Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Adventures in Rejection: Multiple Rejections

When I stick to my plans (which I have trouble doing), I send out three submissions at a time, and recently, I've tried to do this at least twice a month. Of course, it's the best way to do things, right? Getting your work into the world is half the battle? 

The problem with this is that I've gotten more rejection letters than I can handle.

Once a week or so, I find a self-addressed, stamped envelope in my box or an e-mail waiting for me. The news is rarely good. As an editor myself, I know it's not personal (Okay, sometimes it IS personal, but that's another post altogether.) That doesn't make it any easier. Even though I've been doing this since my undergraduate days, rejection still stings. I want my poems to be published. I don't like being told no, damn it.

Knowing other writers face this same hurdle provides a small bit of comfort, because it's another badge we can share with each other, another scar we can discuss in our works. Unfortunately, we cannot know how many times we will each encounter rejection. I suppose it's the possibility that we might someday hear that wonderful word yes that keeps us going.

-Cate-

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