My All Time Favorite Rejection

News flash! This week I received my all time favorite rejection. According to my records, I'd sent my manuscript to this particular publisher in October 2005--a mere 3+ years ago. By now, I had assumed that my story had somehow found its way into their recycle bin without my being notified. But, amazingly enough, I was wrong!

Just this week, I received it back with a rejection letter explaining that they couldn't see a place for it on their list. I actually laughed out loud.  Ha! I thought to myself. Who cares about you and your list? I don't. That's for sure.

Although nowadays, most rejections aren't devastating for me, this particular one was a pure joy. Why? I'd just gotten a book contract offer for that same story from another publisher. And the editor had told me they all loved it. 

I savored the moment to the fullest. I wouldn't have thought that a rejection could actually make my day. But this one definitely did!

Queen of Rejections

Did I go overboard on my previous posting about FAN emails? I fear that I may have.

In real life, I’m actually the shy, quiet type. I don’t go around bragging about FAN mail. But, let’s face it, I do have an ulterior motive for writing this blog and it is not only to avoid doing the dishes.

Anyway, to balance things out, I will now write about my rejections. But where should I start? There’s so much to say! I can see already that my future postings will be sprinkled with news, musings and words of wisdom about rejections. Because, in my humble opinion, I am truly an expert on that topic.

I will now reveal a deep, dark secret. I fancy myself The Queen of Rejections. Is there anyone out there who cares to challenge me for the title? I daresay I have more rejections than most writers. For many years, every single rejection was a stab in the heart. I’d be walking around looking like a normal healthy human being but inside, I was doubled over with one lethal wound after another after another.

The good news is that I have learned to deal with rejections better. And that’s a very good thing because I estimate that my twenty published books represent about 2% of all the writing I’ve submitted over the years. You can do the math yourself. I'd rather not.

Sometime, I will share a recent rejection that really got to me, but not now. Right now, I want to talk about my two latest rejections—both from agents. One agent emailed back (after a mere ten months or so) saying she had decided against my story. She did say my writing showed “potential” and invited me to try her again. Hmmm. Any guesses if I will? Maybe, if I were immortal.

The other agent didn’t make any promises, BUT she suggested I get a “platform” to show the big publishers with whom she deals that I’ve established an “audience.” She suggested that I start a blog.

At that point, I barely knew what a blog was. I dismissed the idea entirely—for about 24 hours. Then I thought, hey, what do I have to lose? So here I am, writing this blog and absolutely loving it. Rejections are not all bad. There can be a silver lining. Or, as my mother always says, “From bad comes good.”