Rejection letters are commonplace in the world of literature. If you’ve written anything and submitted, I’m sure you have one, or two – or like me – more than you’d care to admit. Personally, I like to call rejection letters toilet paper, it’s just a little more fitting of a title, isn’t it? But I digress.
When you began your trek into the world of the literary arts, you probably were sure of one thing, you’d write a masterpiece, you’d submit it and agents and editors would be clamoring for more. Then you submitted and you had a wake-up call. Yes, it happens to the best of us, if you’ve read Stephen King’s On Writing, then you know it happens to the best of us.
I want to share the story of two rejection letters that I received that may change the way you view toilet pap… uh, rejection letters. I submitted a manuscript to a publisher once and waited and waited… and waited. And a year later I received an email that said something like this, “I want to apologize, your manuscript was in the wrong slush pile and I just read it and would like to know if it is still available. With some superb editing, I think we will have something to work with.” I’m paraphrasing there, but I had to read it over and over. It was in the wrong slush pile? I’m sure you’ve heard the slush pile theory. They have three piles: “Let’s look at this one, this might work so put it over there, and is our shredder still working?”
Obviously, my manuscript was put in pile three and was saved. Yes, I went for it, but the slush pile comment threw me back. That manuscript became my first published book.
So, that is actually a good story and the motto is… don’t give up.
The second story is one I love to share when I speak at conferences and at schools to groups of kids who want to be the next JK Rowling. As writers we know that simply writing a novel or novella isn’t enough. Essays and short stories are great ways to get your name out there in the writing world and it’s a great addition to your CV. I entered a contest – I don’t want to say which one, but it was a very popular annual writing contest that we writers enter every year with hopes of grand prize, first prize… heck even an honorable mention will do. I gave the story my best and followed every rule. I submitted, knowing I would win. I mean it was a masterpiece, ok?
Alas I received toilet paper. But you know what that means, right? If one editor or agent rejects it, then someone else wants it. Within that year I submitted it to the Saturday Evening Post’s Annual short story competition. No, I am not going to tell you that it won first or second, but it did receive honorable mention and it made it to their annual printed version. The Saturday Evening Post, who by the way, in August of this year celebrates their one hundredth birthday.
That was also a good story and the motto is what? Don’t give up.
I say all that to say this: Rejection is a given in our profession, don’t take it personal, don’t get depressed, don’t down a bottle of Jim Beam. Accept it, learn from it and look higher. Someone wants to read your story; you just haven’t sent it to the right person – or magazine – yet. Oh, and go easy on the TP.
