Rejections and Notes

Not at this time. It doesn't fit our needs. Please submit again. Thank you for thinking of us. We wish you luck...editors have an unending list of ways to hopefully soften the harshness of the no. But they don't really take the sting out of the rejection, do they?

I'm just thankful that we have moved (for the most part) past print communications. The days of opening a envelope, unfolding the crisp letterhead and reading...NO. You got to hold that physical representation of rejection in your hand and, if you wanted to torture yourself, you stuffed it into a file marked "Rejections". A file that taunted you by getting fatter and fatter and occasionally whispered "Read me."

I had one of those files for many years. It all ended with the advent of email and the instantaneous erasure of rejections with the delete button. That and a small but cathartic bonfire.

Erasing reminders of rejection is a great first step but writers need more than that. If you're anything like me you can recount every writing rejection in detail. The ones you knew were longshots. The ones you thought were sure things. The ones that started out as maybes but instead of transforming to an acceptance went the other way. We remember them all.

Stop that!

A few months ago I found another file stuffed in the back of my cabinet labelled "Notes". Fifteen years of letters, handwritten notes, and Letters to the Editor about my writing. Some from readers came directly to my house but many took a circuitous route, going to a publication that forwarded it to my editor who then mailed it out to me. There were also notes from editors and fellow writers.

Thanks for the great story...I had no idea...You really made my day...Believe in yourself.

After perusing through that file full of encouragement I realized that although delete made erasing the rejections easy, it also made erasing the positive boosts easy too. How many encouraging emails from both people in the industry and readers had ended up forgotten?

So I decided to start printing out any positive communications before they disappear into the Trash file. My own personal version of WOW's Success Stories. When I feel a little discouraged I look over the email print-outs taped to the wall in my office and feel invigorated. It's like having my own personal cheerleader.

How do you encourage yourself when rejection has you feeling down?

Jodi M. Webb writes from her home in the Pennsylvania mountains about everything from DIY projects to pretzels to butterflies to treehouses.  She's also a blog tour manager for WOW-Women on Writing. Get to know her @jodiwebbwrites,  Facebook and blogging at Words by Webb.

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2 comments encouragement for writers, Jodi M. Webb, rejection, writing tips

3 Ways to Soften Rejection

 

Last time I blogged here on the Muffin, I wrote about querying. In 2023, I made a push to get more of my work out into the world. I want to renew this goal for 2024, but the problem with querying more is that you get more rejections. 

Some rejections I shrug off. I may pop into my database and see how many more agents have my proposal or jot myself a note to send out another batch of queries. But this isn’t always the case. Some rejections flatten me. 

This week I was talking to one of the students. The fear of potential rejection stops her from polishing a piece to the point that she can send it out. We discussed some of the ways she can deal with rejection because rejections are part of life. 

At various points in my writing life, I’ve dealt with rejection in different ways. Here are three of them.

The Rejection Jar 

The rejection jar.

When I was a new writer, a friend and I each created a rejection jar. Mine was a pottery jar with dozens of slips of paper. Get a rejection, draw a slip of paper, and do what it says. A slip might say “go to a movie” or “visit a gallery.” 

This worked for a long time until I started writing regularly for one editor. I was submitting very little to anyone else, so I didn’t need my jar. 

Set a Goal 

When I started sending out my work again, I set a goal. Earn 5 rejection letters a month. Don’t ask. I don’t even remember where I heard of this. The idea is that each rejection is a step towards your goal. It isn’t a failure, it’s progress. 

And, again, it worked until I landed a cozy relationship with another editor who monopolized my writing time. I’m not complaining, but I wasn’t submitting to anyone else. There went that goal! 

Celebrating Rejection 

One bead per rejection.

At this point in my writing life, I work for one packager and one publisher on a regular basis. But I want an agent and I want to branch out. Thus, the submissions and the rejections. 

This time around my rejection solution came from Andrea Askowitz of Writing Class Radio. Episode 170 discusses how she has been rejected over 643 times. To mark these rejections, she drops a stone into a bowl in her backyard. When she sees the stones, she sees how much work she has put into publishing her writing. 

 The day I decided to do something similar St. Louis was iced in so I needed an indoor solution. I found a variety of beads the color of sea glass. Then I found a jar. I dropped in two beads for my two 2024 rejections. 

