How to Handle Rejection Letters as a Writer: Don’t Give Up After an Editor Says No

I still remember the first rejection letter I received as a writer. I’d submitted a query to Reader’s Digest (yes, I was reaching for the stars!) about a short story that had received an Honourable Mention in an ICWF writing contest and had already been published in The Old Albertan. Reader’s Digest, however, sent me a polite rejection letter along with a page of information about submitting to their magazine.

I threw that rejection letter in the recycle bin.

Then I stormed around the house, cleaning out my desk and doing some other random things. After about ten minutes of that, I realized why I was reacting the way I was, and I sat down for a few minutes to think.

Okay, the magazine didn’t want my story. It wasn’t the end of the world. I fished their letter out of the recycle bin and put it in my writing binder. Then I told myself to develop a tougher skin and submit it again.

Keep Trying after a Rejection Letter

And I’ve been doing that ever since. Sure, it’s still disappointing to receive a “no” from an editor when I was hoping for a “yes.” And yes, every “yes” is exciting, especially if it comes with a cheque!

Both “yes” and “no” teach me something about a magazine, though. Each response helps me understand a little more about what an editor is looking for. I’ve learned to use an editor’s response, whether it’s a rejection letter or an acceptance, to challenge myself to improve my writing and keep submitting.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that a rejected piece of writing doesn’t have to be a wasted piece of writing. Sometimes it simply needs a different audience or publication.

A magazine might reject a submission because it doesn’t fit a particular issue’s theme, because they’ve already published something similar, or because they have limited space. Another publication might be looking for exactly that kind of submission.

Here are a few practical ways to keep moving forward after receiving a rejection:

• Give yourself time to be disappointed. You don’t have to pretend rejection doesn’t hurt. Take an evening to feel discouraged if you need to, but don’t let one editor’s decision convince you that you should stop writing.
• Read the rejection letter carefully. Is it a form rejection, a personal note, or an invitation to submit again? If the editor offers specific feedback, consider whether there’s something you can learn from it.
• Don’t immediately rewrite everything. Sometimes an article is fine as it is but simply isn’t right for that publication. Before changing your work, consider whether the editor actually suggested revisions.
• Research another market. Look for magazines, websites, publishers, or anthologies that publish similar works. Read their submission guidelines and a few recent issues to see whether your work might fit.
• Keep track of your submissions. I find it helpful to maintain a simple spreadsheet with the title, publication, submission date, response date, and result. This makes it easier to remember where I’ve sent each piece and when I can submit it again.
• Keep writing something new. Don’t let one submission consume all your creative energy. Working on another idea reminds you that your writing career is bigger than one editor’s decision.

Most importantly, don’t give up after one or two (or ten!) rejections. Even experienced writers receive rejection letters. Learning to handle them is simply part of developing a writing career.

Rejection Isn’t Personal

Last week, Pages of Stories publisher Darlene Poier emailed me with a request that made me smile. She’s hosting a workshop for writers and wanted to discuss rejection:

I was wondering if you would mind if I used you as an example in my workshop. I realized today, that perhaps it needs to be said that when a publisher doesn’t accept a story for publication that it’s not personal. There might be lots of reasons for it, but it’s not in any way a reflection on the author personally.

The reason I’d like to use you as an example is that I think you are the only author that has submitted work for each issue of the magazine. I think it shows a lot of confidence in your own ability as a writer to have kept sending in stories even though it wasn’t quite as successful for issue #2 and #3. But that you were successful for the Winter 2011 shows a lot about your tenacity and belief in yourself.

I’ve come to realize recently, that some authors have been offended because I didn’t accept their stories. In most cases where this has been a problem, the authors have just started to dip their toes in the writing waters or they are quite young (by my perspective). You have been a stalwart supporter and it’s much appreciated.

I appreciated Darlene’s perspective on the matter, as I’ve appreciated her encouragement with each submission I’ve sent to Pages of Stories.

And she’s right: it isn’t personal when an editor sends a rejection letter.

An editor has to make decisions based on the needs of a particular publication. They may be looking for a certain length, style, subject, or theme. They may already have several similar pieces lined up for publication. Sometimes, even a well-written story simply isn’t the right fit.

As I compare the two stories that Pages of Stories accepted with the two stories they rejected, I get a better picture of what the magazine is looking for. The stories that weren’t published there will be published somewhere else (when I have time to look for that “somewhere else”!).

Don’t Let Rejection Stop You from Writing

Writing takes persistence. It takes time to develop your skills, find the right publications for your work, and build relationships with editors. Along the way, you’ll probably collect a few rejection letters.

But every submission is an opportunity to learn. You might discover a new publication, receive helpful feedback, improve a story, or eventually see your name in print.

I still get excited when an editor says yes. And I still feel disappointed when an editor says no. But I’ve learned that neither response defines me as a writer. What matters is that I keep learning, keep writing, and keep submitting.

If you are a writer, do you remember your first rejection letter? How do you deal with a “no” from an editor?