Getting a rejection letter is just no fun. Take comfort in the fact that even famous writers get rejected, and keep writing.
It's January ninth, and I've just received my second rejection letter of the year. It makes me wonder: does this reflect my chances of success for the year ahead? Is it a sign that I should just give up and try a more straightforward and lucrative profession like accounting?
Unfortunately for me, I like writing too much. I like creating a story. I like getting lost in the world of my characters. I like the nitpicky editing process. And rejection letters or not, I even like sending my writing out. It forces me to push my writing further and to strive for perfection.
To cope with the rejection, I remind myself that J.K. Rowling's manuscript for the first Harry Potter book was originally sent to twelve publishing houses, and rejected by them all. And then I flip through my copy of Pushcart's Complete Rotten Reviews and Rejections, edited by Bill Henderson and Andre Bernard (Pushcart Press, 1998). As the cliché says: misery loves company.
And finally, when I'm done sulking, I pick up my pen and start writing again.