It was underwhelming. But wait! Askowitz didn’t start only with recent rejections. For years, I’ve kept a database of my submissions. I searched for the word rejection. 38. Subtract the two beads already in the jar and add 36 more. Hold on! Many publishers and agents say “no response means no.” I skimmed my submissions and found 52 silent rejections. That looked a lot better than 2 or even 38. 

My next thought surprised me. “I better get going so I can add to the jar.” The next morning, I queried two more agents. Tomorrow I’m querying a journal. 

There is no right answer for how to get yourself through rejection. There is only what works for you right now. Take a suggestion from another writer, maybe even from me, and then make it your own. 

How do you keep the blues at bay when you get a rejection? 

 --SueBE

Sue Bradford Edwards' is the author of 40 books for young readers.  

• To find out more about her writing, visit her site and blog, One Writer's Journey.  
• Click here to find her newsletter.

She is also the instructor for 3 WOW classes which begin again on February 5, 2024. 
She teaches:

• Pitching, Querying and Submitting Your Work 
• Research: Prepping to Write Nonfiction for Children and Young Adults 
• Writing Nonfiction for Children and Young Adults 

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4 comments author rejection, coping with rejection, rejection, Sue Bradford Edwards

Look for the Good News in Your Writing

It's easy to get down on yourself about rejections. From writing gigs to literary magazine submissions, I have gotten far more rejections than acceptances in my writing career. 

However, every now and then, a positive rejection comes in that makes you feel that all is not lost in your writing journey.

I had that recently with a short story of mine that has been rejected countless times. In fact, in the last few months, I wondered if maybe I should change something about it. Was it too long? Was it too bizarre of a concept? Was it not bizarre enough? Was it bad to set the story in an office?

And then recently, I got this rejection:

"We're incredibly sorry for leaving you waiting for so long! And thank you for submitting your story to [REDACTED] Unfortunately, we are unable to accept it for publication. That said, we found this to be a well-written piece, and we hope you will share your work with us again!"

A well-written piece? Are you kidding me? 

YOU LIKE ME? YOU REALLY LIKE ME? (Kudos to anyone who knows that classic Oscar thank-you speech)

One positive rejection can mean a world of difference. 

They don't always come, though. Sometimes, you have to rely on previous knowledge of your own writing journey as the momentum that pushes you along. When rejections come, you need to remind yourself, "I can do this! I've done it before. I can do this again."

Sometimes the only positive you can rely upon is knowing that you love to write. Remember that feeling? The love of storytelling? 

If you have journeyed far away from your enjoyment of writing, don't be afraid to put all those fancy goals aside and learn to enjoy the process again. No more word counts. No more deadlines. Just enjoy it again. That alone can give you momentum for when writing becomes a mud-filled slog. 

Nicole Pyles is a writer living in Portland, Oregon. When she's not hunting down the right word, she's talking to God, reviewing books on her writing blog, watching movies, hanging out with family, and daydreaming. Her work has been featured in Ripley's Believe it or Not, WOW! Women on Writing, The Voices Project, Sky Island Journal, and Arlington Literary Journal. Her poetry was also featured in the anthology, Dear Leader Tales. Read her musings at WorldofMyImagination.com.

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3 comments Nicole Pyles, rejection

Rejections Are Personal, Just Not How You Think

TBR: Book love is highly personal.

Rejection letters are not personal. I know you’ve heard that before. 

We tell each other that because rejection letters sometimes feel personal. After all, we’ve poured time and soul into the manuscript. Telling us you don’t want it, or worse yet that you hated it, feels deeply personal. I’m not going to stick up for editors or agents who say that they hated something. Or that you should stop writing or whatever. I think we just have to assume they didn’t have a West Texas grandma with a broom. They’d have learned not to be hateful. 

Recently, I learned just how rejection letters are personal. The book club I’m in just read a mystery. I love mysteries. Love them! And I know that the friend who picked it out did so because she knows how enthusiastic I am about mysteries, but this book was a slog. I disliked it enough to look it up. Surely there would be tons of bad reviews. What?! It won an Edgar. 

I never did warm up to this particular book, but I’m glad I read it because it clarified for me how rejection letters are personal. I like mysteries, historic nonfiction, biographies of historic women, and American history. I like fantasy, science fiction, and humorous fiction. I love everything from picture books to novels and book-length memoir. 

