Rejection Is Not Part

Of The Writer’s Vocabulary

“Rejectionitis”

Besides a life-size cardboard cutout of Marilyn Monroe, a bookshelf containing the works of Ernest Hemingway, walls peppered with articles and photographs, and a poster of the sleepy Italian Riviera village of Vernazza, my writing studio is speckled with a collection of work-in-progress manuscripts. Whether they will ever be read by anyone other than me and my dog remains to be seen.

These millions of words represent countless hours of writing and re-writing. There is no substitute for experience. This is especially true of the wordsmith’s craft.

Once you have honed your skills and polished your text to a level of professionalism, you need to test the marketplace. This requires submitting Book Proposals accompanied by a Query Letter to selected literary agents and publishers.

Many writers are reticent to try traditional publishing. An aspiring author on the West Coast studied the craft for eight years. He attended several writers’ conferences and workshops. For six months, he worked with a writing group. During that time, he wrote several unfinished manuscripts, one totaling more than 1,500 pages. Despite this accomplishment and the fact that he was a gifted storyteller, he was reluctant to test his material with literary agents or publishers.

The writer suffered from a dreaded disease I call “Rejectionitis.” A common illness of many who are afraid to have someone say “no” to their idea or concept, it runs rampant within the world of the writer. Symptoms include long faces, slightly damaged keyboards, and stacks of yellowed paper.

To combat Rejectionitis, writers must develop skin as thick as an armadillo’s. They must remember Mark’s Step #9—Take Notice—Rejection Is Not Part Of A Writer’s Vocabulary.

Irwin Shaw (The Young Lions) was immune to rejection. He wrote, “Failure is inevitable for the writer. Any writer. I don’t care who he is, or how great he is, or what he’s written. Sooner or later, he’s going to flop and everybody who admired him will try to write him off as a bum.” Albert Einstein wrote, “Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.”

This does not mean criticism may be ignored. Don’t forget that Ernest Hemingway said of writers, “We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.”

You can avoid criticism and rejection by never submitting work for publication. Your life will be filled with smiles, pretty days, and walks in the park. Nothing you have written will ever be read by the outside world, nothing you have written will produce a laugh or a tear from a reader, and nothing you write will ever make a difference by causing people to stop and think. But you will keep your sanity and the satisfaction of never having been stung by rejection or a bad review.

If you choose to take a risk, know that you will encounter rejection at one time or another. In the publishing industry, it is a way of life. Pearl Buck, author of the classic, The Good Earth and seventy other novels, received a rejection letter regarding submission of a short story to a magazine the very week in 1935 when she was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.

As mentioned, those who don’t try, never succeed. Actor/producer/director/writer Woody Allen believes rejection is an essential part of the human existence. He wrote, “If you’re not failing now and again, it means you are playing it safe.” An old Japanese proverb states, “Fall seven times, stand up eight.”

Believing in yourself and in the Good Lord’s plan for you is essential. Lessons learned from Noah can be helpful since he symbolizes what it means to have faith. When God asked him to build the ark to withstand a flood, Noah did not hesitate even though he had never seen rain, lived hundreds of miles from the nearest ocean, and had no way to transport it to the nearest ocean. Regardless, he had faith and trusted God’s word. You must do the same if you believe strongly in your book idea, one that is morally right.

Attempts to persuade agents and publishers that my first book, Down For The Count, was worthy produced an excess of emotions. Utilizing a “help book,” I compiled a list of prospective agents and publishers. I then forwarded the manuscript (I did not know about Book Proposals) to several agents and publishers.

Each day at noon, after completing the writing assignment for the day, I packed the dogs in “Big Blue” (an old Ford truck), and headed to downtown Nashville, Indiana. With a spirited walk, I stepped into the post office and walked to P.O. Box 787. When I noticed a long yellow card requiring a trip to the postal counter, I knew one or more of the manuscripts had been returned. Since there had been no telephone call offering me agent representation or a publishing commitment, I concluded that the material had been rejected.

