There are likely more than a gazillion reasons for an author to experience rejection so don’t waste your time analyzing it. Rejection is a nagging suggestion that authors don’t measure up but not all rejection is bad. It’s an important part of the creative process.
In publishing, everybody has faced setbacks and rejection – manuscripts in the drawer are our skeletons in the closet. There’s real vulnerability in talking about rejection, when we broach it, author to author. All too often, those early rejections are the barometer by which we measure our worth.
Writing is an extremely vulnerable act, and when we then submit that work for publication and have it rejected, it can feel like being karate kick to the heart. Rejection doesn’t mean falling short. It can mean that risks are being taken, that you’re innovating. At the very least, it means that you’re trying.
Ultimately, a person has not lived unless they’ve faced rejection. Rejection by publishers, by potential employers, by friends or romantic partners: we all have to accept, learn, and let go of these painful experiences.
Firstly, rejection is a sure sign that you are in the game – obviously you have written a book, secondly, it forces an author to revisit their work – allowing self-honesty, and thirdly – do not take it personally. Your work was rejected – not you.
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“Linda has published twenty books. She blogs about the publishing world, posts useful tips on the challenges a writer faces, including marketing and promoting your work, how to build your online platform, how to get reviews and how to self-publish. She has mentored many authors and edited their work.”
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