But that doesn’t mean I want to read every mystery. If a book features an anti-hero, I’m not going to be easily pulled in. I don’t mind police procedurals or edgy stories, but there needs to be humor and a bit of levity. And, please, no talking cats. I’m not saying that cats are incapable of speech, but simply that they do not deign to chat with the help. 

I have similar quirky preferences with every type of book I read. For historic nonfiction, Stamped from the Beginning is a YES, but presidential biographies are generally a NO. I love fantasy but not vampire stories. And science fiction must be character driven. These preferences are deeply personal. 

Now think about that in terms of agents and the manuscripts they receive. I recently saw an agent speak at an event. She talked about her love of humorous picture books. I immediately pulled up the library catalog and requested every one of her humorous picture books. I am sad to report that I didn’t laugh even once. Humor is deeply personal, and we clearly like very different things. 

When you are researching possible markets, you are going to find magazines that sound spot on and agents who seem like your dream. Read the magazine. Check out books the agent represented. Some won’t appeal to you but others will, because what we each love is personal and subjective. 

And that’s okay. It is why there are so many books out there. We each like something a little different whether we are readers, writers, editors, or agents. That's why each of us has a different pile of books on their bedside table.

--SueBE

Sue Bradford Edwards' is the author of over 30 books for young readers.  To find out more about her writing, visit her site and blog, One Writer's Journey.

The next session of her new course, Pitching, Querying and Submitting Your Work will begin on October 4, 2021).  Coping with rejection is one of the topics she will cover in this course.

Sue is also the instructor for  Research: Prepping to Write Nonfiction for Children and Young Adults (next session begins October 4, 2021) and Writing Nonfiction for Children and Young Adults (next session begins October 4, 2021). 

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5 comments book love, reading, rejection, Rejection Letters, researching markets

Psych 101: Rejection

About two weeks ago, I got two rejections in a single day. One was from a dream agent and it was a FORM rejection. But I was simply too busy to let it bother me. Whatever. Deadline dead ahead. 

Then a friend spoke about a similar pair of rejection that really shook her. She’s an amazing CNF writer and has had work in places I would never dream of approaching. But the rejections flattened her. 

Both of our responses made me wonder. Why do writers react to rejection the way we do? I turned to psychology for answers about how we react and what can be done about it. 

Why It Hurts 

For answers as to why rejection hurts, we need to look to the past. Early humans, without ferocious teeth or claws or the ability to run really fast, survived because they were part of a group of other humans. Psychotherapist Lori Gottlieb explains that rejection was BAD and humans developed a response, for their own good, that made them want to avoid it. 

We are hardwired to react and to hate the way it feels. What about the variety of responses? 

How we as individuals react is rooted in infancy and the attachments we formed. Psychologist Leslie Becker-Phelps explained that people who had secure attachment styles grow up seeing ourselves as worthy. Those with an insecure attachment style are more . . . insecure. 

Not that this means you will never be impacted or that you will always be impacted. Because there are things you can do to help you deal with rejection. 

When Rejection Happens 

First things first, acknowledge what you are feeling. Go ahead and be angry, sad, bewildered, or shocked. Feel, observe and identify your feelings. This may take a day or two but that’s okay. 

Once you’ve identified your feelings, move into self-care. Psychologists warned that this doesn’t mean self-medicating with alcohol, chocolate, or other sweets. Empty calories are never a good long-term plan. 

Instead, do something that centers you. For some people this might involve running or meditation. Do things that make you feel calm and serene. I walk, do yoga, and knit. 

Moving Forward 

Once you’ve had time to process the feelings and are in a better space, take another look at your query, pitch or manuscript. Is it the best it could possibly be? Don’t just come back with “of course it is!” There’s bound to be one section that is especially strong. Now find the weakest section. What can you do to make it as good as your best section? 

Perhaps the work really is as strong as it can be. If so, make sure that the agents or publishers you targeted were the best possible fit. Look at other markets and see if you can find one that is similar but even better for your work. 

The Big Picture 

As you prepare yourself for the next round of submissions, consider why you are pursuing publication. What does it mean to you? Look at the amount of effort you’ve already put into it. Writing, rewriting, and completing a manuscript is a big deal. Not everyone can pull it off. But you’ve done it. 

In part, how we respond to rejection is hardwired. But we can work through it when it happens. And we can make sure our work is top notch and our markets are the best possible fit. Have your self-care routines in place and then hit send.

Acceptance or rejection, your fellow WOW writers will be gathered round when the responses come. And a caring community? A highly recommended way to stay centered. 

