Hey, I
thought up a really great idea for us writers facing rejection and the pain it can bring. Believe me, I have been there when I have felt my writing world has fallen apart and I have no one to confide it (save God, and I know He is certainly enough, isn’t He?). But I thought it might be nice if we can share our rejection woes we have as writers. Maybe you have had a particularly brutal one (I’ve had that kind too). Or even that simple form rejection slip is enough to hurt.
I’d like to help soothe that hurt by giving away a box of chocolate covered cashews.
To enter the Chocolate Rejection Contest, simply leave a comment about a past rejection and I will put your name in a hat. Be sure to leave information on where you can be contacted (like an e-mail on your Blogger account or simply put it in your comment). I will draw a winner next week.
I know it can feel like the end of the world, but it really isn’t. So have some chocolate on me and then go forth in your writing ministry!
Hi Laura, not entering for the chocolates but just to vent–was rejected today for “Cup of Comfort for Breast Cancer Survivors.” I had hoped to at least make the anthology, but I know there are a lot of women out there who went through more than I did. I hope it makes them happy and gives them comfort to see their story in print.
This may not count as a contest entry, but that’s okay. I can’t think of an interesting negative experience (perhaps I’m blocking?) although I have a stack of rejections. But the first rejection letter I ever received came on my birthday — a personal note from the editor in question, saying while he couldn’t use the piece it was an “almost made it”. He encouraged me to keep writing. The magazine has ceased publication now, but I did eventually get printed there.
The following is an exert from a rejection letter for a submission to a book of inspirational stories:
“If your name is not on this list, it certainly does not mean you didn’t produce a great manuscript. … We had many manuscripts with overlapping themes, so had to choose from each thematic category. Some stories were excellent, but didn’t have enough application for this publisher’s preference. Some pieces submitted will make excellent articles for magazines, but just didn’t fit the tone of these books. …
I do want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing pieces of your life with me. … I hope you send (your story) out someplace else–to a magazine or another compilation–within the next week or two.”
I was disappointed, because I felt my story was a good fit. My word count was a little less tan requested, but I was given the go-ahead to submit it. They did say that, in the final edit, they may substitute shorter pieces.
My first rejection was from Reader’s Digest… and I got mad and stomped around the house and threw the letter out, and then realized what I was doing and retrieved it again. 🙂 Learned not to take it personally but to go on and keep submitting.
When I was beginning my writing career, a LONG time ago, I had submitted several pieces to different publications. A SASE returned. Thrilled, I opened it to discover:
One slip of paper, 2″ x 4″, on which was stamped, in huge upper- case letters, one word:
REJECTED
There was nothing else in the envelope.
Patricia Anne Elford
Hmmm, I applied for a classroom position at my school about four years ago and didn’t get it. I kinda new I wouldn’t but it still hurt!