Keeping Your Dignity And Creativity (Getting Published) Have you ever received a rejection letter like this one? Well, if you have don’t let it get you down. This article was written to help writers like you get pass unprofessional rejection letters and become the writer you know you can be. Jeffy, If you had ever read the journal, you would know we publish poetry. If you'd read the journal, you would know what you sent us isn't the poetry we publish. I don't know how you could think what you sent us is poetry at all. Go away. Sincerely, Matt H. This lovely rejection letter is just one of many that I have collected over the three years that I have been actively pursuing a writing career. Mr. H. is one of the editors of a poetry magazine that I attempted to send work into for review. At first I sent in a couple of pieces of poetry that were truly my best (remember when sending in work you must always send your best work as usually editors will not explain why your work has been rejected.) The first set of poems I sent to this magazine was rejected by a nice gentleman named Adam who recommended that I study his publication a little more carefully before resending work. I did. In fact, not only did I study the publication but before resending more work, I had a couple of editors and English professors I know look over the magazine and my work to see get their opinion on whether or not my work was a good fit. All agreed with me and suggested that I had something similar to a couple of the poems that were published by the magazine. After getting the seal of approval from my superiors in the writing world, I decided to give it a second try. Now we get to this email. A few days after I sent in my second batch of related poetry to the magazine editors, I got this distasteful and very unprofessional email from Matt. When I read the email at first, I knew that it was a rejection. I guess so many attempts at sending work has automatically programmed me to assume that every letter or return email I receive concerning the work I submitted is a rejection. I am a heavy believer in positive thinking but I am also a realist. My heart simply sank when I read this email from Matt. I mean whose heart wouldn’t sink? I felt that I was worthless even though I had a substantial amount of writing credits to my name at that point. Who was this guy and where the hell did he get his nerve from? How dare he tell me that I hadn’t read his magazine and how dare he tell me that what I sent wasn’t poetry! The worst of all the things he said to me was that I needed to go away. I didn’t know what to think so for three and a half days, I just sat in my room and sulked at what I had read. I didn’t want to write another word for the rest of my life. Then that’s when it hit me. I told myself that I wasn’t bad at all. I was a good writer and he wasn’t going to make me feel worthless any more. I sat down to my computer and I wrote. I wrote for hours and then days. I couldn’t stop writing. His degradation of me and my writing was the slap in the face that I needed to get myself more motivated to make it in this very difficult business. I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to complete something that I had given up on over a year ago. Back in the early winter of last year (2003), I began work on a novel that I thought would be a great seller. I worked on that novel for nine months or so and then I tossed it away. The manuscript for the novel had been read by an editor who told me that there is no one in the world who would publish that “drivel.” I believed her. I knew she was right just like Matt was. So I gave up. But three days after reading what Matt had cruelly wrote to me gave me the incentive to continue the book. I went through my old papers in the attic of my mothers’ home and found what little of the book that had remained unscathed as I went on a depressive rampage of all my work. I sat down and rewrote most of the things that I felt were wrong, incorrect or just plain useless. I re-researched my facts and spent countless hours trying to work what new information I had learned into a way that readers would understand and identify with. After re-reading the book for what seemed like weeks crossing every “t” and dotting every “I,” I had finally completed the first four chapters of the book. I was confident and content with the book but there was a bigger task that had to be overcome. I had to send the book in to a publisher or editor who would be willing to read more. Within one month, I had sent the book to eleven publishers and editors who represent the kind of work my book fit into. Out of the eleven publishers and editors, one asked for more of the book. That was a victory for me but I was sure not to celebrate too early. I sent in the material requested by the publisher and within six weeks, I was sent an acceptance letter. The book will not be completed for a long while now but the victory itself was more than enough for me to overcome the insecurities I had felt as a result of Matt. My advice to other like me: This is where I dispense a little advice for other aspiring writers in my situation. I have been trying to make it in the writing world for a long time now. I knew what I wanted to do and that is what I am doing. My advice to young writers like me who often feel like giving up or finding something else to do is simply: “don’t.” You are writing because you love it, not for profit. Sure it is nice to sell an article to a magazine or newspaper, every so often but if that dream does not materialize within weeks, months or even a couple of years, that just means that you need to dedicate yourself to studying your craft a little harder and become a more solid writer. If your goal is to write for a specific magazine like Us Weekly, Time or People, it is wise to query the editors of those magazines first and ask