Happily Rejected
November 6th, 2007
I received my first rejection letter today and I can’t even begin to tell you how happy I am. Why happy? you may ask. Well, to tell you the truth I just can’t help it. I haven’t yet made a whole lot of submissions to magazines and such. I’ve been writing as long as I can remember being able to but it’s only recently that’s I’ve been brave enough and knowledge able in the process of sending my work out.
This was maybe my third serious submission. The first one that was for a purely online source offering zero cash. It’s not about the money (don’t get me wrong, money is nice and I need it badly but anyways) I just really wanted to see something of mine get published. For me it’s all about the writing itself but to see it in print? Even online? Well, now that’s enough to make me jump for joy. :)
Here’s my rejection letter:
“Thanks for letting us see this; sorry to say it is not something we can use, but
do wish you the best of luck with it elsewhere. –The Editors“
So, I got rejected. Oh well. At least they replied to me and quiet promptly too, I’m also very thankful to say they were nice about it my self esteem is a very weak being. I’m happy because this is the first step on the road of a long journey. Every rejection I get is another brick to an acceptance letter. :)
Love, peace, and chicken grease (or tofu cheese), may all your dreams come true.
Glad you could see the positive in that! I felt that way too after I started sending my poems out last year. I had a 6 year gap in between trying to submit work so each little thing you get back will be like a triumph. First there is the first rejection, then the first rejection w/ “ink” (handwritten comments), finally you’ll get an acceptance and then re-start the cycle!
Good luck, as always :)
You definitely have the right attitude. Don’t take rejections personally. These days online publications get so many submissions and it’s not that your work wasn’t good enough, it’s that some other piece resonated with them more.
Congragulations on your first rejection letter. I keep all of mine in a folder and I look back at them when I think it’s time to quite. I then remember that at least they are reading it and the response is a good one they just don’t have room for new clients, it’s not what they are looking for, ect. If it wasn’t for my rejection letters I wouldn’t keep trying.
Oh and my email is quill@mail2poet.com…I tried emailing you but it bounced back.
Good luck
quill.
Great attitude! Keep working on both your writing and your submissions; you’re bound to get what you want eventually.
JC: I’ll keep that in mind. Now I just have to start making more submissions. :) I’m still so happy about the whole thing I’m dancing around.
Julie: Thanks for the advice. It’s hard to remember that when they reject me it’s not precisely because I did something wrong it’s just that it’s not something they can use. I’m extremely pleased that my first rejection wasn’t just ‘sorry we can’t use this. bye.’- I might have freaked out a little more at the vague’ness of it all. Bye the way thank you for visiting my blog. I really apreciate it. :)
Quill: The first thing that got me started in submitting my work was a short chapter I read in a book by Stephen King (a book about writing, can’t recall the title off the top of my nogin), he was talking about all his rejection letters from when he was first starting out. He had a whole bunch of them and he kept them on a nail on his wall until he had so many he couldn’t keep them there anymore and that was still long before he ever published his first book. So, I try to keep in mind even the great ones get them and if we’re getting them too… (instead of empty replies)… then we must be doing something right.
Terry: I’ll deffinetly do that. I don’t think I could give up on something that’s so much a part of me. :) Also, thank you for stopping by my blog. I think this is the first time I’ve seen you around here.
You have the perfect attitude. Keep writing keep trying and know we are here rooting for you.
Thanks EW! I’ll keep that in mind, don’t know what I’d do without you all.