even better
article or story.
How do you deal with rejection as a writer? Please share your thoughts with us in the
comment section.
