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| Georgiana Daniels |
Rejection is part of the publishing business—it just is. So,
how can we best handle disappointing and/or painful news? Author Georgiana Daniels shares tips that
will help us soar again after being temporarily grounded. ~ Dawn
How
to Survive Rejection
Euphoria and despair—highly charged emotions that most writers
experience when they see a return email from an editor or agent who then
declines a project. Sound familiar?
Rejection stinks! Take it from someone who’s been there more
times than she cares to count. I’m sorry to report that I’ve had so much
practice that I’ve developed tips to cope. The good news is, maybe it’ll help
you.
You’ve probably heard all the practical steps to take, such as
focusing on different projects for a while, researching other places to submit
and/or going indie. But in my vast experience with rejection, there’s something
even more important—focusing on your emotional health.
My first several rejections were actually painless, and I
didn’t get what the big hairy fuss was about. I thought, all we have to do is
put on our big girl pants and move on. And that’s true—to some extent.
The problem comes when the rejections have piled up month
after month, manuscript after manuscript, and (dare I say) year after
excruciating year. The highs and lows of submission and rejection start to take
an emotional toll, and one day you find yourself huddled in a corner, crying
and rocking back and forth. (Exaggeration? Maybe, maybe not. I’ll never tell!)
Despite numerous rejections, I survived and lived to tell the
tale. I’ve also discovered practical tips for emotionally handling rejection.
Believe me, it does get easier.
First, pray. This should go without saying, but I’m saying it
anyways. Have you taken your heart to the Lord? He wants to share in your pain,
polish it up, and use it to form you into the image of Christ. Cry out to Him!
Then feel what you feel. Allow yourself to experience the full
range of emotions in a healthy way. Crying is a valid way to handle the
rejection. Biting your unsuspecting husband’s head off is not. The point is,
don’t shut off the feelings that are working their way to the surface.
Once you’ve pulled yourself back together, reach out to
someone who understands. While talking to your loved ones can help, no one
understands what you’re going through like another writer. We need the love and
support of our people!
After that, recount your past writing successes. If you don’t
think you have any, I’m saying you do. If you’ve written an entire book and
taken the bold step to submit, you have achieved a level that many people
haven’t dared to attempt. Past triumphs can fuel you going forward.
Finally, go for a quick win. Find something you’re super good
at other than writing and immerse yourself. Paint, knit, run—whatever it is,
jump in and experience success.
There you have it, my best tips for handling the emotional
side of rejection. Don’t fear it! Instead, fully experience it as part of the
writer’s journey. You’ll be richer for it.
Crisis
pregnancy worker Marissa Moreau suspects her husband is cheating, but little
does she know how close to home her husband’s infidelity hits. College student
Kaitlyn Farrows is floundering after a relationship with her professor leaves
her pregnant. Soon she lands a job and a support system at the local pregnancy
resource center and things seem to be turning around.
But when Marissa and
Kaitlyn become friends, neither one knows they share a connection—Colin,
Marissa’s husband and Kaitlyn’s former professor.
When their private lives
collide, the two women must face the ultimate test of their faith and choose
how to move forward as they live in the shadows of hope.
Georgiana Daniels
resides in the beautiful mountains of Arizona with her super-generous husband
and three talented daughters. She graduated from Northern Arizona University
with a bachelor's degree in public relations and now has the privilege of
homeschooling by day and wrestling with the keyboard by night. She enjoys
sharing God's love through fiction and is exceedingly thankful for her own
happily ever after.
You can learn more and connect with Georgiana online here:
