Thanks, but No Thanks: When Your Writing Gets Rejected

Everyone from Stephen King to Agatha Christie to Dr. Seuss has experienced rejection…and lots of it. Margaret Mitchell famously had her Pulitzer Prize-winning Gone With the Wind rejected 38 times. Frank Herbert’s Dune, one of the world’s best-selling sci-fi books of all time, was rejected by 23 different publishers.

While rejection is part of life, it’s an even bigger part when you’re a writer. Most agents, publishers and publications have extraordinarily low acceptance rates, around 1–5%. The New Yorker’s acceptance rate is believed to be one-tenth of one percent.

So, unless you’re one of the very lucky, and very, very, few (in which case, you should probably buy a lottery ticket), rejection is bound to happen.

We know firsthand how hard it is to be rejected. It takes a lot to put yourself out there, not only courage—but effort and time. Rejection can make you want to put your pen away for good, but we implore you; don’t give up.

Rejection doesn’t mean you won’t be a successful writer. You know what does? Giving up.

Perseverance is the most important quality a writer can have. In this industry, success rarely starts with acceptance. It’s all about continuing despite the obstacles life throws at you, whether a busy schedule, self-doubt, or rejection.

Rejection positions you at a crossroads: either you quit or you continue working towards your goals.

That’s not to say you have to bounce back immediately. When you receive a rejection, it’s perfectly normal to feel disappointed and even frustrated. Give yourself permission to process these emotions as you recover from rejection. Many successful writers find it helpful to step away from their work for a spell, whether that's for an hour or a week. There’s no shame in taking a break before re-engaging.

During this period, keep the bigger picture in mind, and the fact that rejection is inevitable. The bottom line is, rejection means you tried. The overwhelming majority of writers never get as far as submitting. Be proud!

It’s also important to remember that your work is being rejected, not you. We wish we could publish everyone who enters our contests, but it’s just not possible. Don’t take rejection personally. It’s not a comment on your capabilities. There are many reasons why a piece might be rejected. Sometimes it’s just not a fit for a particular agent, publisher, or publication.

After rejection, some writers choose to switch gears and dive into another project. While this may work for you, we encourage you not to abandon your rejected story completely. If it was worth submitting, it’s worth returning to.

“For every accomplishment there were twenty rejections… In the end, though, only one attitude enabled me to move ahead. That attitude said, ‘Rejection can simply mean redirection.’”

— Maya Angelou

Once you feel ready, it’s time to revisit your story. Sure, you could just blast it out, as is, to a dozen more publications, hoping one of them will see it differently, but this route is less likely to lead to success. Instead, take rejection as a cue to review your work and see what you can do to improve your chances of acceptance.

This is what makes our contests different. Unlike the majority of other contests. If you don't make it into a Bardsy anthology, you won't walk away empty-handed. Finalist or not, every entry receives editorial feedback. You can use this information as food for thought, or possibly to guide future revision.

While we invest a lot of thought into providing useful feedback, it’s only as useful as you make it. You could choose to ignore our comments, or you could carefully consider them, take action to address them and ultimately increase your likelihood of publication, whether with us or anyone else.

Now, when it comes to improving your work, we don’t just reject and wish you the best. We’re more than a site that hosts writing contests: we’re a community, with author-educators and fellow writers who want to see you succeed. We understand the ups and downs of the writing life and are here to navigate them with you.

Consider continuing to polish your story in a directed writing group. If you’re feeling lost or stuck, professional coaching can help get you back on track.

At the end of the day, you want to get published, and we want to publish you! All our offerings are meant to support this mutual goal, so you can hear “yes” more often.

We’ll leave you with this: every rejection is an opportunity. Will you throw in the towel and let rejection have the last word, or will you continue on the path to success?

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Thanks, but No Thanks: When Your Writing Gets Rejected

Rejection positions you at a crossroads: either you quit or you continue working towards your goals.

“For every accomplishment there were twenty rejections… In the end, though, only one attitude enabled me to move ahead. That attitude said, ‘Rejection can simply mean redirection.’” — Maya Angelou

“For every accomplishment there were twenty rejections… In the end, though, only one attitude enabled me to move ahead. That attitude said, ‘Rejection can simply mean redirection.’”

— Maya Angelou