Freelance Writers and Rejection

Rejection! We writers dread it, and when I was editing magazines and newspapers I hated rejecting pieces writers had submitted. But getting a rejection slip or letter is certainly better than having the piece you submitted drop into a black hole behind some editors desk.

I really believe we should celebrate each rejection. The chances are, if we’re not getting rejected it’s because we’re not submitting. And we’re probably not submitting because we’re not really writing.

The goal then, is not to avoid rejection, but to reduce the percentage of rejections. In the beginning 100% of my article queries were rejected by form rejections. Gradually I improved both my writing and my understanding of the markets and I began to get acceptances as well as rejections. Eventually, I got more acceptances than rejections and that’s how it is today.

Freelance writing is, among other things, a practice, and it’s hard to get worse at something we practice regularly.

You may also want to read Getting to Rejection – The First Step in Freelance Writing

Write well and often.