A while back, I was on a live stream with Anna Akana when she did something that surprised me. Instead of saying “aw man” or so when I mentioned how many rejections I have gotten, she got excited. She said it was good for me.
After the rejections made a mountain on my desk, they felt more negative. Like the judging world was against what I’ve created. But Anna seemed generally excited that I was putting my work out there.
“That’s amazing! That’s awesome. You have to face so much rejection before you get like a win. That’s awesome. You can’t have a yes without like a f***ing pile of nos.”
The recognition felt good. Truly. But I still wondered how many rejections do we need to get before we realize we’re…bad?
I know my applications have improved since those rejections. My poetry is better. My queries are stronger. My writing raises notice. For better? I’m not sure. But they have changed.
But even then, if I got over 50 rejections, does that mean that I’m not good at what I want to do? Even if I keep putting myself out there, there should be a rejection limit that makes me rethink what I’m doing. Right?
But I also know the security line of what gets published or not—those literary agents and editors—don’t always make the best decisions. Dr. Seuss got rejected 27 times before getting published. The Help got rejected 60 times. Chicken Soup for the Soul got rejected 144 times.
Even James Patterson, the #1 author who averages at least 70–90 million every year, got rejected 31 times.
But does that mean we should always keep going no matter what? Or should there be a time when we stop, reevaluate what we’re doing, and at least rethink it? Leave a comment below!
Robin LeeAnn 
I agree with you. We should stop when we are tired and re start after some time.
Rejection are a kind of failure….and we all know that failure are the pillars of success.
Great thought!
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Glad you agree!
I know failures can build to success, but I hadn’t thought of them as pillars of success before. That’s a cool thought.
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Great question! I think you should just keep writing and taking a peek on how to improve here and there and implementing that into your work but with all the experience you’re gaining, you’re naturally get to be more effective and no. There is no limit on how much you should keep throwing your work out there. The best always keep going after tons of rejections. It can be hard but look at it this way. You enjoy what you do. Right? Keep writing and enjoy yourself. In the end, you can look back on a lifetime of fun. What can top that?
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Great advice! Thank you.
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Haha – I have lost the count – but not giving up 😊
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I would lose count too if Submittable would stop keeping count for me. : p
Great that you’re not giving up though! We can’t give up.
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Lol. I like that. Yeah no way my friend 😊
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A great article. A thoughtful question. I think you shouldn’t give up. Each writer has a unique way of writing. And the writing will find a home one day…
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That’s a great way to put it. “Will find a home one day.” I like it. Thank you.
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You’re welcome, Robinleeann
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