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| Margaret Brownley |
Years ago I would have answered a resounding “no one!” Rejections can be demoralizing and send a writer’s fragile soul into a tailspin. But after having published twenty-eight books, I now realize the value of that dreaded “not for us” letter. Some of my rejections even turned out to be blessings.
My first historical novel was rejected seventeen times. On the eighteenth try it sold and it sold big enough to help launch a new publishing line. That wouldn’t have happened had an editor snapped it up during those early submissions. Nor would it have happened had I not kept revising, polishing and sending it out.
That experience taught me that rejections can offer second, third and even umpteen chances to try again and get it right. Even books that went on to win major literary awards were once rejected, some many times. What would have happened had R.K. Rowlings given up after the twelfth Harry Potter rejection?
Matthew 10:14 says “And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet . . . .” This tells us that we’re to put rejection behind us and move on. Shaking off hurtful rejections is easier done if we don’t take them personally.
Books are rejected for numerous reasons, many of which have nothing to do with quality of writing. Years ago, I attended a conference where one of the speakers introduced herself as “The editor who turned down The Thorn Birds.” I even heard an editor admit to rejecting a manuscript because the protagonist had the same name as her ex. Yep, editors are human, too, and they can make mistakes.
Sometimes a rejection simply means the timing is wrong. The market might not be favorable to your particular genre. Many of my published westerns were rejected years earlier because of the market. I waited and when the market turned in my favor, I pounced and my patience paid off.
Sometimes, you have to man-up and admit that some books don’t deserve to be published, even the ones we love. I wrote four books before selling my first and I will be forever grateful that two of them never saw the light of day. I didn’t realize it at the time, but the sad truth is that those two books weren’t worthy of a reader’s attention.
So how do you know if a book is good enough for publication? How do you keep going when all the rejections say stop? Sometimes the hardest part of writing is finding an honest critic.
Don’t trust a family member or even a friend who says your book is wonderful. Instead, enter contests. The judges won’t worry about hurting your feelings. If you scores are consistently low, you have work to do.
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| A Bride for All Seasons by Margaret Brownley, Debra Clopton, Mary Connealy and Robin Lee Hatcher |
Rejections are never fun, but neither are they the end of a story; sometimes they are only the beginning . . . .
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| About the Author |
finalist. Look for Margaret’s story in June’s mail order bride collection,
