Dear Mike: How do you handle rejection?

Mike: I handle it like most, if not all writers: Not very well.

I despair.

I curl up on my couch and wolf down a pint of Häagen-Dazs butter pecan ice cream.

And I endlessly go over and over in my head: What did I do wrong? How could I have done the story better? Do I really suck? Should I try another profession

But you should remember that sometimes the rejection has absolutely nothing to do with you the writer.

It’s merely the individual taste of the editor. And, believe me when I tell you this, some editors have NO TASTE. Or talent. Or writing ability. I can count on one hand the great editors I've had over my career.

So do yourself a big favor and try hard not to take rejection personally. Don’t dwell on it.

No matter how crushing it is, move beyond it. Don’t let it paralyze you. Get right back on that horse and begin riding again, even with the same project but maybe with another publication. Or star anew on another project.

Assume the law-of-averages attitude of sales people: They doesn’t get down after a rejection. They simply know they're that much closer to a sale.

Good luck! And keep the faith!



Please check out Debbie Ridpath Ohi's wonderful site:
http://www.inkygirl.com/
Click here

Christmas Rejection

Please check out Debbie Ridpath Ohi's wonderful site:
http://www.inkygirl.com/
Click here

Foamy: Rejection Letter

Warning: Adult Language/Mature Viewers Only

This video cracks me up every time I see it.

Foamy - Form Letter Rejection

Warning: Adult Language/Mature Viewers Only

Foamy Cartoon: Form Letter Rejection

Warning: Adult Language/For Mature Viewers Only

The Form Letter Rejection

Warning: Adult Language

10 Surefire Ways to Get Your Book Proposal Rejected

10 Surefire Ways to Get Your Book Proposal Rejected
By Patricia L. Fry

Every hopeful author who has conducted even minimal research into the publishing process knows the term book proposal. And most authors shudder at the thought of writing one. I did when I was just starting out in this business. As soon as I realized that publishing IS a business, however, I understood the importance of writing a book proposal. A book is a product, after all, and a book proposal is a business plan for that book.

But what if you’ve written a book proposal and, still, you’ve been rejected by eighty-five publishers? Maybe you need to take a second look at that proposal. Perhaps you’ve committed one or more author’s deadly sins.

Following are some of the most common mistakes perpetuated by hopeful authors today. Avoid these ten mistakes and you have a tremendously greater chance of landing a publisher for your perfect project.

1: Do not tell the publisher his business. In other words, don’t say, "You really must add this book to your list if you hope to be successful." Or "This book will make you rich." Rather than putting the hard sell on the publisher, demonstrate your manuscript’s worth through a well-organized book proposal.

2: Don’t threaten the publisher. It will do you no good to say, "If you don’t buy my book, I will kill myself." Or "You’re missing the book of the century if you pass on this one." Instead, provide him with pertinent details that clearly demonstrate the value of your book project.

3: Don’t claim that your book contains no mistakes. Have you ever picked up a book that had no mistakes? I don’t think it is humanly (or even mechanically) possible to produce a book without a mistake. And from what I’m told by publishers, many authors who claim to have hired a professional editor for their books, have been taken for a ride. So make sure that you hire a reputable editor before submitting your book proposal or manuscript to a publisher or agent. Strive for perfection and hope for the best.

4: Avoid saying that everyone will buy your book. Statements such as this serve to demonstrate your amateur status. You may hope that everyone will buy your book, but this is an unrealistic expectation. A publisher will be more impressed by an author who has done his homework and is quite clear as to the segment of the population who is likely to purchase a book of this sort.

5: Don’t claim that this is the only book of its kind. This, too, implies that you’re an amateur. A well-organized book proposal includes a competitive analysis of books similar to the one you propose. The purpose of this section is to demonstrate a need for your book. If there is nothing to compare it with, how will you convince the publisher of its worth? If you can’t find other books just like it, dig deeper, my friend. Evaluate popular books from the same category and point out the similarities and the differences. Publishers want facts and figures not wishful thinking.

6: Do not state that this is the only book you’ll ever write. Publishers prefer working with authors who are likely to produce more than one good book. If your book is successful and you are a pleasure to work with, the publisher would just as soon accept another book from you than someone unknown to him.

7: Don’t reveal that you’ve been working on the book for the last 25 years. There is nothing impressive in the fact that you have not been able to complete a 12-month project in over two decades.

8: Do not try to bribe the publisher. Unless you can offer the publisher an impressively large sum of money or a vacation home in the Bahamas, don’t bother to entice his favor through bribery.

9: Don’t contract with an unprofessional, unqualified agent. A bad agent is worse than no agent at all. What is a bad agent? One who charges you for her services, who either sends your manuscript to publishers who are inappropriate for the project or doesn’t send it out at all and who does not maintain reasonable communication with you. Choose an agent who is appropriate for your project and who is sanctioned by the Association of Author’s Representatives (www.aar-online.com).

10: Never try to write a book without first writing a book proposal. I tell people that the first step to writing a book is to write a book proposal. Without a book proposal, you are at risk of using the wrong slant for your book and/or writing for the wrong audience.

