REJECTION PERSPECTIVE by B. A. Varghese • Cleaver Magazine

A Writing Tip by B. A. Varghese
REJECTION PERSPECTIVE

Rejections are just plain hard. If you’re reading this, you’ve probably read your fair share of the many cordial ways a literary journal, or magazine, or book publisher can say “no thank you.” Seeking their acceptance bears a hope that they would understand who you are and what you’re trying to do. That’s why the emotional response to a rejection doesn’t feel that simple. It aches and feels more like they’ve said, “We just don’t want YOU.”

Rest assured that, though writing can sometimes be a solitary endeavor, you’re in good company with folks like me who have received many rejections. Of course, rejections are good reminders to triple-check your work, but if you’ve given it your best, then here are some items to consider that may motivate you to keep going.

EVEN THE GREATS

Many well-known writers received a multitude of rejections before becoming established. From Sylvia Plath to Ray Bradbury to George Orwell to Margaret Atwood — the list could go on. All writers know that rejection is just part of the game of publishing. The core of their advice: ignore the rejections and keep writing. Even F. Scott Fitzgerald had rejections when trying to get The Great Gatsby published. One rejection offered advice saying, “You’d have a decent book if you’d get rid of that Gatsby character.” Just take a moment to allow that absurdity to sink in.

IT’S NOT YOU, IT’S THEM

Most of the time it’s not your submission. It’s the literary journal, magazine, or book publisher. Perhaps your work just didn’t suit their taste or what they were looking for. Keep this in mind: Before the emergence of submission management sites, even way before email or any computer-related convenience, a writer would have to type out their manuscript on a typewriter (no autocorrect), attach a cover letter, shove it into an envelope, slap postage on it, then visit the local post office to mail it out. Only a few would have the time, money, or even the energy to keep doing that after several rejections. But now, with the ease of technology, anyone can submit anything with a click of a button online. It has become convenient for us writers. Unfortunately, this inundates journals, and with these floodgates open, it becomes more difficult for editors to keep up — even with a horde of slush pile readers. With that many submissions and limited space, editors often have to say no to a number of great pieces. In this case, it’s not your work. It’s their limited resources.

VOLUMIZE

When looking over rejections, I’m sometimes reminded of Sergei Dovlatov’s short story, “The Colonel Says I Love You,” in which the protagonist, over time, becomes frustrated that he may not become a well-known writer. His wife, Lena, recommends sending out a thousand stories, suggesting that at least one would be published. He finds this absurd but then ponders, “I put the emphasis on the unit, Lena on the mass. And she was right. You can only conquer with quantity. All of world history bears this out.”

Don’t let some journal saying no to your submissions dampen or squash your creative output. Even if some works don’t see the light of day (yet), keep writing and submitting. It’s a numbers game. Eventually, your perseverance in your art will pay off.

EVER AFTER

Getting a rejection can sometimes crush the hope you had for your work. But take comfort that folks are still reading your work even in the rejection. If you received twenty-five rejections, that means at least twenty-five people have read your work. And even if they move onto the next thing, reading your work has created new neural pathways in their brain (a scientific fact). They’re living with your work in their heads. They may even discuss something memorable or intriguing from your work in their social gatherings. And if you believe in an afterlife, they will carry your work into eternity. Isn’t that what’s most important for our art? For it to live beyond us?

As long as you keep up with your writing and continue to submit your work, one day you’ll look back on all your rejections, look back on all the moments of worry and unnecessary grief, and then you’ll turn and provide some helpful advice and comfort to a younger generation of writers who admire your work.

B. A. Varghese graduated from Polytechnic University (New York) with a degree in Electrical Engineering and is currently working in the Information Technology field. Inspired to explore his literary side, he earned a B.A. in English and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the University of South Florida. His works have appeared in various literary journals, and he is currently working on his first novel. Visit his website here.