Perhaps I Spoke Too Soon
In my last post I bragged about having overcome the sting of rejection. I all but claimed the I was the Dread Pirate Roberts, and rejection was my iocane powder.
Remember that story I spit shined and sent back into the world to take some cuts? Yeah, it took some cuts. Immediate and merciless cuts.
When you submit a story and it takes a few months to get rejected, you get this idea that maybe you made it through a few rounds before it was tossed out of consideration. But when you get rejected with 72 hours there are no such happy delusions. They had zero interest. They would have thrown it over a shoulder if they weren’t reading it on an iPad. They may have rolled their eyes at my pitiful writing and probably didn’t get past the first page. But I definitely have no talent and should stop bothering these poor people by pretending otherwise.
Most of the time writing is my passion and I know I will always write, regardless of whether I have any success with publishing, because I must. It is and has always been the way I make sense of the world.
But sometimes writing is a second job that I took on which pays only in disappointment. And sometimes I feel well paid.
Rachel Lewis
Welcome! I’m a middle-aged former Mormon (aka the “other FOMO”), essayist, and playwright living in Salt Lake City. I work in pharmaceuticals professionally and write recreationally—though I’m open to reversing that someday. On Life and Lemons is where I share humorous snippets about writing, addiction, recovery, relationships, mental health, and whatever else life tosses in the blender. If you enjoy dark humor with a twist of lemon-tart snark—or just need proof that your own life isn’t the only one held together by twist ties and good intentions—you’re in the right place. You can follow me and get updates on the release of my new essay collection at instagram.com/pieces_of_string/. 🍋 Subscribe and let’s overthink things together.
6 Comments
The Indecisive Eejit
Not every story is for every one, but yours will eventually find the right eyes to see it as you do, you just have to keep trying. Don’t give up 🙂 x
Gina
You ever watch comedians talk about their early days?
Aeryn Rudel
It really depends on the market. Some publishers are very quick to respond, others not so much. I wouldn’t read anything into the amount of time it takes for a publisher to get back to you unless they send you notification they’re holding your story for further consideration. I’ve received form rejection in mere hours after submitting, and I’ve received form rejections nearly six months after submitting. Neither told me anything other than the publisher wasn’t going to publish my story. Did they like it? Did they hate it? I’ll never know, and it’s not worth worry over.
Rejection is just a very normal and natural part of this process. Every writer, no matter how good gets rejected. A lot. I really think getting published comes down to matching the right story with the right editor. Keep writing, keep submitting, and hang in there.
JP
I love your writing and I hope you never stop. Your blog gives me, your dedicated and entertained reader, something to look forward to. I also think I’ve got good taste and I wouldn’t look forward to reading something that wasn’t of a high quality. I know I’m not alone and your fan club is significant.
mslewisinfers
Thanks y’all! I should beg for encouragement more often. ;o)
ironaddictionsapparel
Reblogged this on D Anderson Romance Writing and commented:
Learn to harbour rejection as the fuel to continue!! It’s part of the process