Your excellent, honest, thoroughly researched book proposal is your key to success. Publishers today are more interested in the marketability of your project than your writing skill. They need you to identify your target audience and explain how to reach them. They want to know about your competition. A well-organized, complete book proposal will help to sell a publisher on your project.

Writing a book proposal is not a walk in the park. But once you’ve completed it, you can go take that walk in the park. If you avoid the ten mistakes listed above, you may not have time to take a walk because you’ll be too busy showing off copies of your new book.

Patricia Fry is the author of 25 published books, including, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book and The Author’s Repair Kit. She is also the president of SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network, www.spawn.org).

Visit her publishing blog at:

http://www.matilijapress.com/publishingblog/
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Ms. Fry’s free guide to writing a Post-Publication Book Proposal can be requested by emailing her at:

PLFry620@yahoo.com

The Positive Side of Rejection

The Positive Side of Rejection
By Jeanne Lyet Gassman

In my writing critique group, we applaud when one of our members receives a rejection. We don't applaud because we are cruel or because we celebrate failure, but rather we applaud the courage it takes to risk being rejected. Unfortunately, rejection is all part of the process of getting published. First, you submit your work. Then you wait for a response. Sometimes that response comes in the form of an acceptance and a contract. More often, that response comes in the form of a rejection.

So, how do you put a positive spin on rejection? How do you find hope from what appears to be a sea of indifference about what you have to say? You start by recognizing that not all rejections are equal. Some rejections are better than others. On that note, let's look at the types of rejection slips writers receive, beginning first with the worst and ending with the best:

Form Letter. The form letter is easily recognizable to the experienced writer but not always so easy for the novice to identify. A form letter rejection often reads:

Dear Writer,

Thank you for your submission. Due to the many submissions we receive every week, we are unable to offer individual comments. Unfortunately, your submission does not meet our needs at this time.

Sincerely,
The Editors

This is the polite version. There are more succinct versions that just say, "Sorry." What can you learn from this type of rejection? Absolutely nothing. You don't know if the editor thought your work was terrible, if the editor was just having a bad day, or you submitted your work to the wrong market.

Friendly Almost-Form Letter. This is the first step up in the rejection letter tier. This type of rejection tends to be more personal in nature but still not particularly revealing:

Dear Jeanne,

Thank you for your submission of Xyz Story. Although we found the story engaging and well written, we could not find a place for it in our magazine. We wish you success in placing your work elsewhere.

Sincerely,

Name-of-person-you’ve-never-heard-of

This letter tells you that your submission was read at least once. It also hints that this particular piece may be inappropriate for this market. The editor (someone you don't recognize) has taken the time to let you know that you're a competent writer. If you plan on submitting to this market in the future, you should take more time to study the magazine for their editorial preferences.

Personal Note. This is a good rejection. The editor has read your work and taken the time to give you some helpful feedback. A typical letter may read:

Dear Jeanne,

Thank you for sharing ABC Story with us. You have a strong narrative voice and interesting characters, but I did feel that the beginning was too slow. Although we have decided against publishing your story, you should be able to place this elsewhere.

Sincerely,

John

You can be assured the editor has read your story carefully. He was impressed enough to offer suggestions for improvement. In fact, the weaknesses he's mentioned could be the main reason he rejected this story. So, what should you do here? First, look at his comments. Are they relevant? If so, make the changes, and send the story out again. I would not send the same story to this market, however, unless you've been invited to submit a revised version. You definitely should send this editor another story, taking care to ensure that your next piece doesn't have the same problems he's pointed out. And don't forget to send the most important piece of correspondence of all: A thank you note. When an editor, publisher, or agent offers helpful feedback, you should always say, "Thank you."

Submit again. It's still a rejection, but it's the best of all possible turndowns. The editor wants to see more of your work. Editors and publishers are swamped by submissions. They never ask to see more of your work unless they mean it. Many times, you will find hand-written comments in this version, another clue that the editor took more time to review your work. The "send more" letter reads like this:

Dear Jeanne,

Thank you for sending us 123 Story. Although we could not find a place for it in our upcoming issue, we were impressed by the quality of your work. We particularly enjoyed the building tension you created between the father and son in the story. We would welcome future submissions from you. Please send them attn: Jane.

Sincerely,

Jane

What should you do? Send Jane that thank you note. Then send Jane something new. Be sure to mention her earlier comments in your cover letter. And don't wait too long. Someone else could step in line ahead of you!

May your rejections always be good ones! Happy writing!

Jeanne Lyet Gassman is an award-winning author whose fiction, creative non-fiction, and poetry has been published in magazines, newspapers (including The Arizona Republic and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette), and anthologies. In 2002, Ms. Gassman was the recipient of an Encouragement Award in Creative Writing from the Arizona Commission on the Arts, and in the 2005 Preditors & Editors Reader’s poll her story, '”Healing Arts,'” was ranked among the Top 10 in the nonfiction category. She also teaches writing classes and conducts workshops in the Phoenix metropolitan area.

Please visit her Web site at:

http://www.jeannelyetgassman.com

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