McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft
Dealing with Rejection thread
Drew:
--- Quote from: Willowhugger on January 24, 2007, 09:12:52 PM ---So, how do you guys cope with that first rejection letter? I'm curious because every author has to deal with it (except that Eragon kid). It's something that really can cut right to the quick and leave a person feeling down.
--- End quote ---
Just add them to a 'list' of people to pay a visit to when you are wealthy with minions.
resurrectedwarrior:
--- Quote from: CrazyGerbilLady on January 27, 2007, 02:00:25 AM ---I knew I'd wind up getting rejected on my first try, and I sort of looked forward to the letter as a milestone. "Aw see honey, my very first rejection letter!" I thought about framing it. But then, I have a warped sense of humor. ;D
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LOL! I can't really do that with my first one, because it's on email. But then, you know, i could print it out . . .
Nah.
Once I have enough, I'm planning on putting all my rejections in those little plastic sleeves and keeping them all in a binder. I know that sounds odd, but you know . . . rejection letters are kind of an odd validation . . . they're tangible evidence that you've submitted, that you're trying. And, considering it's something every writer goes through, it's affirmation that you indeed are a writer.
*shrug* There's my two cents.
Drew:
Works for me. I have enough to recycle the rainforest the paper came from.
Richelle Mead:
--- Quote from: Willowhugger on January 27, 2007, 12:53:45 AM ---Righto
I will buy Succubus Blues BTW!
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Aw, thanks! Much appreciated. :)
Kali:
My first one was about 16, 17 years ago. Marion Zimmer Bradley was still alive and still accepting stories from unknowns for "Sword & Sorceress". A story I sent in got rejected, and the letter I got back was... not nice, but it was personal, and gave the right criticism. Even at the time, I could see she was right about where the story had gone wrong. MZB was a gem among editors because she tried very hard to give as many personal critiques as she could, given the number of submissions. A useful rejection is a rare thing, and she was a doll for giving them.
My next submission was in 2004. I know, because I still have that rejection letter. I sent a story to Fantasy & Science Fiction magazine. Said story made it out of the slush, through the first reader, through the assistant editor, and into the hands of the editor (Gordon Van Gelder). I know *that* because the rejection letter is signed by him, whereas rejection letters from earlier in the chain are signed by the rejector. He said "This story is engaging and the prose is good". Who cares if it's a rejection letter? I have good prose and an engaging story, says Gordon Van Gelder. That rejection letter's on the corkboard over my monitor.
In another 13 or 14 years, when I get the urge to submit something again, I may even get published.
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