In this article we'll consider:
How rejection gets a bad rap
Reasons for rejection
Publishing as a business opportunity
Using rejection to your advantage
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Writers eager to wow publishers with their book often misinterpret manuscript rejection. Not a word that inspires confidence, "rejection" is laden with negative connotations like "incapable" or "failed"; and whilst you've heard all the stories of how long it can take for your book to finally be "accepted" by a traditional publisher or literary agent, the thanks-but-no-thanks responses soon wear you down and you dejectedly label yourself not good enough.
But although rejection of your manuscript is indeed all par for the course as a fiction writer seeking a traditional publishing contract, with the right mindset it can be used to your advantage.
Why an agent or publisher rejects your manuscript
Any rejection brings with it a sinking sensation in the stomach and an unpleasant feeling of personal failure. Yet there are any number of reasons your manuscript may not have received the green light on this occasion.
Let's consider some of the facts.
(For the purpose of readability, we'll refer here only to publishers, but this includes agents too.)
Like any business, publishers have a limited budget; meaning they can only acquire, publish and market a limited number of books per year, and thus only those they are confident they can turn a profit on.
This means, in any one year, they acquire only a very small percentage of the total number of submissions they receive.
In order to sufficiently manage the "slush pile" of incoming submissions and not get bogged down, they may operate a system that allows them to quickly assess if a manuscript could be right for them or not.
This system may have nothing to do with the contents of your manuscript.
It may be that the writer hasn't followed the submission guidelines properly, or that the query package is incomplete, unclear, or written in a tone that suggests this is a writer the publisher may not work well with.
It may be that either your genre or your story (no matter how good) is not one they want to work with currently.
They may have recently published or are preparing to publish a similar book/author.
They may not feel there's a strong enough market for your story at present.
However, if the rejection is due to the contents of your manuscript (or submission package), it may be that your manuscript needs more work than they are prepared to undertake according to the budget for publishing and marketing and the number of sales they speculate they could make in return; in other words, it's not financially viable for them.
Any of these reasons simply mean - they just don't feel they're the right fit for you and your book at this particular time.
Publishing contracts are business opportunities
It might help to remember that querying publishers isn't a test of your writing abilities, nor is it a job interview. You're not looking for a publisher to give you a pat on the back or a job - you're effectively asking them to go into partnership with you. You provide the product, they pretty it up and sell it on your behalf through their established channels, with the aim of earning a profit you'll share according to the contract terms you agree to.
This publishers can only do if the business proposition you're offering appears to be a viable one for them. Though what isn't viable for one publisher may be viable for another.
Having your "business proposition" declined is disappointing, but it simply means the publisher you're trying to partner with is not a good fit. In which case, it's in your best interests that they tell you before you go into business with them and later regret it. A good partnership between author and publisher is where you both agree what your book needs and how to get it in front of the right readers.
But finding a publisher that suits your book begins with you. A scattergun approach, of querying every publisher in the Writers' & Artists' Yearbook and praying one of them says yes, is a little like a perfume salesperson trying to sell to every man, woman and child. The exercise would be futile, time wasted, effort outrank success, and the business unprofitable.
Instead, research carefully which publishers you feel could potentially be a good match for you and your book. Visit their website, look at their books on retailer sites - would your book fit amongst them and how are their books performing?
Purposefully targeting publishers saves you time, effort, and the disillusionment of unnecessary rejections.
Use your manuscript's rejection to your advantage
It's easy to get frustrated with repeated rejections, but remember, publishers don't owe you a contract. They don't even owe you feedback on your submission, though some helpfully give it anyway. When they do, gratefully receive it as a free bonus - most writers pay for the kind of advice and guidance that comes from an industry professional.
While feedback from any source is subjective, take some time to evaluate whether or not you agree with what's been said. Perhaps you can see their reasoning immediately; or you may be less convinced, and that's fine too. If several sources point out the same issues, however, you know for certain they're on to something that it could benefit your manuscript greatly to address.
Either way, whether you receive feedback or simply keep getting rejections no matter how targeted and polished your submissions, rather than take it as a personal affront to your abilities and feel wounded, consider instead if there are things you can do to improve your manuscript. Or in business terms, improve on the product you're trying to pitch to investors.
The craft of writing, for any writer in any era, is never fully learned. There is always more that can be developed, changed or improved on. The choice was yours to begin writing, and the choice is entirely yours whether to allow rejection to curtail your goals of getting published, or keep learning about your craft and industry, trying to offer the kind of manuscript that sooner or later will find its match with the right publisher.
Finally...
A publisher's rejection is never personal, never about success or failure, nor is it a commentary on your writing abilities and potential. At best, the publisher is not right for your book at that time; at worst, it's an indication the book may still need more work.
If the problem is with the book itself, and you receive feedback to this effect, take that as your opportunity to ask yourself: "How can I make it better? What is it missing? What do I need to learn in order to improve?"
Just knowing where your story is lacking, and rewriting those areas, might improve your book significantly. If not, seek advice from creative writing articles, books or courses; or consider using beta readers or hiring an editor to get more in-depth feedback and guidance.
Importantly, if you can, reframe your perspective of submitting to publishers - a business proposal rather than a request for approval; and also reframe your relationship with rejection - not a personal attack or failure, but either a wrong fit at that time or a valuable opportunity to improve.
Ultimately, whether your work gets published or not is not down to the "gatekeepers of publishing" but you and you alone. Your commitment over the long term, your passion for books and writing, and your desire to keep learning and refining your craft.
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Tina Williams of Fiction Yogi is a copyeditor and proofreader who works with writers at all stages, giving them the tools to improve their manuscript and level up their writing so they can meet their publishing goals.
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