--SueBE

Sue Bradford Edwards' is the author of over 27 books for young readers.  To find out more about her writing, visit her site and blog, One Writer's Journey.

The next session of her new course, Pitching, Querying and Submitting Your Work will begin on July 5, 2021).  Coping with rejection is one of the topics she will cover in this course.
Sue is also the instructor for  Research: Prepping to Write Nonfiction for Children and Young Adults (next session begins July 5, 2021) and Writing Nonfiction for Children and Young Adults (next session begins  July 5, 2021). 

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9 comments coping with rejection, psychology, rejection, Sue Bradford Edwards, the writing life

Good News/ Bad News

Have you ever been faced by the good news/bad news question? Like when your first-born kid walks in the door and says, “I’ve got good news and bad news. Which do you want first?” 

I always say give me the bad news first (“I flunked the Algebra test”). I like to have something positive to end the discussion/encounter on a high note ("But almost the whole class flunked it"). Granted, that’s not exactly good news anywhere except in a high school classroom, but the point is, there’s hope, right? Maybe the teacher will do a re-test. Or maybe she’ll allow half credit if the wrong questions are turned in with correct answers. Or maybe the students can drop their lowest grade. See what I mean? Options for a better outcome! 

I wasn’t always able to see the good news in a bad news writing scenario. But in time, I found a Pollyanna strategy that helped me cope in a career that has an alarmingly high rate of bad news. It’s a numbers game, after all, whether you’re ultra-successful or just starting out. Here’s an example (or three) to show you what I mean: 

A form rejection from an agent: Yep, that’s bad news. But the good news is there are plenty of agents, and perhaps with a bit more research and specific targeting, you’ll get a nibble next time. And what if you go through every single agent and still no bites? No doubt, that’s really bad news. But it’s also very possible that new agents have come along since you started your quest. Workshop your query and then try the new batch of agents. Or self-publish!

A “No, thanks!” from an article pitch where you’ve already done all the work: Oh, yeah, that’s bad news. All that work and nothing to show for it. But the good news is you’ve already done all the work! Take a look around and see if you can pitch the same article to another similar market. OR give the article a different slant and pitch to an entirely different kind of market. OR pull the article apart and pitch sections to several other markets. You may end up better off than you would’ve been with an acceptance from the first rejection! 

A book comes out and it’s identical in concept/subject to your working manuscript: Ugh, that’s bad news. It’s kinda the worst news because you know that you have a great publishable concept. Who’s going to want it now? BUT there is good news here because you have a great publishable concept! 

So first, the chances of your manuscript being absolutely identical are slim; keep going. Moreover, chances are also good that in the time it takes for your book to be finished and sold could be three or more years! Um…yeah, that’s not hugely good news but it’s a start. Besides, maybe you’ll give your manuscript a new twist on the subject. And the even better news is you realized that the other book was out there before you started shopping your book around. You have time to do something different! Oh my goodness, so many options! 

So don’t waste your time and energy fretting over bad news. Look for the good news, my Pollyanna writers, and get back to work!

~

Cathy C. Hall, whose bad news is that she hasn't quite got round to working on her latest manuscript. But the good news is, she has totally figured out all those pesky plot points whilst lying around, snoozing and reading and eating at the beach. And isn't that the best news ever?!

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5 comments Agents, Cathy C. Hall, pitching articles, rejection, revising novels, writing advice, writing inspiration

5 Things to Help You Cope with Rejection

Whether you are submitting your first manuscript or your thirteenth, on some days rejection is no big deal. You will have other opportunities. Perhaps the next person to read your manuscript will want to publish it or represent you. No matter. You get on with your day. 

But other days? On those days rejection makes you question why you keep putting yourself through this. Here are five things to help you lessen the sting. 

Set a Limit 

I’m not going to get into the psychology of rejection and why some rejections are worse than others. But if this one rocks you back, take some time to feel the agony. No really. Stomp around the house. Gripe at the cat. Whatever it takes, but go into it knowing just how long you are going to give yourself. One writing friend set a two day limit on being a grump. After that, it was time to get back to work. Me? I’m willing to give myself one grumpy evening to play video games, put Bailey’s in my coffee, and fuss. But a new day means it is time to get on with being a writer or go find another job. Since I don’t want to do that, I get back to writing. 

