The Dredded "R" Word

Yes, I'm talking about "Rejection." Now, as guys, we're used to rejection on a number of levels. Every time you get shot down by a lady, even if it's the so called easy let down of; "Oh, you're such a nice friend, let's not ruin it by dating." Our ideas get rejected at work, we get rejected at job interviews. Rejection is part of life for all of us.

Writing is no different. Matter of fact, it's probably more frequent and harder to deal with than rejection in other areas of our lives. We expect it at work, we expect it nine times out of ten when we approach a lady. The problem comes when we spend months of our lives (or in some cases, years) working on our masterpiece that will set the literary world on its ear. I hate to tell you this, but thousands of other people have done that as well. Thousands of first time authors each year send out manuscripts. Thousands get rejection letters. Thousands are crushed and stop writing. Let's take this apart and save some heartache.

Realistically, a first manuscript from a first time author most likely will not see ink from a major publisher. There are too many people out there. Writing is a business. Publishers and agents buy what they think will sell. Just because they didn't buy this particular 'script from you and make you an overnight J.K. Rowling, doesn't mean that you can't write. It means they didn't like that particular manuscript. Rowling collected a lot of rejections, but she kept polishing her Potter books. It finally paid off. Joe Konrath collected over 500 rejections before he got his first novel sold. I got close to that before I sold my first book.

Keep in mind too, that if a manuscript is not marketable, it most likely won't find a home. If you're writing a book about hospice care and support, it most likely is going to sell to that profession and the people involved, no matter how touching the book is. You have a limited audience for a book like that.

Another thing to remember, is that even after you've edited your book as much as you think you can, it can still be edited. Find someone who is willing to do that for you. A friend in the newspaper business. An English or lit teacher that you know. Someone who is in the word business is a good eye to have looking at your work. Once it's as polished as it can get, then start sending it out with a query letter.

One last thing I'm going to talk about, and you hear it from publishers and editors all the time. Make sure that you are sending your baby off to the right place. Meaning that you need to send your manuscript off to the appropriate markets. You don't want to send a children's picture book off to TOR. They do fantasy and horror. Children's books are not their gig.

Now, you could bypass all this rejection, plunk down fifteen hundred of your hard earned bucks, and self publish. This is getting to be quite common. If you're a good writer, that's not really an issue. There are some great writers out there who started with vanity presses. You do have to sell a lot of books that way to get the big boy's attention, but it is possible. Keep in mind that vanity presses earned that nickname. I have seen some truly awful work that's published in this manner and put out on the market. In the case of a bad work, it does more harm than good to your reputation. Don't let your ego get in the way of common sense. Everyone, even Stephen King and Joe Konrath need to be edited.

The business of writing is not easy. You need a thick skin and tiny ego to succeed in the business. You have to be able to take rejection and keep working. You can't let it get personal. It's like any other work. Take the suggestions, keep working, and your manuscript will see ink. If you can't handle the rejection, you need to determine if you can handle being in the business. Every writer asks themselves that question at one point or another. The ones who get published are the ones who determine they can take the rejection and the struggle.