Rejection - Oh, How It Hurts!

It's happened to all of us. When you were little, your mom was less than thrilled with the bug-infested weeds you dragged into the house. You thought they would make a nice table bouquet. You didn't get picked for the soccer, basketball, or football team, and it seemed like the end of the world.. That girl (or boy) you wanted to go for an ice cream with said no, then waltzed off down the street with your best friend.

Now, you've been waiting for weeks to hear from an editor and all you get is a form letter saying they don't want your work. You're heartbroken! You've worked so hard! You don't deserve this!

Okay, shed a few tears, then take an honest look at what may have gone wrong. First and most important of all, a rejection of your work is not a rejection of you. Do not think of yourself as a bad person, a failure, or a lousy writer.

Even best selling authors get rejected. Despite the fact that you have studied the market and sent your work to what you thought was the right magazine, your particular piece may not be quite what the editor is looking for. Perhaps a similar subject was covered in a recent edition of the magazine. Maybe you failed to follow guidelines with what you considered a small infraction, like shorting or stretching the word count.

Sometimes, but not always, you are fortunate enough to have an editor provide comments about your work. Take their advice! If an editor has offered a suggestion that will make your submission more suitable for their publication, by all means, make the changes and resubmit it with the suggested corrections.

If you use the social networking sites, such as My space, keep any negative comments you may have about an editor off the web. Call your best friend and tell him/her how you feel, but anything placed on the web in any form can be found. You don't want those negative thoughts out there in public.Editors will find it, and they talk to each other all the time. Nothing you post on the Internet is totally private - not ever!

You can soften the sting of rejection by seeking ways to improve your work if it is recommended. If you are sure you have done your best, send it right back out to the next possible market. Persistence leads to success!

Happy writing!