Dealing with Rejection

Rejection is something that every writer becomes familiar with when they submit their work for publication. It does not get easy when you get that email or letter from a publication saying that they did not like your piece. However, it is something that a writer has to get used to. Not every word you put on the written page is going to be loved by editors. They are a hard bunch. Some are easy to write for, and some are not.

An editor is just like any other boss you may have had in the past. They expect you to do your best. When you submit work to them, they don't want to see errors in grammar or typos riddling the piece you are submitting. They want to see a near perfect piece. So before sending off your work, run it through a spell-checker, a grammar checker, and proofread it several times. Have someone read it for you. Sometimes an objective eye can pick up things you did not.

Now if you are lucky, an editor might come back and ask you to rework a piece. Perhaps you did not write it exactly how they wanted it, but they are going to give you a second chance. They will usually tell you what needs reworking. Focus on these suggestions, and sit down at your computer and rewrite or edit your piece to those suggestions. Go through the entire process again and resubmit your work. If the editor does not like your resubmission this time, you might want to reevaluate whether this is the right publication for you.

Don't let rejections get you down though and don't give up. Even successfully published authors get rejections. All writers have to go through this. This is just a sign that you are out there in the writing world and submitting your work. Keep writing!

These are the contests and markets of the week:

Market of the Week
Editor: Ronald D. Hardcastle
Website: Dana Literary
Address: Dana Literary Society, P.O. Box 3362, Dana Point, CA 92629-8362
What do they publish: Fiction up to 2,500 words, Nonfiction up to 1,200 words and poetry.
Payment: $50.00 for fiction and $25.00 for nonfiction and poetry.
Contact: Mail your submission to the above address.

Contest of the Week
Bold Type's Short Story Contest
Website: Contest Guidelines
Mail entry to: Send entry by email to boldtype@randomhouse.com with the subject line "Bold Type Short Story Contest." The entry must be sent as a Microsoft Word Attachment.

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