Fiction Writer's Guide to Getting Over Rejection

How NOT to Let Rejection Ruin Your Writing Career

There is one thing that every fiction writer must expect: rejection. No matter how much your mother loves your short story or novel, no matter how many A grades you got on your work in high school, you will face rejection when you try to get published.

Rejection is a fact of a fiction writer’s life. 

You have to realize that a fiction writing rejection slip is not a personal attack. It doesn’t even mean that there is something wrong with your piece. It just means that they can not use your fiction at the moment. Do not internalize every rejection you got, and do not give up sending out queries.

You should realize that most, if not all, famous fiction writers have received rejections from different publishers. It might make you feel better to know that J.K.Rowling and Stephen King, among others, had their writing rejected as well. If you consider giving up after one rejection, just imagine that they had given up!

If you get a rejection for a short story or novel, it might be a good idea to set that story away for a while. Many fiction writers fall into the trap of considering a rejection to mean that the piece needs major revision. This may not be true. It is better to not react to a rejection by tearing apart your story and changing everything.

However, if the rejection slip is accompanied by personal notes or recommendations, you should take heed. First of all, realize that getting a personal note from a publisher is a very good sign. Ultimately, the publisher is the person you have to convince to buy your story. If your goal is to be published, you must take their comments into account. Most rejection slips, however, are simple form letters.

Taking a break from a particular story can be good, but taking a break from writing altogether is not. Rejection slips can cause fiction writers to fall into writer’s block. Remember, you will never get published if you do not write and submit.