Wisdom (or lack of) on Rejections
I keep two folders on my PC for queries. One for queries/submissions and one for rejections. When a rejection comes in, I move the query/submission file over to the "rejected" folder. The file already has everything I need -- publication/agent, date, ms title, etc. etc.
If I want, I could rename the file to include a brief note, such as AgentXYZ-[date]-welcome-future-submission.doc. I don't really look at the rejected folder, least of all count how many files are in the folder. I simply move the files there and call it done. I only focus on the files in the "query/submission" folder.
But coming back to how counting rejections is relevant to writing... I keep hearing writers talking about how they keep their rejection letters, and they count 242 or 3001 of them, etc. etc. And I ask myself: WHY? Didn't you learn something from them already? Or are you going to go back some time later, re-read them and say, wow, now I can learn something from this rejection?
I don't keep rejection letters. I used to, when I first started out, but not anymore. Now, I toss them away immediately. I do, however, put a mark on my list --"rejected" and perhaps another mark if the agent/publisher is receptive, personable, etc. or is open for future submission -- that means they are still a prospect, just not for THIS product (see above on putting them in PC folders). Then I move on.
I don't "count" them.
All I need is one success call. I don't really care if I had 100, 200, or 1000 rejections already. I don't count them.
I think that's the difference between real sales and selling your ms. In sales, you want repeat sales. You want to fill your quota. In writing, however, you only need to make ONE sale. So the mentality is slightly different here.
If I want, I could rename the file to include a brief note, such as AgentXYZ-[date]-welcome-future-submission.doc. I don't really look at the rejected folder, least of all count how many files are in the folder. I simply move the files there and call it done. I only focus on the files in the "query/submission" folder.
But coming back to how counting rejections is relevant to writing... I keep hearing writers talking about how they keep their rejection letters, and they count 242 or 3001 of them, etc. etc. And I ask myself: WHY? Didn't you learn something from them already? Or are you going to go back some time later, re-read them and say, wow, now I can learn something from this rejection?
I don't keep rejection letters. I used to, when I first started out, but not anymore. Now, I toss them away immediately. I do, however, put a mark on my list --"rejected" and perhaps another mark if the agent/publisher is receptive, personable, etc. or is open for future submission -- that means they are still a prospect, just not for THIS product (see above on putting them in PC folders). Then I move on.
I don't "count" them.
All I need is one success call. I don't really care if I had 100, 200, or 1000 rejections already. I don't count them.
I think that's the difference between real sales and selling your ms. In sales, you want repeat sales. You want to fill your quota. In writing, however, you only need to make ONE sale. So the mentality is slightly different here.
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