Dealing with Rejection Letters
Why Editors Say No to Your Story and What to Do Next
What does a rejection letter mean, besides "No?" Can you read between the lines? Can you resubmit your story?
Every writer gets rejection letters. Every writer. The question becomes how to interpret them, and what to do next.
Rejection Letters Come in Several Versions:
- Form rejection letter: this is the standard format in which an editor tells a writer that their work does not fit the magazine or meet their needs. If you’re lucky, it is nicely printed. If not, it is badly photocopied and slightly blurry.
- Form rejection with a personal note: the same as above, but with a handwritten note. It may say something like, “thanks for thinking of us,” or “nice story, but not for us.” If so, congratulations – your rejections are moving up in quality! Even better is a note that invites you to submit something else.
- Personal letter: a rejection letter addressed to you, mentioning your manuscript by name, and often explaining briefly what the editor liked and didn’t like. Hurray – you’re at the top of the class! Definitely submit something else to this editor.
Don’t Take Rejection Personally
An editor may reject your story for a multitude of reasons:
- They just accepted a similar story.
- They just published a similar story.
- The editor is grumpy that day.
- The slush pile is toppling over and everything is going back.
- The editor has a thing about wayward daughter stories (or any other pet peeve subject), and that’s what yours is.
When to Rewrite
Of course, your story may have been rejected for reasons of quality: passive voice, flat characters, too preachy, over the word count, etc. Be sure you look at your story with a critical eye. Make sure you are following the writer’s guidelines.
If you receive a specific criticism or suggestion, you need to decide whether it is justified or not. However, if six editors in a row tell you the same problem needs work, you need to realize that they’re probably right.
Can You Resubmit Your Story?
If the editor requested a rewrite (i.e. “If you decide to make these changes, I’d be happy to look at it again.), then definitely send the revised version. If an editor makes suggestions but doesn’t specifically ask to see it again, it’s a toss-up. You can send the new version with a cover letter saying something like, “I’ve made substantial changes per your suggestions, and I thought you might like to read it again.” But be prepared to send it elsewhere after you hear back. And if you’ve revised your story after a form rejection, don’t bother sending it back to the same editor – there are plenty out there.
Plan Ahead
When you send a story out, immediately choose the magazine to which you’ll submit it next. Then if it comes back with a rejection, send it out again right away. You’ll cut down on discouragement if you keep a story in circulation.
Collect Rejection Letters
All those letters are proof that you’re serious about your writing. Set a goal for how many rejection letters you want to collect this year. The higher the number, the more stories you’ll be submitting, and the better your chances for publication.
