Rejoice in the Rejection
For a sizable chunk of my life, I never felt the sting of rejection, I don’t want that to come as egotistical because in reality, it was more like embarrassment. You see, if you “stay out of the game", you don’t get rejected. Of course, you never get a chance to play as well.
As a hopeful picture book author, the rollercoaster of rejection has become an expectation to my writing routine. When my picture book writing journey officially started about seven years ago, I really didn’t know what I didn’t know. The ins and outs of the publishing world has come to be much more treacherous than I could have ever imagined. My idea that I would turn an idea into a book and see that book instantly jump on to the shelves of libraries and bookstores everywhere was simply rejected by reality. Getting an idea on paper is tricky. Struggling over a single word can be agonizing. To art note or not to art note is often excruciating. Finding the right words in the right places with the right amount of information is incredibly challenging. Then, once you tweak, revise, edit, and rewrite over and over again and you finally feel your story is ready to share with someone who might actually be able to turn it into a real live book, you have to figure out how to condense the gist and theme of your story into a condensed query letter and an even more condensed pitch that not only makes your story intriguing, but sets it apart from the piles and piles of queries other interested writers have sent.
Then, if you’re lucky, you get rejected.
That’s right, if you’re lucky, you get rejected.
In a world where publishers and editors are inundated with queries from wishful writers, it is simply impossible to respond to everyone, at least in a timely manner. So receiving a rejection might actually be a step in the right direction.
For the longest time, I heard about rejections from my critique group, book blogs, and writing groups I have connected with. Sure, there were celebration stories and successes to share, but more often than not, it felt like rejections were the norm.
Because they are.
I had to accept rejection. I couldn’t let fear of rejection or self-doubt drive the process. I needed to do the work on making my stories the best they could be while maintaining them as “my” stories and be prepared to share them with the outside world, even at the cost of having them rejected. I NEEDED rejection.
And I got it.
I look back at some of my earlier rejections and laugh (or cry) as I probably should have waited a bit before sending my story. But, patience is something that takes practice, especially in writing. I have learned to wait, wait, and wait even longer before sending my stories so that I can wait, wait, and wait even longer before getting a response. . . hopefully.
And if that response is a rejection, rejoice in the fact that someone took the time to actually reject your story, especially if it includes constructive criticism, otherwise known as a “champagne” rejection. I would be tipsy if I took a sip from all the champagne rejections I have been lucky enough to receive.
But maybe, just maybe, you won’t get rejected. I successfully netted an agent, albeit a short-term relationship connected to just one project. The project didn’t find a home, but that taste of success energized me.
I was energized enough that I took my talents and poured them into a different style of writing, creating an autobiographical book about how I transformed my classroom by turning to play and nature. I didn’t have to worry about rejection with this project as my first book, Teaching off Trail, will be published through Redleaf Press in October 2021.
But as far as picture books go. . .rejection. But, you cant win if you don’t play, so I have set a lofty goal of 100 rejections in 2021.
Maybe I’ll be lucky enough to find a YES in a sea of no’s. But of not, I will rejoice in the rejection.
