Second Chances

Second chances. As a romance writer, I definitely believe in them. We all need them from time to time, even in the writing industry. Maybe especially in this business. Thankfully the Lord gives us second chances and sometimes we find an editor doing the same. When we receive a rejection (and believe me I have received my fair shares), we can’t give up because we never know when we will be given a second chance. An editor may not like the story you submitted but the next one may think it’s perfect. Don’t let that rejection shut you down. You never know when you will get your second chance.
Okay, let’s say you are lucky enough to sell your first book (or even two). Don’t make the mistake I did and think the path is paved with gold. Everything you write will sell and you have it made. NOT! For most of us it can be a struggle with our following book or we will hit a bump in the road of our career farther down the line. Either way, one sale doesn’t mean you will continue to sell without a lot of hard work and determination (and maybe some luck thrown in, too). So my point is not to give up if you get rejections after your first sell or for that matter any sell. Second, take the rejection for what it is, one person’s opinion that the story doesn’t work for her. That doesn’t mean the next editor won’t love the story. If you don’t send it out, you will never know.
I think of a rejection as a writer’s red badge of courage (a classic about war). It takes courage to let your baby go. It takes courage to send it out again after a rejection. It takes courage to write another story and keep writing.
When I get a rejection, I mourn for a day or so then I grit my teeth and get down to business. Of course, a hot caramel sundae always helps and maybe a movie and lunch with a friend. What do you do when you receive a rejection? How do you get through the pain?