After retrieving the manuscript from its packing, I glanced at the accompanying letter. To counter disappointment, I immediately placed the manuscript in a new package pre-addressed to another literary agent or publisher. Inside was a fresh Query Letter describing the book. I then mailed the same material to a new source in search of a “yes” instead of a “no.”

Maintaining a positive attitude is critical to moving forward. There is nothing we can do about past experiences but learn from them. As I used to tell listeners of my radio program, “Keep the faith, you never know when there is a miracle right around the corner.”

For me, taking a pre-addressed package to the post office worked the same way. Instead of dwelling on the negative response to the manuscript, I forwarded it to another source in search of success. This attitude is symbolic of an essential characteristic for writers: never giving up.

Submission Procedure/Number of Submissions

If you choose to explore the world of traditional publishing, focus on securing a literary agent. From the “usual suspects” list compiled from your research, choose those most likely to have interest. Forward the Query Letter and Book Proposal to them.

If you do not receive a response in three-four weeks, telephone the agency for an update. Be inquisitive, but not intrusive. Explain the reason for the contact and request an update. If none is received after a week, move on. This requires sending another Query Letter and Book Proposal. Five in circulation at a time maximizes the potential for results.

If no literary agent responds positively, consider contacting publishers even though many do not permit un-agented submissions. A better idea may be to pursue a new book idea and decide that the previous one may be the second book you publish.

If you decide to contact publishers, peruse the list you have compiled through your research. Forward five submissions to selected editors. Wait three-four weeks and telephone for an update.

Be persistent, but not pushy. Patience is the byword.

A sample Agency-Publisher Submission Record is provided in the Appendix. Keeping good records allows you to track submissions. The listings may also be helpful with future books. Note agents or editors who have rejected material, but requested a look-see at future works.

It is not necessary to do so, but after receiving a rejection letter, consider responding with a note of appreciation for the consideration shown by the agent or editor at the publishing company. When a future submission is made, the agent or editor will remember the common courtesy.

Never Giving Up

When submitted material is not returned, many writers want to scream, “That’s not fair.” Instead, remember that the agent or publisher did not request submission of the Book Proposal and/or manuscript and have no duty to return it. Many Book Proposals and/or manuscripts fall into a black hole and never surface. Since you will have protected the material by having it copyrighted, accept your fate and continue the process of securing agency representation or a publisher commitment.

Rejection is a badge of courage. John Grisham contacted many publishers who rejected his book idea. Most thought he was some hayseed from Mississippi who should be ignored.

Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, the Chicken Soup authors, provide inspiration. Thirty-three publishers in New York and another hundred attending the American Book Publishers Association convention decided the first book possessed no merit. Canfield and Hansen licked their wounds, and never gave up. Health Communications, a small Florida-based publisher, believed in the authors and together they have published bestseller after bestseller.

Another author of note who never gave up was John Steinbeck. Born in Salinas, California, he attended Stanford. In 1925, Steinbeck traveled to New York to seek work as a free-lance writer. No one took him seriously, and he returned to California a failure. Undeterred, he began to write short stories. Ten years later, after several attempts to achieve recognition, he published a series of humorous stories about the Monterey paisanos titled Tortilla Flats. In the next four years, Steinbeck produced the classics Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath, among others.

Remember that Babe Ruth held the record for the most home runs during a baseball season until Mark McGuire broke it. The Babe also held the record for most strikeouts. Businessmen all over the globe have founded companies, made millions, hit hard times, filed for bankruptcy, then started again and made millions. As my father used to say, “Nothing good comes easy.”

Writers’ Conferences

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To expand your horizons, explore publishing industry alternatives, connect with fellow authors and poets, and find encouragement when rejection has occurred, consider attending writers’ conferences. Information about such conferences can be found in Writer’s Digest, Poet’s and Writer’s magazine, and other publications. Listings of various conferences can be discovered through Writers’ Conferences and Centers at www.awpwriter.org.

