In the first blog of this series, we talked about how to handle rejection. Now let’s look at why rejections happen…and they are going to happen.
There isn’t enough room to cover every reason for being rejected. It could be for your writing, your pitch, your attitude or for a reason that has nothing to do with you.
Rejection comes in all forms. Here are just a few I’ve experienced:
—My client moved on from his position and the new person didn’t want to do continue with the project or thought her cousin’s niece’s best friend could do it better (both have happened).
—My client declared bankruptcy cancelling all projects (and not paying on ones that were complete).
—COVID. I had six major contracts cancelled in one week.
—My documentary subject passed away before filming.
—Our director was arrested and jailed Thailand using the entire documentary budget to free himself. (Yes, this really happened.)
—The magazine decided to change the theme of the issue and my article no longer fit.
—The book publisher couldn’t get enough photographs for the book and pulled it. (This was for a nonfiction title.)
—My manuscript wasn’t what they were looking for at that time.
—The person didn’t like me because I had taken jobs away from him (fairly and without knowing it, I might add).
There’s not a lot you can do about the examples I’ve shared above. You can’t make a pandemic go away or solve a client’s financial issues. You can’t prevent someone from passing or getting arrested (though that was preventable on his end).
But while you may not be able to prevent these issues, here are a few tips that can help with those type of situations:
Have a Contract
This helps prevent clients from backing out, at least from backing out without consequences. Make sure your contract is legally binding and covers you. I urge you to consult with an attorney on this point.
Include a Kill Fee
This is a contractual clause that provides payment to you in the event a contract gets cancelled. It is used most often in publishing to cover your time and effort if an article gets cancelled before publishing. Typically it is a percentage of the original fee. Again, consult an attorney about adding this to your contracts.
Hold Your Final Version
Another tactic is to hold the final version until you have been paid a majority (not all) of the contract fee. I typically request 75-90% before releasing the final version with all edits and corrections, depending on the project. Of course, there is nothing to prevent a client from taking a near-final version and running with it, which is why you need a contract in place so you can seek remuneration. I always put my payment schedule in my contract and state when and how I will handle non-payment. I also include interest on late payments.
The more common reasons for being rejected are because of the idea and writing. The best way to handle these types of rejections is to make your writing as bulletproof as possible.
Here are reasons why your writing might be getting rejected with tips for improving:
Your Writing Isn’t Polished
The manuscript you sent included bad grammar, little plot, no character development, poor pacing, bad spelling, and/or typos. Editors want polished work. When you send in pitches or pieces with poor grammar, you are destined for the trash can. Don’t think the editor can fix your manuscript. They won’t. They don’t have time for that anymore. They are looking to polish a good manuscript, but they won’t fix a bad one. Only send in your best work. If you are unsure about grammar and story, hire an editor to help you. Do not submit a first draft. Ever.
Your Writing Isn’t Great
Maybe you do know grammar and even won the Spelling Bee. If you don’t know how to craft a good story and tell it in a way that holds the editor’s interest, you will be rejected. Writing is more than the mechanics. It is an art. You must be able to tell a compelling story or the editor won’t bother. It’s kind of like watching a dancer who knows all the right steps, but lacks energy and connection with the music. Make sure your story works. Recruit Beta readers or a critique group to offer feedback. Make sure it works before you send it out.
Poor Structure
Even the best story will suffer with bad structure. Story needs logic. It has to make sense to the reader and progress in a natural way. If you are going for a big twist or intentionally confusing the reader, it has to be done in a way that ultimately makes sense. Plotting helps. Having a clear through line helps. Don’t let your story wander on the page. If you are pantser, pay close attention to your story’s progression during editing. Make sure the story logic is sound and that the pacing is strong enough to hold the reader.
No One Cares About Your Characters
If you have weak or uninteresting characters, no one will care about them or your story. The best stories have complex, flawed, human characters who engage readers’ emotions. This means you have to go beyond stereotypes and stock characters. It means you have to connect emotionally to the reader and make them care about what happens to your characters.
It Wasn’t a Good Fit
This may not seem like a controllable factor, but it might be. When you are pitching an article to a specific publication, do your research. Publications tend to have preferences you can pick up on if you read enough of their back issues. This might be enough to let you know the types of stories they like and how they structure them (lists, interviews, personal stories). The more research you do, the better chance you have of fitting into their publication.
Not Original Enough, Sounds Like….
There are a lot of books out there with similar themes, plots, characters. This is particularly true after a huge hit. After Twilight, vampires were everywhere. After Harry Potter, it was wizards and schools for the supernatural. Don’t fall into the imitation trap. Trends are fickle and short-lived. The other vampire books you saw were probably already in production by the time Twilight was published or written around the same time. Be original. Don’t try to follow a trend.
No Hook
Your story has to grab the reader on page one, paragraph one. Don’t start your story with a ton of backstory or world-building or reflection. Get to the action right from the beginning. You can weave the backstory and world-building in as you go. It is essential you have a strong hook to make it out of the slush pile.
Too Preachy
Themes are good and morals are fine too, but only if you don’t bash people over the head with them. No one likes to be lectured or preached at when they are reading (or watching a movie/television show/play). It’s fine if your story has a message. It should. But that message should grow organically from the characters and the situations they find themselves in, not because the author has an agenda to push.
You Didn’t Follow the Guidelines
Editors, agents and publishers have guidelines for a reason. They know what they want and don’t want to waste time on things they don’t represent or publish. They also don’t want to be inundated with entire manuscripts on spec. Do your due diligence and only send what is appropriate and only to those professionals who have requested what you have. If you break this rule, you are often tossed without consideration.
Your Query Is Bad
Sometimes the rejection has more to do with your pitch than your writing. It is not uncommon for an agent/editor/publisher to reject a story from the query letter alone, even if you did send the requisite one to three chapters. If you are getting a lot of rejections, reconsider your pitch. Have others read it and offer feedback. Try different versions to see if you get different results. Remember your query is your sales pitch. The goal is to sell your story. It needs a great hook and share enough of your story to make the editor/agent want more.
Poor Formatting
This is similar to knowing the guidelines. There are formatting standards for a reason. It makes it easier for agents/editors to read your manuscript. Use those standards, or the ones included in the guidelines. Don’t just send your work however you please. It may, and likely will, get rejected for not following the rules.
You Are Not the Exception
There are a lot of guidelines and rules for pitching and submitting your work. There are also standards for representation, publishing and royalties. You are not the exception to these standards. As a new writer, it is unlikely you will be the one in a million to go to auction or land a multi-book, million-dollar deal. That is the unicorn of this business. Don’t count on that. It is rare. Assume you are not the exception when it comes to word count for your genre or the submission guidelines provided.
You’re a Jerk
It happens. People get rejections and go ballistic. They respond. Negatively. Don’t be that person. The publishing industry is rather small and word will get around. No one wants to work with someone who is angry, rude, unprofessional, difficult, late, or any other trait that makes a working relationship unpleasant. In this case, it is personal. If you have lashed out at an editor/agent, do what you can to mend the relationship, but also accept that it might be too late to mend your reputation. You will have to find someone new to approach. I’d recommend being upfront about your past behavior and assure them you have learned from your mistakes. It may or may not make a difference.
Your Work Is Not Your Own
Do not plagiarize. You will get caught. It will not go well for you. Enough said.
The final blog in this series focuses on putting rejection into perspective.