Being a writer means dealing with rejection. In fact, for a writer just starting out, it’s more common to hear “No” than “Yes” and rejection can come at any level. Publishers are wary of unproven authors and once a book is in print, it can languish in the bargain bin unsold for years. One must develop a thick skin quickly or risk losing one’s desire to craft words for a living.
For an indie author, the challenge is even greater, since we must cover all aspects of writing and publishing. My least favorite activity is marketing and promoting my work and I’m not very good at it. I seem to be accomplished at letting people know I write, but not so great at getting them to read my work. I once gave away (GAVE AWAY!!!) electronic copies of a book in a promotion on Facebook which generated thousands of views, hundreds of link clicks, and yielded only about eight or nine downloads and no reviews.
Most successful writers encountered quite a bit of rejection early in their careers. The book Rejection by John White chronicles many instances of this. One poet received a response, “This is the worst poem in the English language; you are the worst poet in the English language.” Undaunted, he submitted elsewhere and went on to receive awards for his “worst poem”.
Of course, rejection isn’t reserved for authors; people encounter it in every facet of life. While parents try to avoid having favorites among their offspring, it’s highly likely they have one who’s “Daddy’s little girl” or “Mama’s boy”. I always believed my younger brother was my father’s favorite, and my mother seemed to devote more time and attention to my youngest brother, but that could have been a misconception on my part. I always seemed to have a good relationship with my maternal grandmother, who was the only one of my grandparents I really knew.
The important lesson to learn is that rejection is common and it’s not the end of the world if someone says “No”. Sooner or later, we all come to the conclusion that we’re not everyone’s cup of tea, and must somehow learn to deal with it. Realizing early on that we’re going to face rejection can steel a person and give that person a will to marshal failure and continue plodding along, hopefully toward greater rewards. It’s never fun hearing “no” or having doors shut in one’s face, but developing the proper coping mechanisms for rejection can help one stay focused despite the turmoil and carry on towards greater acceptance.