If you’re a writer (or any kind of creative person), rejections are pretty much a fact of life. Especially if you’re just starting to submit queries to agents, editors, and publishers. Especially if your manuscript or story has already been rejected by everyone you can think of to query. Especially if people start avoiding you when you ask them to critique your latest draft. Especially if… oh, never mind; it’s just the nature of the beastie. I tell myself that every rejection gets me that one submission closer to an acceptance, but after all the seminars and webinars and books and feedback you begin to wonder if it’s really you.
When I start feeling like that, I have two little voices in my head that I listen to. I even have them taped to my monitor. The first voice says that the writing speaks for itself. I know in my heart of hearts that when my writing is good enough, the nods will eventually come. Until then, I have promised myself to keep going, keep learning and honing the craft, and keep getting better until my writing speaks for itself. The second little voice came from a dear jazz musician friend that has been working her craft for more than a decade. She gave me an excellent piece of advice that essentially says that no from an agent, publisher, or editor, really means no for now. It’s not a no against the artist. I like thinking that no for now can eventually become a yes in the future. And as long as I keep writing, and keep getting better, then someday my YES will come.
Love the “no for now” attitude. Rejections are part of the writing life, and who says we have to love every part?