The Art of Rejection

I've written five books and have never had a real rejection letter. That's pretty amazing. But now that I'm peddling a new series I'm learning what it's like and it's painful!

Of course, my proposal won't fit into every publishing house's agenda. Not all readers will like my books--so it is with editors.

Since I've sat on the other side of the desk I know what it's like. The slush pile can reach several feet high! So what do you do to make room? Send out rejection letters in mass. Impersonal, to the point, "We regret to inform you" letters. Even to people you know and have relationships with. It isn't personal. You just have to get down to what works for your particular publishing agenda. Sometimes you're just not in the mood for that particular project, though tomorrow it could catch your eye, so it hits the rejection brush-off. Sometimes the publishing house is in a money crunch and even though that proposal looks promising you just don't have the cash to buy it. Sometimes the editorial staff is reevaluating whether they want to do this or that to tweak their program.

Often it's about timing, the mood of the day, the circumstances in-house, so many variables. The likelihood of getting your project published is slim. But you keep pushing forward hoping for that perfect opportunity.

Even though it hurts like the dickens.

Traci