Rejections Still Sting

I just heard from the folks at Tor.com that they're going to pass on "Closing Time at Galaxy Video." That wasn't unexpected, Tor is a hard market to crack.

I also received a rejection from James Roy Daley for "Gilgamesh", my submission for his Zombie Kong anthology. His note was friendlty and encouraging, and suggested that he liked the story but that it just wasn't a good fit.

Rejection is easier these days than when I first started out. I think my first rejection was a form letter from Omni magazine for a flash fiction story I wrote in college. I was so crushed by that and a few other rejections that I stopped sending stories in for about 20 years.

Rejection is part of the business. Since I started writing again I've had more than 20 stories accepted, and that affirmation helps a lot. It also helps when you get an encouraging note with the rejection and (IMO) shows a lot of class on the editor's part. Just the same, even the kindest rejection still stings, and I find myself wondering if my stories are complete rubbish and whether I should just stop.

If you've ever felt this way, I can sympathize. My only advice is what I tell myself: "Don't quit. Keep writing and keep sending those stories to people who might reject them. When an editor gives you encouragement, take it to heart. When an editor gives you criticism, take that to heart too and learn all you can from it. But as long as there are stories in you that want to be told, don't ever give up!"