Rejection is a fact of life. But since this is a blog about the publishing industry, not about life in general, I would like to toss out some general thoughts on the topic, which leads me to the statement:
“Welcome to the industry that will break your heart.”
Isn’t that an encouraging sentiment? I can just imagine you rolling your eyes. But while that statement isn’t a fun one, it is rich with truth.
I admire writers. You put your souls on paper and send them to strangers and pray for acceptance. How do you do that, day in and day out…for your entire career? And then, how do you maintain any sort of sanity and dignity in the process? In a small way I have the same emotion after posting this blog. (Will I get criticized? Did I embarrass myself? Did I offend someone? Did I create a new “frenemy.”)
Some claim that the day their book hits the shelves they no longer have to worry about rejection because they are now a Published Author.
Think again.
When that author goes into a bookstore and fails to find their book…is that rejection? Does it mean your publisher isn’t marketing your book? Does it mean this store hates your writing and refuses to carry your titles? Or could it be that the store is in-between order cycles and yours is sold out? They may only carry one copy of your book at a time. If it is backlist, only the largest stores will stock it. So it is not necessarily rejection or failure or lack of success. Merely a snapshot on a single day at a specific time of that day.
What if your book is published but gets panned in a review in “Publisher’s Weekly,” “The New York Times,” or “The Romantic Times Book Review?” Does it mean the end of your dreams? Are you through before you even begin?
But let’s back up to the very beginning of the process…
When an agent says no with a rejection letter that turns out to be a standard form letter. Is that bad? Hardly.
As an agent I receive dozens of unsolicited proposals each week. The standard letter is a practical necessity. When possible we try to add a personal comment of some sort, but it is rare. When you receive something specific from an agent or an editor in a rejection letter treasure it like gold. There is no obligation for them to say anything at all in reply to you.
But what about a one-on-one meeting with an editor or an agent? How do your evaluate that experience?
At least 14 years ago I remember sitting with Cec Murphey (co-author of the bestselling book 90 Minutes in Heaven) and for an hour he pitched ideas at me. Believe it or not, I rejected every single one of them. His response? “I love this! I can bounce all sorts of ideas off of you and you are honest with me. No patronizing! How refreshing.” He was the consummate professional seeing it as a brainstorming opportunity, not a success or failure exercise.
Five years later he pitched just the right idea that turned into a two book deal with Bethany House (The God Who Pursues and The Relentless God).
And not every rejection is laden with negative connotations. Sometimes it just isn’t right at that time. About five years ago, publishers were not that keen on contracting new historical fiction, they only wanted chick-lit or other contemporary stories. Today the pendulum has swung the opposite direction and we are getting calls and requests for historical fiction.
Take a moment to read the acknowledgments in John B. Olson’s novel Shade. He tells the story of my rejecting this very story at his first writers conference by saying, “I wouldn’t touch that with a 60-foot pole!” At the same conference, editor Karen Ball said, “no way” to the proposal. Many years later the same novel was represented by our agency and sold to B&H Publishing. The acquisitions editor who acquired the book? Karen Ball. But that decade old rejection was the right decision at that time, the market wasn’t ready for Shade at that time. (And by the way, Shade was a finalist in the 2009 Christy Awards for the best novel of the year in the Visionary category.)
Have fun at your next writers conference and ask any editor or agent about the “one that got away.” We have all rejected a book or an author that ended up being a wild success. I asked this of an editor-friend who remembered a meeting at the pub board where everyone looked at each other around the table and laughed, “Talking vegetables? What a silly idea.” And that group of successful publishing executives rejected Veggie Tales.
Over the last 17 years as an editor and an agent I have dozens of infamous rejection stories. It has even become somewhat of a punch line. At a recent writers conference they asked the audience for a show of hands indicating if they had been rejected by Steve Laube. Talk about embarrassing.
True story: When I was an editor at Bethany House I rejected Ted Dekker in 1997 for what was eventually his first published novel Heaven’s Wager (Thomas Nelson, 2000). In 2007 he and I were having a casual conversation at the booksellers convention in Atlanta.
He turned to me and said, “Ten years ago you rejected me.”
My eyes widened a bit.
“I still have that rejection letter,” he added.
Then he leaned forward and asked, “Would you like me to quote it?”