Networking with industry heavyweights at the conference is of great benefit. Various social functions permit writers to interact with literary notables, including those from the literary field, film, and television. Attendees can sign up for meetings with literary agents and editors from publishing companies and “pitch” a book idea. If author Sylvia Nasar had attended a conference, she would have told the agent or editor, “The idea I have is to write a book about John Nash, the mathematical genius who suffered from schizophrenia and eventually won the Nobel Prize.” The literary agent or editor in all likelihood would have requested to see any text she had written since her “pitch” or “Tagline” was superb and indicative of the book that became A Beautiful Mind.

Realize that agents and editors are constantly searching for new “stars.” They need writers with bestseller potential as much as those writers need them.

When attending a writers’ conference, arrive with a definite game plan, since first impressions are critical. Never tell anyone in the publishing world, “Well, I’m not sure what I want to write.” Be focused, listen, learn, ask questions, and be attentive. If you have chosen a book idea, be prepared with the fifteen words or less Tagline so you can describe your book. Many people met at conferences will be valued resources as your writing career progresses. Impress them with your ability to answer the question, “What are you working on?” with “I’m currently completing a biography of Albert Einstein,” or “I’m writing a novel about the daughter of a famous politician who learns her father was a Nazi sympathizer.”

If you have completed a Book Proposal regarding your book idea, be ready to present it to any literary agents or publishers you meet. Be certain it is ready for submission after having been thoroughly reviewed and edited. You only have one shot with agents and publishers so be certain your material is the best it can be.

Attending writers’ conferences permits you to soak up the flavor of the publishing industry. The conference provides a crash course in the practical aspects of how you can realize the dream of being published.

If you promise to forward material to a literary agent or editor, follow through. Building a reputation for being accountable is essential. Literary agents and editors are looking for responsible, professional writers who can be counted upon. They are not interested in working with disorganized writers who don’t keep their word.

Similar accountability will be imperative when you sign a publishing contract. Meeting deadlines is critical for any successful author or poet, since publishers will dictate a timetable for completion of the book. They will set a publishing date and then work backwards. You will be expected to submit material on time. Doing so will create a reputation for dependability imperative in the publishing industry. One of the selling points my literary agent uses while discussing a book idea with an editor is that I have never missed a deadline. This separates me from countless others who have never met one.

Writer’s Groups

Many aspiring authors have formed writer’s groups. Some have a few members; others more than twenty. They meet once or twice a month to discuss projects of interest, exchange ideas, and provide critique. Encouragement is also a plus since rejection is the aspiring author or poet’s middle name.

Members of writer’s groups form an enviable bond. Whether the writer is a beginner or a published author, the sharing of thoughts about the writing process and the literary industry is refreshing and quite beneficial.

Beginning a writer’s group is easy. Posting signs on university and library bulletin boards or in newsletters will stir interest. Everyone has a story to tell or a book in them, and there are many who welcome the chance to work with others to improve their craft.

Many writers have joined writer’s centers. This provides the opportunity to congregate with aspiring authors and poets of all genres. These centers offer classes and seminars helpful in writing fiction, non-fiction, poetry, short stories, and magazine articles.

Many writer’s centers and poet’s groups offer “open microphone” nights when reading of works is possible. Take advantage of these opportunities to expose your writings to others. Feedback is beneficial and you never know if someone with a valuable contact in the publishing world might be listening.

Bookstore cafes and local coffeehouses are gathering places for writers. Mingle with others who share your passion for books and the publishing process. They may have fresh ideas regarding your book. Learning from others is a great tool for any writer who dreams of saying, “Yes, my new book will be released next month.”

As a professional writer, you need to make things happen. Sitting on your duff won’t work. Take advantage of opportunities and never be afraid to ask questions of those who have a working knowledge of the publishing industry. Mentoring by experienced writers is a given and your inquiries will be welcomed. Across the world, there are organizations ready to assist your efforts to become published. Be proud that you are a writer with publishing aspirations, and never let anyone tell you that you can’t succeed.

Summary

Reaction to creative writing is subjective—don’t be offended by criticism.

Use rejection as inspiration, not a sign of failure.

Learn from critical feedback, and don’t give up.

Remember, it only takes one traditional publisher to say “yes.”

Use the story of the Chicken Soup books as a reminder to persevere.