most of my stories have been rejected at least once before they find a home. I have an entire rejection pep talk if people think it would be useful to hear. https://twitter.com/Marisa_Ingemi/status/1339970399665336321

OK! By request, my rejection pep talk (A THREAD): I get asked a lot how I deal with so much rejection. It’s because i don’t see rejection as inherently bad.

1) if you receive a rejection it’s because you were brave enough to send a pitch or submit something. That’s more than many people ever do, so yay you!

2) because you submitted something, an editor now knows your name. They might be more likely to open your next pitch, especially if they liked your clips or idea!

2a) sometimes a rejection ends in an assignment. Maybe your pitch isn’t right for them, but based on your clips, they have something else that is.

2b) I’ve built relationships with editors over rejected pitches. I have an editor who rejects me about once a month! But she knows my ideas are solid & has referred me to other editors & helped me land assignments she’s had to turn down

2c) sometimes editors reject you but keep you in mind and reach out to you later with an assignment, especially if they land at a new pub.

3) much of the time, rejection isn’t actually about you or your idea. It’s about intangible stuff that has nothing to do with you: a full editorial calendar, a similar story in the works, or arbitrary tastes of their boss. So don’t take it personally!

4) rejection means you can cross the pub off your list & that you’re one step closer to finding your piece the right home.

5) rejection will make you better at writing & selling your work. You can tweak & hone the idea & you’ll keep getting better. Eventually, you’ll get rejected less as you hone your craft. It gives you space to improve.

This isn’t to say that rejection isn’t frustrating. It can be! But I’ve found that reframing it has helped me be better able to dust myself off & plow forward. And to understand that rejection doesn’t mean I suck. In fact, it’s not usually about me at all. Go forth & pitch!