Writers need to deal with rejection. The industry we work in is subjective and competitive. Striving for greatness comes at a cost, usually to our pride. Recognition and validation is important for everyone. Unfortunately artists tend to get the least amount, unless you’ve made it to the top. I haven’t. I’m still way down in the trenches, striving for that elusive goal of being appreciated for my craft.
Whilst querying my first novel, I set my expectations too high, believing I would be one of the favored few who would be snapped up instantly. I WAS WRONG. Back then, my writing was the best I could achieve. So I sent my book-baby off and fed all of my excited/ anxious energy into creating the second in the series. Four months later, that driving force of anticipation had manifested into book two of The Shadow Knight Series. Amazing.
When all of the queries came back with a polite ‘Not what we’re looking for.’ or ‘We don’t think your material is the right fit for us.’ I took a look at my submission package.
I was surprised to find my writing had improved. I cringed at my old material. The rejections morphed with my inner critical voice and attacked. We’ve all been there… and it’s brutal. Rejection hurts. We get stressed out, upset and frustrated. But that’s a useful tool.
This is where rejection can actually be useful. The driving force behind the hurt and disappointment allows us to re-evaluate and try again.
Remember: Successful people have made it because they didn’t give up.
Fear not, with the right mind-set and some initiative and introspect we can turn things around. By taking control of the situation, we can turn that negativity into something positive. Next time we’ll do better, or learn to be better. This isn’t the end of the road, it’s a bump in the path.
To paraphrase Samuel Beckett: fail again, fail better.
Since then I’ve revised, edited and written new material. I’m confident that at this moment in time I have done my best. Who knows, maybe after revising my next manuscript, I’ll realize that I’ve grown some more. And that can only be a good thing.
Keep going. Have faith and above all else believe in yourself.
Have you learnt any valuable lessons from rejection? If so, tell me about them. We’re all in this together and I’d love to hear from you.
Thanks for stopping by, until next time, Much Love.
Lorraine Ambers 
Wonderful post Lorraine! Rejection is a vital part of the process and I agree that it forces you to take a better look at your writing.
I think one of the underrated or under appreciated aspects of rejections is that all of the no’s make you stronger not only in your editing skills but in your personality as a whole. You become more resilient and can tackle harder challenges in other areas of your life.
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Well said! And it’s so true. 😊
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I love this Rainy, and I must agree. Rejection forces us to look at are work with a new critical eye, which can be a huge learning curve. It’s hard, when you start, to imagine any positives of rejection, but you articulate perfectly here. ❤ xx
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Yes, rejection is so hard. Especially in the beginning. 💜 xx
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So relatable, Rainy. I cringe at the first few submissions I sent out too. I thought it was ready and it really wasn’t. Good luck with your new submissions!
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