Coping with rejection

Being creative is rewarding, but you have to be resilient and get used to rejection. You get it a lot. Everyone does. You have to learn from it, be more determined, not let it destroy you.

You remind yourself that rejection can be for many reasons. Agents and publishers are out to make money. It's their job. Livelihoods depend on them selling books. They want something that is marketable. They want to minimise risk. Sometimes you are the proverbial square peg, just not what they're after. It is understandable. You have to keep at it, hoping one day you'll fit their requirements. They are gatekeepers to a particular mainstream market. They know their stuff. You have to respect that.

You find yourself searching through the rejections looking for the better ones, those that aren't just bland, standard rejections, those with something more personalised and positive. You do get them. Some take the time and trouble to give nuggets of feedback. Often it's just a few choice phrases that can make all the difference.

I've had a few disappointments recently, but positive disappointments, the ones that give you hope. I was delighted when an agent requested my full manuscript. However, they've decided not to take it on. It felt like a huge blow, but they stressed that they ask to read very few full manuscripts, 'only the best.' It wasn't the quality of the writing, but that the story wasn't right for them and not what they were looking for. They didn't feel passionate about it. You hear that a lot. I had another yesterday that said my submission 'stood out from the many we receive' but none of their agents were looking for books in that genre at this time.

Of course it hurts, but you don't give up. You have to keep believing in what you do. You write because you love it, and you hope that somebody else will love it too. That is all you can do. One of my manuscripts is progressing well and if all goes to plan it will be published by the end of the year. In the meantime I'll continue sending out submissions and getting those rejections. One day it will happen. One day it will all come true.