Friday, June 15, 2018

How to Survive Rejection by Georgiana Daniels

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: