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Margaret I. Carr

Rejection

One definition of a beginner in writing is someone who has never received a rejection. (Paraphrasing Jacqueline Lichtenberg.)

You write and edit and write some more. Words come slowly or tumble out but slowly or quickly the pages fill. Then you revise and revise again but somehow you never get to the point of submitting. Why? Fear of failure? Fear of success? Is it the often-quoted advice that most writers collect a hundred or more rejections before the first acceptance?

Thinking back over rejections I have received and the first acceptance, I can see many things that I did wrong (which I'm not going to tell you about, at least not in this editorial) and others that I did right. Although I didn't have an actual plan worked out then, much of what I did looks like a plan. Perhaps my unconscious had a plan I didn't know about. Now, looking at what I have done and what I hope to do in the future, I'm working on getting that plan into my conscious mind and following it.

Whether something like it might work for you, only you can decide.

First, figure out what you want to write. Well, that's simple, isn't it? Maybe. I thought I only wanted to write fiction and specifically science fiction. Since then I have discovered there are other genres and, in particular, nonfiction that I enjoy writing.

Second, figure out what you can write. When I ran into a major roadblock in what I knew I wanted to write, it held me back for quite a while. Discovering that I could write nonfiction got me started again.

Third, check out the markets. Don't lock yourself into too narrow a perspective. If you limit yourself too much, to only paper print markets or only paying markets,for example, you also limit not only your chances of being published but also your chances of learning. Do use resources such as our new column on markets but follow up by reading several issues of any interesting markets. Evaluate them carefully. Did you enjoy reading them? Does the material seem well-edited? (If spelling, grammar and so forth are sloppy, do you really want your story or article in their company?) Is there a regular publication schedule? Do their guidelines seem like something you can follow?

Fourth, make a list of a dozen or so publications that favorably impress you and that are reasonably close to your present skill level. I like to choose ones that will require me to stretch a bit to meet their standards.

Fifth, no more hesitating. Choose something you've written and submit it to the market you've decided is most appropriate. Choose something else and submit it to a different market. Repeat until you've either used up all the material you have ready or all the potential markets. Take a few minutes to record what you send, where, and when you send it.

Sixth, keep writing.

Seventh, when rejections come in, either make a note and submit it to a different market or, if there have been suggestions that you feel are appropriate, revise. Unless the suggestions include a request for resubmission after revision, do not send back to the same market. Choose a new one and submit.

Eighth, repeat as often as necessary.

What do you do when you get that first acceptance? We'll explore that question later. For now write and submit and the best of luck to you.