Getting to No Me - Embracing Rejection

It's hard to send work out and then wait, wait, wait for the email to come back (if it ever does) with the polite explanation about why your piece isn't right. But it's necessary in order to get work out into the world. You can't succeed if you don't try.

My submission record was spotty after I completed my MFA program. At first, it was query letters out to select literary agencies, then more agencies, and then more. I stopped after awhile in fear of burning opportunities with everyone and dooming any chance of getting published EVER. Sound dramatic? Well, this is how it feels. Every "no thank you" bolsters that voice cowering in the back of your mind that tells you that you aren't good enough, aren't funny enough, not cut out for this. Meanwhile, other less-inspired work is printed all over the place. It's soul crushing.

So I took a break. First from querying agents, then from sending anything anywhere. I'd write a little, participating in short story and flash fiction contests, but I tucked those stories away. And all the while, I taught undergraduates about writing and literature. I taught them how to write query letters.
 
And then I read a blog post about changing the way writers should think about rejections.

http://lithub.com/why-you-should-aim-for-100-rejections-a-year/

I share it with my creative writing classes each term. I started looking for places to send the stories I'd stashed away. Interesting things started to happen.

Thank you for sending us "Stupidhead". We all appreciated the chance to read it. It's well written, and the ending is great (it's my favorite part). The ending, however, just doesn't feel earned. Comes a little too out of left field, which is maybe what you were going for. So, unfortunately, we're going to have to pass on this one. Please submit to us again, though. You've definitely got the talent. If it's any help, we often publish work that is a little more on the edgy side of things.

Thank you for taking an interest in Gathering Storm Magazine and for sending us "Stupidhead". We appreciate the opportunity to review your work. Unfortunately, this wasn't the right fit for us, BUT PLEASE KEEP TRYING! We just didn't feel that this submission was what we are looking for at this time. 

Thank you so much for participating in our March/April 2017 Very Short Fiction contest—we really enjoyed "Stupidhead"!
Although it did not quite make the top-25 list, it did make it a long way through the judging process, earning you Honorable Mention, which you should note on your cover letter as you send this story back out into the world. Here is a link to the Honorable Mention list, which you can post on your blog, etc., as you like: http://bit.ly/2017MarAprVSFhonorablemention

Thank you so much for sending "Beedancing." While the piece isn't right for Mortar at this time, we very much enjoyed reading it and would like to encourage you to submit your work to us again in the future. Thank you--We hope to hear from you again! 

 Still "no thank you," but these editors took the time to encourage me to continue trying. So I did. And soon, I started getting a "yes" here and there.

Thank you for your updated submission. My editors and I have jointly decided to accept 'Handymen'' for our Monsters Among Us anthology. Congratulations! You may spread the word far and wide that you will be published in this issue. We hope you will join the other contributors to this issue in promoting the work to friends, family, and fans around the world. 

I'm so happy to let you know the committee chose your proposal for this June's alumni seminar. I'm so excited to have you in Tampa again!

Citizen,

The Despot has deemed your story worthy, and it now appears on Scrawl Brawl. 

Long live the Despot,

Grovel Sycophanti

Minister of Information Dissemination

We hope this finds you well and your writing humming along smoothly! Cija passed on your work, and we really enjoyed reading your pieces.

We would love to have you join our Writers & Words series at Charmington's in Baltimore. We feature four writers each month in fiction, non-fiction, poetry and the ineffable "wild card" writing. We think your fiction would fit in well for our July 11th reading lineup, and we would love to feature you as our wildcard (we don't usually have mystery/suspense writers!). Are you available that day?

As part of our reading series, we also provide a chapbook for sale that features each writer's work. We will request a piece for the chapbook approximately three weeks before the reading.

Still plenty of "no thank yous" and I am no where near 100 rejections or even submissions yet, but I write and send and write and send without dread. I still do flash fiction and short story contests. I still teach. I still get giddy when an idea comes together, when someone reading it laughs or grimaces or gasps in the right places. And I will keep trying.

In August, I will attend the Writer's Digest Conference in New York City. While there, I will pitch my novel to agents again, setting aside my fear of no for that chance at yes. And if I don't get it there, I will try again and keep writing. I've started the next novel. Well, I've started thinking about the next novel.

So if you are discouraged, double down on the writing and the submissions. Accept speaking engagements, connect with your peers - your writing community, and gather those rejection emails as proof of your courage and hard work. I'll be sending the good vibes that a few yeses come your way!

Happy writing!