I got my first rejection

When I got my first rejection, I put it on the Goals and Accomplishments page.

Seriously, if you got so far on your very first request, the future looks bright for you. Dry your eyes, hold up your head, and start work on your query letter, if you haven't already.

Dr. Seuss was rejected 27 times before he was published. Buck up, little camper! And congratulations!

I'm so sorry to hear that -- it's so disappointing. I can commiserate, my full was rejected on Saturday -- but then five days later a different agent requested a full. So now that you've had a good cry (and a glass of champagne), get those queries out there! Your real agent is waiting...

I know it hurts

Feel free to wallow a day or two, then realize that if the agent requested the full your work has potential

Don't wait to long to query again and know that the rejections DO get easier to take.

That's actually a very auspicious beginning, Pink Ink. My first rejection, all these many years ago, was a NO scrawled across my query letter and shoved, all wrinkled, into my poor little SASE.

Get that baby out there again and keep her out until someone adopts her.

You got a full request on your first query! Woot!

You know that just means you're going to have your pick of agents soon, and then there'll be the auction...

Congrats!

Pink if you master the art of not taking it personally will you teach me?

That is fantastic that you got your first rejection! And a partial off the first one! You will do great, hang out in the rejection and dejection thread, and you'll do it.

Welcome to the club, Pink!

It may be disappointing, but rejection is part of the process. I've actually gotten to the point where I anticipate that everything I write will be rejected and look forward to the notices.

It's not some sadomasochistic tendency, it's an acceptance that most of my work is going to be rejected by someone, somewhere, for some reason. Eventually, someone out there is going to accept it if I keep working and improving. Every rejection is a spur to make me go back to the work or keep working on whatever I'm working on at the moment. It keeps my butt in the chair working and improving.

It also means that I've taken the time and made the effort to polish a piece and submit it. You'll never be accepted unless you submit. Nobody's going to like and appreciate everything you write. Simply being here is an acceptance of that fact (and boy are there some tough critics here).

Use a rejection to keep your butt in that chair working. Get used to them and accept them as inspirations to keep submitting and keep polishing. Look forward to the rejections. They mean you did the work and submitted, nothing more.

Congratulations on your first rejection. This is validation that you are, in fact, a writer.

I know it doesn't seem like it, but your first rejection is a major accomplishment. Welcome to the club of submitting writers! You are putting your work out there, and getting a request right off the bat is a great start. My first rejection was a form email.

Good luck! Sounds like you've already gotten yourself another partial request!

Pink Ink, I'm not too far in front of you. I've had 8 rejections out of 12. It's getting easier. It's a good sign that you're at least getting requests to see more, but it's also confusing when they like it, but still pass. Argh! You're not alone!

I'll check out your blog after work.... (mine has writing you might identify with, especially from may - july if you want to roll around in the discouragement and then get up and try it again.)

That's disappointing, and I'm sorry, but you're so far ahead a lot of us here, including me! I have so far had only one request for a partial, and that was rejected.

So, I say congratulations! You should celebrate!