Rejecting Rejection

Guest post by author Samantha Dodd. Twitter: @authordodd

“The seasons change and then you get it, your first response… a rejection letter. It lands in your inbox like unfriendly fire pounding on the roof of your once secure barrack.”

“Believe it or not, the most common reasons for rejection are because of prior commitments the agents and publishers have made themselves.”

“Every rejection takes your work that one step closer to finding its rightful home…”

So what can you do to move onward and upward?

Reflect: Don’t go to a negative place. Reflect on the rejection. What can you do or say better the next time? Have they given you any feedback? If they have then great, take it on board and edit accordingly. If they haven’t given you feedback, can you find some beta readers to help you?

Research: Take a look around, there are websites dedicated to helping authors hone their pitches like Query Shark. There are also websites out there where you can find like minded agents such as Manuscript Wishlist. The Writers & Artists’ Yearbook provides a whole wealth of information. The better informed you are about what you are doing and what agents and publishers want the more likely you are to grab their attention.

Seek out guidance and feedback: Face to face writing groups (soon, soon), online forums, and social networks will help you make connections with other writers who have been through the process. These communities can help you find beta readers to give you feedback, but most importantly they provide you with support and help you realize you are not alone.

A few optional extras to help you get noticed: If you want to strengthen your applications and make yourself stand out from the crowd, then go that little bit further. I know rejection is painful but putting yourself out there and getting a little better known will help tremendously with agents and publishers.

“Most importantly, just keep going.”

Need help publishing? Check out The Ultimate Guide to Getting a Literary Agent.

Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash.