I've experienced a lot of rejection in the process myself... The most frustrating part (at least right now) is that the artist that did my first cover wouldn't work with me on the second. It's always a really bitter experience when someone you depend on leaves you high and dry. You have to stick with it. It's your vision. Many of the greats faced much worse - and you just have to keep reminding yourself that you are capable of sticking with it, with or without support. But cultivate support if you can. A major part of breaking into the industry, I have found, is learning that people are just as important as good prose.
I received another agent rejection, and I closed 4 short story submissions from January as "Never Responded." That'll take me up to 67 rejections for the year. I've got lots and lots of queries out there now, so I expect them to keep trickling in over the next couple of months.
For shorts, this week I received quick form rejections from Orion's Belt, BAM Quarterly, and The Colored Lens. Plus one more agent form rejection. Up to 71 for the year now. "Yay" Hopefully I get to post some smiley faces at some point this year. It's been tough !
11 Day Form Rejection from Sho Poetry Journal Despite the sting, for those who want quick turnaround (they respond within 30 days) from a print publication, check them out.
Just finished reading "The Forest for the Trees" by Betsy Lerner. It's more focused on getting published than on how to write. What follows is what I think she implied from some of the things she wrote about rejections. Can't say she'd endorse my reaction, but for what it's worth... Rejections are tough to take, especially if you've been collecting them for a long time. If your novel is finally accepted, however, you are apt to enter another tough-to-take process. The editor who accepts your manuscript, for example, is likely to suffer rejections until s/he can find a publisher willing to consider your novel. Yes, some editors are so hooked up with a publisher that their acceptance is almost automatically the publisher's acceptance. Either way, however, you will probably have to endure the next tough-to-take process when the publisher's editor changes your title, your cover and revises and deletes large portions of what you thought were the best parts of your story. S/he will kill your darlings! So, think carefully about what you pray/hope/wish for because you just might get it! Feel free, however, to give my advice the finger if they offer you $$Big Bucks$$ for the movie rights with an Academy Award winning producer!
More from me. I've been carpet bombing the literary world with my crap, so it's to be expected. All form letters. Three from agents, and a quick one from Factor Four Magazine. 75 now for the year. 150 should be easy once I count up the "agent ignores" later on.
I fully endorse carpet bombing all worlds with crap. Get an umbrella and some wet-naps if you can't handle it!
Congrats on the acceptance! Some more rejections for me this week. Form letters from Seize the Press and Port Crow Press after about two weeks, and also two agent form letters. One of the agent rejections (it was the agency's founder) included, "feel free to query one of my colleagues if you like." I wonder, is that something they would be including in every form letter, or do they think someone else might actually like it? Who can say. I'll check out the other agents today, though. That's 79 for the year for me now.
the place that accepted my story was 1 of 3 pubs that I'd submitted it to. I was planning to confirm the acceptance today, and withdraw from the other two places. 1 of the places sent me a rejection before i could withdraw so, rejection count increases to 30
Me, once more. I gotta keep posting these as there's so many, I'm liable to lose track if I don't. 59-day form rejection for two pieces sent to The Sprawl. 40-day form letter for a spore-themed horror anthology (really thought I had something there!). A quick 8-day form rejection from Brilliant Flash Fiction that included links to lists of magazines, suggesting that I try submitting to those instead. Aaaaand three more agent rejections. All form letters, of course. That pops me up to 85 for the year. Plenty more to come, I imagine.
Crossing 8 agent submissions off the list as I automatically close them as No Response after 121 days. They sure seem to like ignoring queries rather than sending form letters these days. Up to 93 already, dang. Edit - missed 3 more. I'm at 96.