For the next few moments we went down memory lane as he told me about a simple sentence in that rejection letter that challenged him to create memorable characters like those found in the science fiction writing of Orson Scott Card.
Then I said, “But Ted? You never sent me a revised proposal!”
I don’t remember Ted’s exact words, but in essence he replied, “Because another editor offered me a contract based on potential, not performance.”
That is the perfect illustration of the differences from one editor to the next, and from one publishing house to the next, AND from one agent to the next. Each has their own set of internal criteria that baffles the outsider.
All the great writers have experienced rejection at one time or another, and not just by an editor or their agent. But the professional realizes that it isn’t personal. They knuckle down and try again. That is why it is called “work.” If it was easy, anyone could do it.
Walt Disney was once fired from a newspaper because he “didn’t have any good ideas.” So if Mr. Disney could rise above rejection, so can you.
Steve,
Thanks for sharing this. I recall being told by an editor, early in my writing journey, that he’d presented my book to the pub board, but they’d turned it down. “Don’t feel bad,” he continued. “They rejected the Left Behind series, too.”
When a baseball player plays against a team that traded him away, he always seems to play a bit harder during that game, wanting to show them what they let get away. Why should it be different with an author and rejections? We’ll just work that much harder.
Steve,
Really appreciated your thoughts here. Very encouraging. I’ve got an unusual story. My first book, The Unfinished Gift, is coming out one month from today, published by Revell.
My journey getting it published is quite unusual. Turns out, you sent me my one and only rejection letter. Terri Blackstock is a friend and, after finishing my book, I’d asked her to recommend some of the better agents in Christian fiction. She sent me a list. I braced myself for the avalanche of rejection letters I fully expected to come. Then decided to submit to three at a time (I figured this was as much rejection as I could take at a time). You were in the first group of three. To my surprise, the other two agents asked to read the full manuscript, and I picked one to rep me (she’s done a great job).
I’m no Ted Dekker, but I honestly do hope the book takes off in a big way. If it does, I won’t rub your letter in your face. To me, you are one of the good guys, and I definitely understand why Terri had you on her list.
Dan,
I remember your proposal and congrats on finding an agent and a publisher so quickly! May you ANOTHER one of my “ones who got away” stories.
Steve -
Appreciate your candor.
I was in the audience at the writers conference when they asked for a show of hands, and raised my hand as one whom you had rejected. I was actually comforted when I saw who else raised their hands. At least I was in good company!
On a more serious note, you advised me at that conference to edit my book using Self-Editing for Fiction Writers. That little book has done more to ratchet up the caliber of my writing than many other books in my library combined!
Someday I intend to resubmit to you. Whether you reject me again or not, thanks for the great advice!
Thank you for your kind comments!
To add to that conference story? In the faculty meeting each teacher introduced themselves, “Hi. My name is… and I work for…(or) my latest book is titled…” and then many added “And I was rejected by Steve Laube!” It was very funny. After a dozen of these declarations it was my turn.
I stepped up and said, “Hi. My name is Steve Laube and my rejection is the key to your success!”
It got a huge laugh.
But I took from that a lesson. Each faculty member in that room had experienced multiple rejections in their career. But none took it as a sign to quit. Each knuckled down, worked a little harder, found a different idea, studied some more, etc. And now they were teaching others how to do the same. That is the sign of a pro.
Steve, I wish all rejection letters were as gracious and encouraging as yours was to me! I actually finished reading it with a smile!
Okay, I have to set the record straight here. Steve, I love ya, but I didn’t say “no way” to the proposal. In fact, I loved it so much I hunted John down to talk with him about it. And proceeded to bug him about it for the next ten years, telling him the same thing: “When you’re ready to send it to me, I’m ready to take it to committee.” And when John did send it to me as SHADE, I was delighted.
Even so, you ARE right that the market wasn’t ready for SHADE back then. And timing–God’s timing–is everything!
Thanks for the great post, Steve. Love reading your thoughts.
Karen, Karen, Karen,
You PROVE my point. Here I go and tell a great story only to find that my facts weren’t straight. (rejection at its finest) You gotta love this game.
I stand corrected. I do remember you loving his proposal at the conference and suggesting John when the faculty was discussing who should be given the “New Writer of the Year” award. We all agreed that it should be John.
