Stories, Sweat, and Tears: 6 Tips for Writers Dealing with Rejection

Any career author will tell you that rejection is a rite of passage for authors. If you're brave enough to submit your work to contests, agents, and publishers, you'll eventually be rejected. And once you have that rejection letter—er, email— in hand, you’re officially a member of the rejection club. (We meet every other Friday, and it’s your turn to bring donuts.)

It may not be the club you wanted to join, but the “landed an agent and a six-figure publishing deal on the first try” club isn’t accepting any new members right now. Don’t despair though, with a little tenacity and perseverance, you can work your way out of the rejection club and into a successful author career. Sound too good to be true? Take a peek at some previous members' accomplishments:

Nicholas Sparks' The Notebook was turned down by twenty-four literary agencies, but the twenty-fifth picked it up and sold the story to Time Warner a week later for one million dollars.
Kathryn Stockett's The Help was rejected sixty times by agents. Submission sixty-one was the ticket and three weeks later the story was sold to a publisher and ultimately became a New York Times bestseller and box-office hit.
James Patterson's The Thomas Berryman Number was rejected thirty-one times. It went on to win the Edgar Award for Best Novel, and Patterson would write numerous bestsellers.
Frank Herbert's Dune was rejected by twenty-three publishers. Even so, Dune went on to become one of the best-selling sci-fi novels of all time.
Garth Stein's agent rejected The Art of Racing in the Rain because the narrator was a dog. Stein switched agencies and sold the story for seven figures.

So, don’t let a rejection or ten make you throw away your keyboard and trade your pencils for paintbrushes. Remind yourself you’re in good company, and try these tips for dealing with rejection:

1. Acknowledge Your Emotions

It's only natural for your heart to sink when you open an email beginning with "Thank you for your submission, but..." or read the finalist list and your story isn’t there. You're emotionally invested in your work; feeling disappointed, frustrated, or sad is normal. Give yourself permission to feel these emotions, then focus on processing them in a healthy way. Enjoying other creative outlets, journaling about your feelings, or telling your dog your woes are all options. While you’re acknowledging your emotions, don’t make any rash decisions about your writing journey or projects—wait until you’ve processed your feelings.

2. Take a Breather

Don't be afraid to take a short break from your project if rejection has you feeling particularly disheartened. Throwing yourself into a new story or working on something just for fun can help ease the sting and allow you to return to your original piece with a fresh outlook. That said, make sure a short break doesn't turn into permanently shelving your project. If your piece was good enough to submit in the first place, it's worth circling back to.

Rejected pieces aren't failures; unwritten pieces are. - Greg Daugherty

3. Review Your Work

Rejection is an opportunity to reevaluate. Every time you're rejected, take a moment to review your work and ensure you've made it the best it can be. If you feel it could be better, but aren't sure where to begin, we can help. Consider joining one of our instructor-led writing groups to receive guidance from a professional author/educator, as well as feedback from fellow writers. Sometimes rejection occurs because a contest, journal, or agent wasn’t the right fit for your piece, but it can also happen because there’s an aspect of your story that needs improvement. Follow the three Rs after rejection: review, revise, and (when appropriate) resubmit.

4. Focus on What You Can Control

At the end of the day, you can't control whether your work is rejected or not. What you can control is the quality of work you submit. Focus on continuing to improve your abilities, and don't fall into the trap of thinking that just because you have an above-average understanding of plot, character development, and worldbuilding, there's no point in pursuing further knowledge. Successful writers never stop improving their craft. When the desire for improvement pairs with a willingness to persevere despite rejection, great things happen.

5. Maintain Perspective

It can be challenging not to develop an all-or-nothing mindset regarding your writing. However, hanging all your literary hopes and dreams on one contest, agent, or publisher isn't in your best interest. It sets you up to feel like a failure if you don't achieve your desired outcome. Keep the bigger picture in mind, and remember that rejection is often redirection. This "no" could be the best thing for your career, because it gives you the opportunity to find a better "yes."

6. Seek Support

While everyone experiences rejection at some point, not everyone experiences rejection of a creative project they've invested hours of effort and emotional energy into. Your loved ones can offer sympathy, but they can't offer the same kind of support other creatives can. Having a community of fellow authors you can reach out to for encouragement prevents you from feeling isolated, a common struggle writers face. If you're a Bardsy Elite Member, connect with your coach when you're feeling discouraged by a rejection. Not only can they offer a listening ear, but they can also help you plan your next move.

I've got a folder full of rejection slips that I keep. Know why? Because those same editors are now calling my agent hoping I'll write a book or novella for them. Things change.
- Mary Janice Davidson

What happens after induction into the rejection club is up to you. You can shelve the project and lick your wounds, or you can keep going. Remember, there are two things you can control: the quality of your work and whether you give up or persevere.

We hope you choose to persevere. We also hope you reach out for support and guidance if you need it. Bardsy's instructor-led writing groups are designed to help you go from idea to successful story, whether you choose to pursue traditional or self-publishing. To schedule a trial writing group or discuss how Bardsy can help you reach your writing goals, email joinus@bardsy.com.

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Stories, Sweat, and Tears: 6 Tips for Writers Dealing with Rejection

Rejected pieces aren't failures; unwritten pieces are. - Greg Daugherty

I've got a folder full of rejection slips that I keep. Know why? Because those same editors are now calling my agent hoping I'll write a book or novella for them. Things change. - Mary Janice Davidson

I've got a folder full of rejection slips that I keep. Know why? Because those same editors are now calling my agent hoping I'll write a book or novella for them. Things change.
- Mary Janice Davidson