There are few experiences more crushing for a writer than his or her first rejection. The first rejection is bad enough, but when he or she begins to receive rejections in the dozens, it is possible to begin to question whether the manuscript is ready to be published. This is especially true for writers who may not have previously received publication.
Do not take a rejection personally. Although receiving a rejection is a painful experience, the publisher or agent does not mean a manuscript is not worth being published. It means that they are not the right person to help you with your publishing experience. It is important to research agents or publishers carefully before submitting. Agents and publishers look for manuscripts they know are well written and have high marketability.
One of the more common causes for rejection is because the guidelines that the agents or publisher have set were not followed while submitting to them. Many individuals start to wonder when they should start revising their manuscript or query again, or if they should give up hope. If enough rejections are received, try to identify the cause (i.e. the query letter or first ten pages or equivalent of the manuscript). However, any writer submitting should make sure they do not change their manuscript because of rejections if only a query has been viewed and not the actual manuscript itself.
There are many reasons that a manuscript may be rejected. Properly identifying the reason behind a rejection may help in future endeavors. The market is controlled by the readers, and as companies and businesses, agents and publishers, have to find what those reader will want and release it with proper timing. Researching the market can be very important, but even more important is finding the niche of that market that your novel fits into and the agent or publisher that can help you get there.
If proper preparation has been taken including writing classes, proper editing, professional workshops, and there is 100% confidence in the manuscript, keep that confidence. Know your genre and keep faith in your heart. Keep in mind that often the individual you are submitting to is not necessarily the one doing the initial evaluation. Therefore, never give up and continue to try with confidence while learning along the way.
Best of luck!
The Bokheim Chu
Do not take a rejection personally. Although receiving a rejection is a painful experience, the publisher or agent does not mean a manuscript is not worth being published. It means that they are not the right person to help you with your publishing experience. It is important to research agents or publishers carefully before submitting. Agents and publishers look for manuscripts they know are well written and have high marketability.
One of the more common causes for rejection is because the guidelines that the agents or publisher have set were not followed while submitting to them. Many individuals start to wonder when they should start revising their manuscript or query again, or if they should give up hope. If enough rejections are received, try to identify the cause (i.e. the query letter or first ten pages or equivalent of the manuscript). However, any writer submitting should make sure they do not change their manuscript because of rejections if only a query has been viewed and not the actual manuscript itself.
There are many reasons that a manuscript may be rejected. Properly identifying the reason behind a rejection may help in future endeavors. The market is controlled by the readers, and as companies and businesses, agents and publishers, have to find what those reader will want and release it with proper timing. Researching the market can be very important, but even more important is finding the niche of that market that your novel fits into and the agent or publisher that can help you get there.
If proper preparation has been taken including writing classes, proper editing, professional workshops, and there is 100% confidence in the manuscript, keep that confidence. Know your genre and keep faith in your heart. Keep in mind that often the individual you are submitting to is not necessarily the one doing the initial evaluation. Therefore, never give up and continue to try with confidence while learning along the way.
Best of luck!
The Bokheim Chu
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4 comments:
First, I would like to say thank you for this wonderful blog. I am an aspiring author with a work in progress. Too many times my head goes into a downward spiral with all of the what if's...
Second, it's refreshing to see such helpful and encouraging posts from a publishing house.
great post! this is such an important reminder!!
Reading posts like this one always encourages me to press on. You're right, it takes a vast amount of strength to keep writing after the first rejection.
I don't want to say that it gets easier to deal with eventually, but in a way, it does.
It's really a good post and work on.
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