them what they are currently looking for as far as freelance writing is concerned. It is always suggested that you know what the needs of specific publications before sending in any material. If you fail to do so, you can anger the very busy editor and ruin any chance you may have of ever writing for them in the future. I suggest that first time writers as well as new and un-established writers start off with smaller presses first to build your resume, credits and skill. Small or “little” literary presses are more likely to accept your work as they look for new and unpublished writers to supply material for their publications. Often times they offer very little to no money but what you as a wannabe writer is looking for is the experience that larger publications are looking for in future writers. Check your local bookstore or library for a copy of the Writers Market for a detailed list of magazines, editors and publishers who are actively seeking material from writers like you and me. As writers, we face common challenges; some of the most common and toughest are staying motivated and confident, avoiding "writer's block," and meeting goals on time. Here is some of the best useful advice I've come by for becoming and remaining productive, creative, and content while traversing the writer's path. Try implementing these "simple writing tips" and see if they work for you. 1. Always, ALWAYS study the publication you want to contribute to before sending in material. Sending an article on golfing in your fifties to a magazine about automobiles will tell the editor that you have not studied the publication and you will possibly ruin your chances of submitting work to them in the future. 2. Research thoroughly the subject you are writing about even if you think you know everything there is to know about it. Often time there is new information out there that you may overlook. 3. Make sure to have the correct information in your query letter to editors. Nothing would anger an editor more than to address them or their publication by the wrong name. 4. Accept rejection with glee. If you receive a rejection letter that contains comments on why your piece was turned down, read it, file it, and think about it; decide if you should edit the work some more before sending it out again. Chances are if the editor took the time to write a note to you, they saw some kind of potential in your work -- that's the next best thing to being accepted! 5. Keep track of everything you send out. One good way to keep a log is to create a table, either with your word processor or by hand, with columns marked for: 1. Title of work or query; 2. Title of journal, magazine, etc. you sent to; 3. Date sent; 4. Date accepted or rejected (mark A or R, date); 5. Other places the work was sent. 6. Test your work on other writers you admire and listen to what they bring up, both the compliments and the criticisms. 7. Write about what interests you. As long as it interests you, it's a topic worthy of pursuing. Go to the library and look it up; watch a documentary; conduct interviews with experts; listen to people's stories, memories and impressions. Then write. 8. And finally: You can substitute the walls, some instant coffee, and drawing if you wish. As long as you get away from the work for a bit to unwind, contemplate, reverie, and feed the dog. "But that's a waste of valuable time," you say. That’s not true. On the contrary: you can't ignore this rule and expect to prosper as a writer. Why? Because "goofing off" actually serves to fuel your imagination and replenish your creative resources. You can't expect to function physically without sleep, right? Likewise, you can't expect to function as a writer unless you occasionally do other creative things, whether you're "good" at them or not. Remember to never: Stop writing for a time because you received a discouraging rejection letter like the letter from Matt at the opening of this article. Whether or not you've been published yet, mark a file folder "Acceptance Letters" and expect to fill it eventually. Your day will come. However, save your rejection letters and categorize them if you want. I have most of my rejection letters in a portfolio. It is a great reminder of what you went through to get to where you are or want to be. Stop writing and creating for a time because you've completed something or because you've had an acceptance from an editor. Early in my still developing career, I was guilty of this. There is a tendency to relax, to say: "Ah, I've done it." Relish the moment, sure; but don't get ever overly lazy with your writing. Move on to your next writing project quickly. Time is precious as the demand for more feature articles are on the rise. And Always: Reread every sentence, line, paragraph, page, etc. after you've just written it. Learn to separate your "editor" self until the work is finished -- you'll be much more resourceful and productive this way. So there you have them, my simple tips to success. Maybe you knew them already -- at least naturally. I find, however, that it's good to be overt about how we structure and govern our writing lives. Without rules to live by, and goals to strive for, our art suffers -- languishes from lack of discipline and drive. So commit the tips to memory, recite them once a day if need be. And write, write, write! This article was written by me, Jeffrey Lee Williams, Jr. I am a columnist/reporter from New York City. I am also a freelance writer with nearly two dozen publishing credits to my name. I have authored over one two hundred short stories, articles, poems and essays in three years. Presently I write for the magazine Out in Jersey and I am also a contributing writer to several Online Magazines including First Casualty.com, Fallosia Press online and Rdlbooks.com. I am currently working on my first novel.
Copyright © 2004 Skyler Drevan |