Tuesday, June 8, 2010

How I Deal With Rejection

You may remember the shiny poem I mentioned in a couple of blog posts over the last couple of months. If not, the posts are here and here. Anywho, 'twas rejected. Actually, this happens a lot more often than not, and I'm not going to post on it every time it does. I still like the poem though, so I sent it off to another magazine and sent a new one to the editor who rejected it. Yes, I feel better.

To make myself feel even better, I'm passing on blog awards today.
Thanks, Jackee! Now I have to tell you ten things that make me happy. Here it goes.

1. my kids, especially when they smile at me like I'm the coolest thing in their world
2. my Ben, especially when he does the dishes :o)
3. friends
4. great books
5. air conditioning
6. music (inspirational and comical)



7. gardening, but not in July and August
8. food
9. animals, especially cats and birds (yes, I know they don't mix well)
10. writing (including submissions and contracts, but not rejections)

I'm bequeathing (because sometimes you just feel like bequeathing, you know?) this one to the following happy people:

Al ('cause he has happy news)
Carrie Harris (because yesterday she gave me happy news, and the girl, she makes me laugh)
Shelley (because her books and blog posts make me happy)
Sarah (because I'm happy she's back)
And Stina (because she has a dancing turkey on her blog today)


Next up:

Thanks, Amy and Krista!

This one has been around for a while, and it used to have requirements that went with accepting it. Here's the post where I fulfilled the requirements. I'm passing it on to these "fabulous" bloggers:


For me, sending off another submission or starting a new project takes the sting out of a rejection. How do you deal with rejection?

24 comments:

  1. aw sorry Myrna. The pony magazine I wrote for has stopped being published. Very sad. But nevermind.

    Congrats on your awards, and thanks for your simile, hehe. Has that happened to you? My kids know theyre not allowed to touch my hair. They say "Don't toucha da hair!" said with a gangster accent. lol

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love that song from Les Miserables. :)
    I hope you are feeling better!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm sorry about your pony magazine, Niki.

    Yes, they mess up my hair, and they mess up their own. I'll have to try gangster on them. :o)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks, Rorie! Maybe I'm playing head games with myself, but as long as I have stuff out on submission, there's a possibility of a contract. In other words, I'm fine. :o)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I think that's the way writers have to look at it. There are always going to be rejections, and that makes the acceptances all the sweeter!

    =)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks, Myrna! Same here, I just send another out. :) Love Bohemian Rhapsody. I heard today there's a new Muppet movie coming next year.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'm sorry about the rejection, but it sounds like you snapped right back! Congrats on your awards, and to those you bequeathed them to. :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. I try to think of rejection letters as stepping stones. When you get enough of them, you can climb up and reach new heights... No, I don't actually think that way; it just sounds good. Just keep submitting until you find the agent/magazine that appreciates what you are offering.

    Thanks for the music.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thank you for the blog award, Myrna, I love it!
    Ahhh, the sting of rejection. It has dulled a tiny smidgeon, but it still smarts. I keep something out there all the time so there is always a feeling of hope!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thanks, Myrna. That's sweet of you, and it's my first time getting the Sugar Doll. I'll feature it on my blog soon.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Congrats on the awards! AND on the rejections, because rejections means you're doing the job and paying the dues :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Sorry about the rejection, Myrna. And three cheers for air conditioning!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Dang. Sorry about the big R. My advice is to try and remember it's not really a big R--it's a tiny, miniscule R in the grand scheme of it all.

    And I loved learning more about you! One of my favorite things is that my Steve does the dishes too. Him being gone all week to Scout camp makes me appreciate that all the more. (Me and the 2nd week of June go together about as well as birds and cats. Because for the last 9 of the 11 years we've been married, he's always gone to camp then. Hee, hee.)

    Have a great night, Night Writer! :o)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Congrats on your awards! Isn't that butterfly one beautiful? I love it! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Sorry to hear about the rejection.

    Congratulations on the awards!

    Thank you for flicking one my way!

    Al

    Publish or Perish

    ReplyDelete
  16. I deal with it like you: send old stuff out to new places, or work on new stuff. Usually both.

    That muppet video was awesome. My boys thought so too :-)

    ReplyDelete
  17. LOL. What timing on my blog post. :)

    I had to google the rejection I posted on my blog yesterday, but I certainly have had my share of them (except I had deleted them). And I know I'll get more when I start querying in the fall (and I'll delete those too).

    Thanks for the award, Myrna. I have several more I have to post. I think I better do that next week. :D

    ReplyDelete
  18. I'm sorry about the rejections! I usually distract myself with other things ... speaking of, did you see Bohemian Rhapsody on Glee? I'm never looking at that song the same way again. LOL!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Yay!!! How sweet thanks :) Off to read the requirement...

    Also, good for you for keeping your head up in the face of rejection. Obviously you're genius since you have been published in a magazine and all ;)

    ReplyDelete
  20. Susan, I have not seen the Bohemian Rhapsody on Glee, but now I want to.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Thank you for the award!

    I think I'll post on joyous things later this week.

    As for how I deal with rejection....well, I truly believe that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, so.....

    good things will come your way. I just know it.

    shelley

    ReplyDelete
  22. Oh, my--those are seriously some of my two favorite videos OF ALL TIME!

    ReplyDelete
  23. I don't care how many times you get rejected...I still think you are mighty
    amazing!!

    Keep it up!

    ReplyDelete
  24. I'm sorry to hear that :( But look at you submitting more poems and spreading blog awards & happiness and just being awesome like that!

    Thanks for the fun award and for not being unhappy I'm back :) I'm starting my list of 10 things...

    ReplyDelete