Arrows Not Boomerangs: Rejection – Avoiding and Dealing With It
by Basic rules for new writers in writing and submitting to magazines.
In all cases of fiction and non-fiction, research the market thoroughly so that you know the readership as well as the editor does.
Write to please that busy, time-pressed, harassed editor and you’re winning.
Reasons for Rejection
Rejection can be heartbreaking – editors just have no idea about how carefully and lovingly your piece was crafted and what a fantastic publishing opportunity they have just passed up!
Don’t take it personally. There are many reasons for rejection, some of which are beyond your control.
Assuming that you have followed the magazine’s guidelines, presented your work well, researched the market and written an original and entertaining piece, it may be that the magazine has recently published or is about to publish something of a similar nature or theme. Or that for some other reason your idea was not suitable for that magazine at that time.
If you receive a standard ‘thanks but no thanks’ letter you may never know the reason. But if someone has taken the time and effort to give personal feedback, then learn from the comments made.
We have discussed aiming for a specific market when writing. If one magazine rejects your work it may well be suitable for another. So with appropriate tweaking and adjustment that article on motorbike helmets and visors returned from Bike magazine might be just the thing that Ride was looking for.
Have short list of magazines that you want to send your MSS out to, so that if it boomerangs from one you can turn it around and dispatch it to another.
Golden rules: only send the MSS to one magazine at one time; and always include an sae. All this activity should be logged in your record book (you do have one don’t you?) so there is no confusion.
When there are several MSS out there at a time and one is returned, you have hope that another will be accepted. Keep writing and keep sending. Even if you don’t know the fate of one story with Ladies’ Home Journal don’t let that stop you writing and sending another to the same magazine.
All this reduces the heartbreak and increases what might be called the ‘so what’ factor.
There is always something to learn in writing. Looked at positively, rejection could be seen as part of the growing process that tests our determination as writers. It makes us ask ‘what can I do differently?’ ‘how can I develop my style?’
Join a writers’ circle, go to workshops, conferences and evening classes or do a correspondence course to get feedback on your work. In addition there are plenty of competitions that offer a personal feedback service on entries if you ask for this.
Remember too that the best writers and artists suffered rejection. Ask J.K Rowling, The Beetles or Stephen King.
The moral of the story? Don’t give up.
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