In this series on rejection, we’ve looked at how to handle the disappointment and reason behind rejections. Now let’s get a little bit of perspective.
Every writer gets rejected. Every one. Even the best.
Frank Herbert’s Dune was rejected 13 times before finding representation.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone received 14 rejections, before being eventually picked up for a paltry £1500 advance. J.K. Rowling is now worth billions (though her reputation is a bit tattered at present).
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle was rejected 29 times.
Stephen King’s first novel Carrie had more than 30 rejections before it went on to sell over a million copies and made into a film.
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell received 38 rejections.
Louis L’Amour (who wrote 100 western novels) was handed 300 rejections before publishing his first book.
Agatha Christie never published her first novel because of the number of rejections. She finally found a publisher for her second novel after she changed the ending for them. During her life, she published 72 novels and 15 short stories.
Ray Bradbury (writer of 100+ SciFi novels) received 800 rejections before publishing his first story.
Beatrix Potter was rejected so many times she decided to self-publish.
Dr Seuss was rejected by 27 publishers and was one his way to burn his manuscript when he found representation on the walk home.
Chicken Soup for the Soul by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen was rejected 144 times before becoming a bestseller and franchise.
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig was rejected 121 times.
Still Alice by Lisa Genova was rejected (or ignored by) 100 agents. It ended up on the New York Times bestseller list for 40 weeks and was made into a major motion picture starring Julianne Moore, who won an Oscar for her portrayal as Alice.
Why am I telling you all of this? Because you are not alone. Rudyard Kipling was told he didn’t “know how to use the English language.” Dr. Seuss was told he was “too different” to sell. And The Diary of Anne Frank was deemed not special enough to warrant publishing.
Herman Melville was asked if Moby Dick had to be a whale. Ernest Hemingway was told he was “tedious and offensive” by an agent who reviewed The Sun Also Rises. H.G. Wells was told that readers would respond to his The War of the Worlds with the admonition to not read “that horrible book.” John Le Carré was written off as not having any future in publishing. And F. Scott Fitzgerald was told he would “have a decent book if (he’d) get rid of that Gatsby character.”
Rejection happens to the best writers too. Sometimes it is hard to remember that when walking the aisles of bookstores or curling up with a favorite book. It’s too easy to fall into the trap of comparing seasoned authors to newbie manuscripts. The problem with that logic is that you are comparing a professionally edited work that had months of rewrites and polishing (not to mention years of experience turning out books) to a self-edited work. It’s not the same thing at all.
You should also bear in mind that agents aren’t necessarily rejecting your story. The problem could be with your query or with something you have no control over. Maybe they are having a bad day? Maybe they just published a flop that was similar to your book in some tiny way. Perhaps they are biased against anyone named Carl or Betty or Fred. Maybe they have too many mysteries on their desk and can’t handle another one no matter how good.
Agents and editors are people. They have their preferences. They may love books about dogs, but hate stories about cats. They may think one writer is terrible and another is great, while the editor in the next cubicle feels the opposite.
You cannot battle these types of opinions. They are too random. The only thing you can do is to stay focused on your writing and in making it the best it can be. Let the rejections inform you, but not destroy you.
Rejections are going to happen. Make peace with that and keep writing and trying.