How do YOU deal with rejection?

Blow raspberries at them, cackle evilly and then use them to line the cat litter tray.

Then carry on writing.

Think of it as practice. You didn't learn to ride a bicycle, or drive a car, or type, or play the piano, or color within the lines in a day. It can take a while to learn to do anything well.

And just what's wrong with drinking to excess? (Just kidding. ;-)

First, I say "Shit."

Second, I study the rejection letter to see if it offers any specific advice. If so, I file that advice away for further consideration.

Third, I update my submissions log.

Fourth, I send out another query for the novel or sub package for the short story, that same day.

Fifth, I do my daily stint of writing on the current project.

Sixth, over time I consider the rejections for each project and the project itself and determine whether I can revise to make the novel or short story stronger. If I think I can, I revise.

Seventh, I resub the revised projects.

There could be some Dexter (or currently Caprica or Property Virgins) in there, as well as some wholesale slaughter of the Diablo II monsters. Really big rejections call for chocolate and Jane Austen therapy.

I don't take it personally. I like to remember all of the famous works that were originally rejected. Here is another list. Not all are literary, but they show you that these people are not gods with great insight. They are just people and they make mistakes.

And of course my favorite is from Aaron Russo, producer of the movie Dirty Dancing. His reaction at the end of screening DD was to say simply, "Burn the negative, and collect the insurance."

There is no reason to feel sad or depressed. This is the reality of publishing. But the good news is that you aren't defeated until you have exhausted all avenues.

I continue to work on my current projects, submit and resubmit.

Initially, I give myself about 30 minutes to feel really bad for myself. I go through all 12 stages of grief in 30 minutes. After that, I tell myself to shut the hell up, suck it up, and reread the rejection for anything constructive. Address those issues, and usually forget that it happened about 2 hours later.

spike said:

I don't take it personally. I like to remember all of the famous works that were originally rejected. Here is another list. Not all are literary, but they show you that these people are not gods with great insight. They are just people and they make mistakes.

Click to expand...

This is precisely what I do. I think about the future, when someone will encourage a new writer with these words:

"Did you know that [MY NOVEL] by [Me] was rejected by thirty agents? Bet they feel silly now!"

For some reason I find that shrugging my shoulders helps a lot. Strange, but it does. Then I move on.

Same.

If I dwell on it, I only get depressed. It doesn't serve a purpose to wallow in self-pity, so I shrug it off and move on.

Rejections don't get me down for more than an hour or so.

I say okay and on to the next agent. It doesn't faze me at all.

It doesn't bother me, since I never really expect anything good to happen.

Rejection? What's that?

Read it, shrug, take note of any criticism/suggestions, move on.

Acknowledge and move on. Take whatever advice I feel is fitting, disregard the rest, and be open to changing things.

I'm saving them all so I can rip them up as I jump up and down on Oprah's couch.

Rejections have never bothered me, but I think that's largely because I keep so much material in submission that something gets accepted on a regular basis. One acceptance wipes away a whole stack of rejections.

Well, so far, I've submitted to 27 literary agents, got 13 rejections, which is enough to change my gameplan. I'm not discouraged at all by the rejections I've received. In fact, I've had agents encourage me to query widely, wish me all the best in finding an agent as dedicated to my work as much as I am. I've even had one agent say she's passing at her own risk. These agents have all read between five and fifty pages of my book. Yet, I still had one agent who gave me a very negative response. But that one negative response happened to be the 13th rejection, so now I'm going straight to the publishers (not the big ones of course). I'm sticking with the small, medium and emerging presses.

Anyway, to get to my original point, not all rejections are bad. Learn from the positive and the negative, and if you have any agent telling you your writing is crap, or your book is unpublishable, ignore it, thow it in the trash, and keep trying. You've worked so hard to complete your book, so no one has the right to tell you that your work isn't good enough, even if it does need more editing and revision.

If Stephanie Meyer's Twilight sagas can sell millions of copies, and her writing isn't superb (so I heard) so can yours. Remember, it takes the right person to take a chance on you, and it is that person who will make all the difference. I believe it will happen to you, and I believe it will happen to me. Sometimes, though, you have to change your gameplan once, twice or more times before you win the Gold medal.

Good luck

________________________
My personal website www.deannasonlinewriting.com

[ I'm trying to AVOID taking up alcoholism as a second hobby [/QUOTE]

I'm also finding myself drawn to alcohal lately, more than I've ever been before, but trying my best to tell myself that it isn't going to help my situation one bit.


______________________
website www.deannasonlinewriting.com

I note it down and carry on. I commented on this recently on my blog... rejections are just a normal part of the day, so I don't pay much attention to them. It's acceptances that throw things off.

I take it in stride. Work on my query, enjoy some chocolate, coninue writing.

Always keep going.

I withdraw from all human contact.

Got a rejection just about an hour ago.

Though I didn't have time to mull it over long. I sent it this morning.. so, I'm over it!

By the way, when I say I shrug my shoulders, I literally shrug my shoulders. I swear, that little bit of action when I read the rejection really helps me to move on right away. A strange quirk, but it works for me. Keeps me from getting all stormy.

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