Rejection isn't always a bad thing

A year ago, I was an unpublished writer with a file box full of rejection letters. I remember the feelings that coursed through me with each one. I think these are feelings that each author goes through upon getting a rejection. Fear, inadequacy, untalented, just to name a few. Of course, the first was the hardest. 

But here's what happened. Each one made me mad, mad enough to try harder. And after a while, I began to see a pattern. The rejection letters changed from form letters to more personal letters that included reasons for the rejection. They were no longer rejecting me, they were rejecting the work.

In a market saturated with new talent, breaking into that market is very difficult and a publisher must believe very strongly in the work to take a chance on a new voice.

Armed with new confidence, I continued to query the New York houses until I chanced to read an article concerning Japanese businessmen and the fact they were downloading books onto their cell phones to entertain them on long commute train rides. Cell Phones? So I did a bit of research and found this to be a very true phenomenum. In mind, this gave more credibility to e-publishing. It was a fast growing market with room to explode.

I have been lucky to find a publisher who believes strongly in my work. Do I still query the New York Publishers? Yes. Do I still get rejected. Yes, but it's not because of my inability to pen a fun novel. It's because they don't believe the type of work I do is marketable to readers. I'm fine with that now.

Rejection letters do many things for writers. They either make us quit trying or they make us try harder. They let us know what that particular publisher is not looking for. And they help us build a thick skin for the time we are published. Reviews can be just as daunting as the rejection letter.

So, the next time you get a rejection letter, don't throw it away. Yes, you can wad it up and throw it at the wall. A little anger is healthy as a first reaction, but don't dwell on it. Unwad that paper and file it away. Think of each letter as another chink in your armor. You'll need all those chinks for the time you are published.