Rejection: Sometimes I Feel Like I'm The Only One...

NickIandolo

NickIandolo

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Hey Fellow Writers:

So I was thinking about "the R word," yes: REJECTION!

Hahaha!

I know that ALL of you have experienced this before. And I know that the thing to do is buck up and get back on the horse and keep submitting.

And that's cool.

But sometimes I just feel like I'm the only one getting rejected by publishers, agents, editors, and even readers!

The thing that really makes me crazy is when I get a rejection letter/email that goes something like, "...it's a subjective business and some one out there may find your work valuable/sellable... yadda, yadda, yadda..." Well it would help if they might be able to tell me who those somebodies are!

Just sayin'.

I'll be the first to admit that I get jealous when I see someone's post on Facebook that they just got an agent, or their work is being published, or they got a book deal, or a script option/sale, etc.

Even for short stories or articles, I get a tad jealous.

I try to be cool and happy for other writers but something inside me always asks, Why them and not me?

I think I'm a pretty good writer.

I work real hard on my stuff. I employ every single thing that I've learned in college as an English major, and beyond, when it comes to good writing:


  • First and foremost, good grammar and punctuation
  • Well-researched material
  • Well-developed characters
  • Intricate story plots and arcs
  • Subtext
  • Symbolism
  • Snappy dialogue
  • Highly detailed imagery
  • All six senses employed, which includes thought
  • Active voice
  • Fast pacing: In Medias Res
  • Lots of literary references
  • Etcetera

I strive for the best possible writing because that is what my training has taught me to do.

I employ this style of writing professionally as well as a marketing communications writer.

I can't just put out stuff that isn't as close to perfect as possible.

But I also like gritty, messy, and dirty writing. So in my efforts to reach perfection, I make my writing very hardcore and full of gravitas as well.

Anyway, I'm sure all of you other writers out there appreciate and also perform high-quality intense writing.

That being said, I don't know why I feel like I'm the one who's always getting rejected.

I'm sure that's really not the case but it feels like that.

Anyone else experiencing the same things when it comes to rejection?

And how are all of you dealing with it?

Let's discuss!

Best,
Nick
 
Helix

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I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but there's a whole section for rejection & dejection. You might find some answers there.

Quick thoughts: 1) jealousy of other people's success is a waste of time and energy; 2) other people are getting rejected; and 3) 'high quality intense writing' is a judgement made by readers.
 
Old Hack

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No problems. I'll just move this whole thread from General Publishing to Rejection and Dejection. Hold on....
 
Treehouseman

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Well, hang in there. Rome wasn't built in a day, as they say!

If it's any help, I've got friends who are still racking up rejections - even going into big numbers - when they have published books under their belt! There's no escaping it really.
 

mystere

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Treehouseman said:
Well, hang in there. Rome wasn't built in a day, as they say!

If it's any help, I've got friends who are still racking up rejections - even going into big numbers - when they have published books under their belt! There's no escaping it really.
Click to expand...

Well that's good to hear. Because I'm becoming depressed about no responses from the agents who have had the full/partial for months!
 
Qwest

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You're not the only one. But some days rejection feels worse than other days. Some rejections feel worse. But, you have to look at it like this: as a media consumer, I reject stuff every day. I reject films and blogs and books and because I have a limited amount of time on this planet, I have to be selective about what I choose to read.

Sometimes I'll choose a book for the sheer fun value (easily digestible book fare for the brain), sometimes I'll want to stretch myself and pick up a post-modernist dirge. My mood will dictate a lot of that. Now, where am I going with this? Agents are people too. Sure they're focussed on what they feel the market might want and what they will be able to sell easily (sheer fun value books), but I think mood plays a part too. A bad day? Ugh, there's a cliche in the query. Query goes into the bin. Good day, there's a cliche in the query: queries are tough to write, let's see what the writing's like. I watched a youtube video where an agent does rejections, and he said on a good day he'd forgive his name incorrectly spelt, but on a bad day, nope.

So, it's a little talent, a little luck, a little perseverance and a lot of writing, and yip, heart-ache rejections. And it's rather crazy and pretty wonderful, because it's chaotic, and all we can do if we're writers, is to keep swimming through the words and keep hoping. And keep getting our work critted and work at making it better.

And I really am happy when I see good news stories, because I hope I'll be one too one day. Of course, I'd rather it was today, but I really try to wean myself off jealousy. Depends on the day. Not saying I always succeed. Helix is right though, it's a waste of time and energy, but jealousy makes for great motivation for characters in novels and I'm glad I get to feel it too at times.
 
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ltlibrarian

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I def know the feeling. A writer on Twitter recently got an amazing publishing deal and I'm happy for her and yet so super jealous. I 100% understand that feeling of thinking you're the only one being consistently rejected and turned down. I'm always thinking "maybe my writing just isn't any good". And worse I got a good chunk of requests when I first queried. Then I rewrote my MS because of some elements I felt were offensive/problematic and since then I've gotten like 90% less requests. So I feel that I made my MS better but it's getting even less bites than before. It's a hard go, but we're all going through it. Just gotta keep going!
 
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