Article written by Rory Hawkins.
False starts are painfully annoying. They reduce what you’ve done to lost hours and wasted effort, when at first it seemed so bright. Getting rejected is a two-fold kick to your confidence: Are you even any good? Why couldn’t you see that in the first place?
Rejection is a real and looming threat in many facets of life. Writing is no exception. As with turning any passion into a venture, there’s more than self-doubt to overcome. Getting rejected is inevitable, something to prepare for.
At least with writing, rejection isn’t a personal affront. It can be a weird contrast, I know. Here’s something you’ve put personal feeling and meaning into, but it’s going to be judged objectively by how well it uses that. That said, no one wants to hurt anyone’s feelings – it’s bad for business, both ways.
But let’s not sink into too much cynicism. One, two or more rejections don’t mean everything is over. Just as with anything else, there’s a positive angle if you’re willing to look a little closer.
Rather, any feeling of detachment is just because editors are already busy as all hell. Don’t expect to get feedback from those you’re submitting to; getting any is like the runner-up prize to getting published, still as sought after.
During SLQ’s Young Writers Conference (check out our other article), plenty of the participating writers had their own experience to share. Fiction author Emily O’Grady spoke briefly around using rejection as an opportunity to grow. In fact, keep on looking for those opportunities.
Submit as many different works among as many publishers as possible. It becomes a numbers game until a professional offers their thoughts. Even without feedback, leave the piece on hold, work on others and return later to see what can be made better.
Our prose changes as we mature and become more experienced, either in what we admire in others’ writing or just reflecting on our own. Use this to your advantage: never delete any of your old writing, embarrassing as it may be. You never know when you can reuse interesting themes or even just that one stellar line.
Now odds are – assuming you’re well-read and put enough time into your writing – that what you’ve submitted isn’t actually that bad. Steven King might call you ‘competent’ (as most published writers can only be). In reading, it makes sense and follows a logical course of action. But becoming more than ‘competent’ lends heavily to the subjective.
You need to think about what you’re aiming for in getting your writing published – who can help achieve that dream? So make sure you’re not submitting material to the wrong place. Writing is a passion – publication is an industry. As much as you want to show the world your newly formed word-baby, not everyone wants to hold it and take a whiff.
For the sake of your confidence, take a look at publishing houses, magazines or websites before submitting your work. It might feel a bit cold to try calculating who your best bet is, but in business it’s a necessity. It’s also the smarter move; before whatever you’ve written can be cherished by readers, it needs to be recognised by the publicist.
Those on the non-fiction panel were very expressive about what writers need to do, both for getting picked up by publishers and what to do when you’re still just freelancing individual pieces. Yen-Rong Wong, herself an editor, stressed the importance of keeping in mind what eases your piece towards an editor.
This can simply come down to reading prompts and instructions on the magazine/editor’s website. Do your research! What other material have they published before? What topics do they cover? In what style: informative or personal? This mightn’t even be a thematic bias – they might just want you to format the document a certain way before sending it.
Use demand for certain types of creative writing to your advantage. Unfortunately, yes, this means a certain amount of pandering to current trends or political climate. Some smaller magazines/publications may even offer prompts for what they want in their latest issue.
Of the two, I think prompts really help with working past your own limits. As writers, we’re already trying to come up with our next big idea, but routine can get us stuck in the same genres. Think of prompts like an assignment: you’ve been given stimuli, a target audience and a format. See how you can work that into your writing or try something completely different. Even without getting feedback, you should already feel your writing skills being challenged.
At first, getting your work rejected for publication will be disparaging, but it’s not the end of the world. Rejection isn’t just about out finding what you need, it’s also finding what you’re not looking for – in your own writing or in publication. With enough time and ample reflection, better yourself and find the means that suits you to get your writing out there.
And keep in mind, the immortal 90’s words of Chumbawamba: ‘I get knocked down, but I get up again / You are never gonna keep me down.’
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