The history of writing is replete with stories about authors who were rejected, but kept trying until they found success. Here’s just one example. A number of years ago, an aspiring author decided he wanted to write a book about the key personal decisions that determine personal success. Except he didn’t want to write it … Read more
One of Aesop’s best-known fables is “The Tortoise and the Hare.” You’ve probably heard the story before. The hare challenges the tortoise to a race, confident he will win by a long shot. The race begins and the hare gets so far ahead of the tortoise that he takes a nap. When the hare wakes up, … Read more
This is the seventh and final entry in our mini-series on dealing with rejection. Rejection is not fun, but it still has an important place in our business and creative lives. When you’re rejected or criticized, it forces you to ask tough questions like these: Is this something I should have been doing in the … Read more
This is the sixth entry in our mini-series on dealing with rejection. When your writing has been rejected—or at least, when you perceive that it has—you respond emotionally. And that’s totally natural. We all respond emotionally when we’re hurt. And what do we do when we’re hurt? We lash out. We want retribution. We find … Read more
This is the fifth entry in our mini-series on dealing with rejection. If you saw the 2009 movie Star Trek, which was, of course, a reboot of the classic TV show, you might remember the scene where Spock gets into a fight with Kirk, then steps down from his command. The reason was that he … Read more
This is the fourth entry in our series on dealing with rejection. One of the biggest paradoxes of feeling hurt is that everyone experiences it, but when you’re going through it, you feel totally alone. This happens to every great writer, leader, and artist. Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison, Walt Disney, and Steve Jobs all faced … Read more
This is the third entry in our mini-series on dealing with rejection. The publishing world has changed radically in the last fifteen years or so. In the past, you would have to go through some kind of gatekeeper in order to get your message heard by others. This typically meant finding an agent, who would … Read more
This is the second entry in our mini-series on dealing with rejection. It’s happened to all of us. You had your heart set on an opportunity and it falls through. Maybe it’s a writing job, a podcast guest appearance, a collaboration, or another type of opportunity. You thought it was going to happen but now … Read more
Today’s episode is the first in a seven-part series on dealing with rejection. As writers, we deal with rejection in many forms. You can be rejected by a reader, a publisher, a literary agent, a podcaster, a beta reader, a book reviewer, a peer, and so much more. This rejection can be formal or informal, … Read more
We deal with a lot of obstacles as writers, but one of the biggest is rejection. Rejection can come in many forms. A publisher or agent can reject your book proposal. Your subscribers can reject your emails by not opening them. Your followers can reject your social media posts by not liking or sharing them. … Read more