So you didn’t really reject it. Not really. But it would have been a huge stretch for the company you were working for to take it…back then.
And if the “crowd” reading our bickering is wondering…Karen and I are great friends. And I happen to also be HER literary agent.
To further make this story interesting. In John’s proposal…the one Karen bought for B&H, Shade was actually proposed as book three in a trilogy. With many brainstorms and creative thinking, it became the first book in the trilogy and Powers, book two in the trilogy is being shipped in about a month!
Dear Steve,
This post reminds me of how I felt after my meeting with you at a conference earlier this year. Yes, you declined my novel, but you gave me the exact feedback I needed to dig deeper, work harder, and make another significant cut to the overlong word count, when I thought I’d done all I could.
Thank you for taking that time with me. It made a difference.
Thanks, Steve. You captured all the facets. The hope, the letdown, the try-again…and again…and… It’s hard for any writer not yet published to imagine insecurity persists after one finally holds one’s book in-hand, but it’s true. That’s when the bookstore check kicks in. Today I needed that reminder about books being not right at one time and perfect at another, so thanks. I’m working on one like that and needed the encouragement that the right time might be now.
This is a wonderful post.
The process can be brutal but rewarding. And it helps knowing that God’s timing is always perfect, even if it doesn’t seem like it at the time.
Great post! I met you at the FL Christian Writer’s Conference one year and you were so very nice! I also remember a lot of jokes about your rejection rate.
But you did mention Dekker then and you were extremely helpful and kind. Thanks for this post. It’s a great reminder about the subjectivity of everything. 
Why would John have pitched (or even shown) a proposal/idea if he had no intention of selling it? It sounds like Karen, an acquisitions editor, said yes, and he said, “Uh…never mind.” What’s up with that?
Mike, I think my writing of the story may have confused you. And the follow up comments may have added to the confusion. Ten years ago John’s idea would not have sold to the houses that Karen or I worked for at the time. But she never forgot the story. Years later the market changed. Meanwhile John was involved in writing three four other novels, OXYGEN, FIFTH MAN, ADRENALINE, and FOSSIL HUNTER.
You make it sound like John pitched something he didn’t want to sell. Not the case. As I said, read the acknowledgment to his book SHADE for a better version of the story.
See? I was just rejected for writing an incomplete story. I left questions unanswered.
I guess what confused me was Karen’s comment, “And proceeded to bug him about it for the next ten years, telling him the same thing: ‘When you’re ready to send it to me, I’m ready to take it to committee,’” which sure sounds like she was ready to take it to committee anytime John wanted, not that she liked it but everyone mutually agreed the time wasn’t right for it. Thanks for the clarification.
I am wondering if you, or one of your readers, might be able to direct me to a book geared towards teaching to write autobiographically. I am attempting to write my memoirs of our years as missionaries in the Venezuelan jungle. I have a story but lack the knowledge of how to put it all together.
For “Jungle Mom” -
Rachelle Gardner (WordServe Literary Agency) had a guest blogger, Margot Starbuck, this past Thursday, Aug. 27, who wrote on the “Do’s and Don’ts of Writing a Memoir.” Here’s the link:
http://cba-ramblings.blogspot.com/
Hope you find it helpful!
Great post! I needed to read this one today as I am starting the query process and trying not to get myself all stressed with the rejections sure to come. I love that you mentioned some great writers who were rejected and didn’t give up. I will remember these examples when I am boo-hooing over any of my own:)
Dear Steve,
I’m sad to say you sent me a rejection letter a few months ago. However, that letter is pinned to the wall above my desk. Why? Because you took the time to compliment my work and explain why it’s not a proper fit for you right now. Thank you so much for the personal note! You gave me better understanding of the material I need to produce. Perhaps I’ll have something else to offer you eventually.
What a wonderful and insightful post. I hope lots of writers read this and take the words to heart. It is hard to get the ego out of the way, but when we do, we can operate much more successfully in the business side of writing and publishing.
Having received this week both a rejection of a short story, and a note from my agent that an editor is taking a nibble on my first novel, I really needed some perspective on this issue. book two is coming along and the pieces are beginning to fall into place. Thank you so much for sharing.
Rejection is a spirit and we have to fight it no matter what!