Nobody likes to get rejection letters. If you write to be published it comes with the territory. Every bestselling author on your bookshelf has experienced rejection some time or another. What you do with the letters can make a difference to your success.
Here are some tips to use those rejection letters:
1. Put Everything in a Large Envelope
All rejection letters should be filed in an envelope. Add to it when more rejection letters come in. This is proof that you are one step closer to being published.
2. Record Submission Guidelines
Any submission information such as, “Not accepting unagented manuscripts” should be recorded. You can pass these on to your agent (when you get one!).
Sometimes book agents and editors cannot receive submissions for a few months because of their publishing cycles. Record this info, then re-submit at a later date.
3. Send Thank You Notes
Use return addresses and names in the rejection letter as an opportunity to send a quick thank you note and get yourself in front of an editor/agent one more time.
4. Use the Criticism to Improve
Use the comments in the rejection letter to modify your query letter or manuscript for future submissions.
5. Gather Publishing Information
File away information such as the number of manuscripts an agent or publisher receives each year and the number that are published.
This will motivate you when you question why you are not getting immediate results.
*** BONUS TIPS: ON THE LIGHTER SIDE ***
6. Share Your News With Loved Ones
Put each rejection letter on the bottom of your bird cage and get your revenge.
7. Feed Your Shredder
Use the rejection letters to feed your new paper shredder. I Find cross cut shredders work best. Good noise. Great fun!
8. Burn Your Rejection Letters
Each full moon burn your rejection letters with friends and good beer. This is great for bonding!
So, the next time your get a rejection letter, take a deep breath, pull your shoulders back and say to yourself, “Every rejection letter takes me one step closer to being published”.
photo credit: jessamyn
14 comments ↓
I need to find a publisher in Europe to publish my poems?
I do not want to pay any money for that?
how can it be possible?
Hi Malihe,
Poetry is the most difficult genre to find legitimate agents and publishers. Most poetry publishers I’ve come across have been vanity publishers.
I have went to the library and looked at “Writer’s Market” to find agents who represent my kind of work, “Victory After Abuse”. I’ve had one out of nine queries I sent by mail. It was very positive, though. The agent said…not to take the rejection personally. It had nothing to do with my writing. She just had too many clients work overload. Waiting is my problem. God did not bless me with patience.
I had a novel self-published in 2002. The results have not been staggering, and I would like to find another publisher to take a chance on it. Most publishers and agents, however, balk at a manuscript that has already been “out there.” Any suggestions?
Ralph Bland,
If your sales were not good then most agents and publishers would not be interested in it.
Even if your book was published with a traditional publisher back in 2002 and the sales numbers were not good, most agents and publishers would not be interested. You just have to visit a discount bookstore to understand that old books have little value when they don’t sell.
So, you may want to consider writing a new book.
I self published my hardcover poetry book through a book production company in Honolulu (Imaging Hawaii - http://www.imaginghawaii.com) and it came out extra-ordinary well received. I would encourage any self publishers/ author to try their services. Good luck!
I have appreciated your e-mails because they were background stimulation along the lines for the search for a decent agent.
I was able to track down a friend, writer, who is going to introduce me to an agent and next week I should have my bookproposal ready to go ahead. So, I have no questions to you at this point, but rather want to thank you for your work and support that comes through it. I am not sure what is in it for you in a literal sense, but it is certainly appreciated from my side.
Anybody know what I should do??? I tried to send my certified letter to Publish America to get out of my contracts and it was returned to me yesterday!? I have tried to call them to get the correct name and address but they will not answer the phone! The second time they gave me a message? What do I do? Help!!! Thanks.
Big Bertha Evans
http://www.freewebs.com/bigberthaevans/index.htm
Bertha… don’t give up hope as not everything that goes wrong in life ends up being a bad result.
It could even be that the universe is steering you around a bit to get you on the right track…
Rolfe Bland… perhaps the title is not a grabber??? Try finding another title and see if that works…
I have several children’s books to be published. Can you send me a sample of a query letter?
I self-publish a clean non-sexual mystery series that have a lot of followers from Alabama to Vermont and I have several shoeboxes of rejection letters. I don’t let it bother me as my books have made it into the libraries, amazon, barnes & nobel, etc. I’m not making a fortune, but I am having fun writing my books and get a kick out of those people who enjoy checking my books out at the library. Maybe someday those who rejected my work will see what they’ve missed. God Bless to all and have fun writing. Don’t give up your hearts desire.
I, like many others, have the bad luck to have been caught up in a self-publishing, dead end. The company I deal with tells me it is my responibility to promote my own books. After,I,have paid them a large sum of money, they still call wanting money for other “so called” necessary projects,”if I want my book[s] to go public. Meanwhile they are doing nothing- I do not get any of the quartly progress reports, I was told I would recieve.
These are two children’s books. they have copy-rights and the works. What can I do to get my books on the store shelves?
Help, I’m running out of options, and I do have a couple more books I would like to have in print.
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This is interesting topic. I’m pursuing this closely.
Me too. I am just glued to the matter. My partner and I wonder what is going to happen
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