{"id":227,"date":"2008-11-10T06:00:09","date_gmt":"2008-11-10T13:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cindyprocter-king.com\/blog\/?p=227"},"modified":"2008-11-08T14:12:00","modified_gmt":"2008-11-08T21:12:00","slug":"welcome-guest-blogger-diana-cosby","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cindyprocter-king.com\/blog\/welcome-guest-blogger-diana-cosby\/","title":{"rendered":"Welcome Guest Blogger Diana Cosby"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

REJECTIONS\u2014THE LESSONS WITHIN<\/strong><\/p>\n

Before I discuss rejections, I had to look up Merriam-Webster’s definition:<\/p>\n

Rejection:\u00a0 1 a:<\/strong> to refuse to accept, consider, submit to, take for some purpose, or use <rejected<\/em> the suggestion> <reject<\/em> a manuscript><\/p>\n

I found it interesting that Merriam-Webster’s first reference was at the heart of a writer’s issue.\u00a0 But, remember, the impact of the rejection is that of our choosing.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>I’m an extreme optimist.\u00a0 I believe everything happens for a reason, and I believe, however tragic, good can be found in any situation.\u00a0 It’s up to us to look past the hurt, to find the lessons within the challenging situation which will make us better, and will make us stronger.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Let’s face it, if you decide to write and submit your stories, rejections are part of the process.\u00a0 Instead of focusing on the negativity of a rejection, let’s break down some of the many reasons why an agent or an editor doesn’t accept your work:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Their client list or book slots for a certain period is full\u2014a pure business circumstance\u2014not a rejection.<\/li>\n
  2. \n
    The agent or editor doesn’t connect with your voice.\u00a0 As an author, we want the person who is marketing our novel to not only believe in our work, but to be passionate about it as well.\u00a0 Anything less and they won’t market your work to booksellers and other venues to the fullest extent.\u00a0 So, a pass by an agent or an editor allows you to connect with another business professional who totally Believes in your writing.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
  3. \n
    Your work is sub par\u2014[show vs. tell.] less is more.\u00a0 I’ve always thought the amazing thing about writing is that each of us believes our current work-in-progress is the most amazing, well-written story.\u00a0 This belief, however realistic, is necessary for us to dedicate the months necessary to finish the novel.\u00a0 However brilliant your work, until it’s strong, emotionally evocative writing, it won’t be competitive in today’s market.\u00a0 Use the rejection as a tool to let you really focus on your story, to ensure it’s your strongest writing.\u00a0If you are fortunate enough to receive feedback from an agent or editor, review it.\u00a0 Does the feedback make sense to you?\u00a0 Do you think it will strengthen\u00a0your novel?\u00a0 If so, use their comments as a base to tighten your work further for\u00a0future submissions. The bottom line is, once your novel is completed, it’s a marketable resource.\u00a0 If you don’t sell your book at this moment, don’t despair.\u00a0 Down the road, pull it out, tighten it to a target market, then resubmit it.\u00a0<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
  4. \n
    Something about your story doesn’t fit their guidelines.\u00a0 It’s really important before you decide to submit your work to a line, that you’ve done your research.\u00a0 If your novel is about a shape shifter and you submit it to a line seeking inspirational stories, odds are you are going to receive a thanks but no thanks.\u00a0 Okay, so I used an extreme example, but I hope you see my point.\u00a0 It’s imperative to ensure your story is targeted at the correct market venue.\u00a0 Otherwise, it’s not a rejection, but a letter stating that your work doesn’t fit their line, which makes sense.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Rejections are tough to receive.\u00a0 When I hit 100, I quit counting them.\u00a0 I figured that I’d learned how to acquire them.\u00a0 \ud83d\ude42\u00a0 But, I also learned the value of a rejection, that they’re far more than a slip of paper dismissing my work.\u00a0 Rejections are proof that I’m a dedicated professional, that I’m a writer who dares to believe in myself enough to submit my work, and most of all, a person who follows their dreams.\u00a0Adversity tests if we truly want to write.\u00a0Nothing worth anything is ever easy.\u00a0 Never give up\u2014perseverance is the key.\u00a0My sincere best to each of you as you follow your heart.<\/p>\n

    Thank you for stopping by!<\/p>\n

    ***<\/p>\n

    Please leave a comment or question for Diana to enter to win a free copy of HIS WOMAN.<\/p>\n

    Visit Diana’s website<\/a> to learn more about her and her books.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    REJECTIONS\u2014THE LESSONS WITHIN Before I discuss rejections, I had to look up Merriam-Webster’s definition: Rejection:\u00a0 1 a: to refuse to accept, consider, submit to, take for some purpose, or use <rejected the suggestion> <reject a manuscript> I found it interesting that Merriam-Webster’s first reference was at the heart of a writer’s issue.\u00a0 But, remember, the… Continue reading Welcome Guest Blogger Diana Cosby<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":51,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39,38],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-227","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-give-aways","category-guest-bloggers","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cindyprocter-king.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cindyprocter-king.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cindyprocter-king.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cindyprocter-king.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/51"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cindyprocter-king.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=227"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cindyprocter-king.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":374,"href":"https:\/\/cindyprocter-king.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227\/revisions\/374"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cindyprocter-king.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=227"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cindyprocter-king.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=227"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cindyprocter-king.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=227"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}