Call the Girls 

All writers need a support network. When a rejection hits me especially hard, I contact either a librarian friend or one of the ladies in my critique group. They’ve all submitted their work and faced rejection letters. Even when my husband doesn’t understand why I’m upset, my fellow writers get it. 

Multiple Markets 

When I research potential markets for a piece, I make a list. That way when I get a rejection I know where it is going to go next. It isn’t like this no came from the one and only place I had planned to send the manuscript. 

Multiple Projects 

In addition to multiple markets for each manuscript, it also pays to have several pieces I’m shopping around. That way when I get a rejection on one, or heaven forbid three, I still have another piece out with an agent or editor who may even say yes. 

Prize Jar 

Way back when I was a kid, my mom would get me a coloring book whenever I got sick. It was just a little something to help cheer me up. I did something like that for myself when I was a new writer. When a rejection came, I reached into the prize jar and pulled out a slip of paper and got whatever was written there. A trip to the local bookstore. An evening spent knitting. A morning with a coloring book. Visiting the Art Museum. 

What helps pick you up when a rejection gets you down? What systems do you have in place to help you cope? Please comment and help out your fellow writers. 

--SueBE

Sue Bradford Edwards' is the author of over 27 books for young readers.  To find out more about her writing, visit her site and blog, One Writer's Journey.

Sue is also the instructor for  Research: Prepping to Write Nonfiction for Children and Young Adults (next session begins March 1, 2021) and Writing Nonfiction for Children and Young Adults (next session begins  March 1, 2021). 

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9 comments coping with rejection, rejection

The Power of No

Getting a rejection from an agent or a publisher is disheartening, for sure. A writer spends months or years on a project, gives birth to it, submits it... and it's rejected. And rejected. And rejected.

Definitely a bummer.

However, sometimes "no" is a good thing. A powerful thing... in a good way.

Running into a wall might make a writer fall down and give up. But, facing an obstacle might just increase a writer's resolve. It might just make a writer dig in their heels, resulting in them becoming more perseverant.

That's what a string of no's did for me recently. A bunch of generic rejections, along with a couple of agents/publishers who told me I didn't really have the right to tell my story, literally brought me to tears. (To find out why I was told it wasn't my story to tell, check out this short movie I made about the experience.)

And then I got mad. Not angry at anyone in particular. Just mad that the universe was trying to smash the love for my character into smithereens.

Which made me dig in. My determination ramped up so high, only dogs could hear the frenzied shriek.

On a interview, I saw Kris Jenner say something profound. (I know, I know. Lots of people might instantly dismiss the mother who spawned six Kardashian/Jenner kids, considering how starving the family is for media attention. I get it. But the woman knows her stuff. She's business savvy. And she knows how to succeed.)

This is what she said that struck me as brilliant:

"If somebody says no, you're talking to the wrong person."
                                                                                                          ---Kris Jenner

Each no I get means I submitted to the wrong agent. The wrong publisher. They aren't the ones who are open to my novel idea for a novel. They're not drawn to my protagonist like I am. They're not eager to have my story told.

In my research about facing rejection (I'm a glutton for punishment. Not only am I immersed in rejection, I'm also researching it.) I found this article.  As you lick your wounds and prepare to dig in, to persist, you might find it helpful.

The tough part--of course--is to find the right person. Finding the right publisher or agent for your manuscript/essay/story/poem takes a thick skin. It takes determination. And it takes a belief in your piece.

Bonnie Raitt sings, "I can't make you love me." As writers, we can't make a publisher love our work. All we can do is keep trying to find the publisher who does...

Sioux Roslawski is a novelist wannabee. One day, when she finds the right person for her manuscript, she'll no longer be mired in rejection. (In the photo to the right, the bubbling mud pots of Iceland are in the background. Currently, Sioux's stubborn perseverance is bubbling and popping.) She has a newly-launched website. It's  still in the work-in-progress stage, still new, so check it out (and be patient).

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13 comments finding the right publisher, Kris Jenner. Bonnie Raitt, rejection, Sioux Roslawski

What an Election in India Taught Me About Never Giving Up

Somewhere in India - Pune, India, to be exact - a man is contesting a parliamentary seat. The most interesting thing about him? Well, he has lost 24 different elections. Yet hope is still alive because Vijayprakash Kondekar wants to become prime minister. How is that for an example about not giving up?

As a writer, when I saw this, I wondered about my stories waiting in the wings for acceptance. The ones I'm no longer as sure about anymore. If my story had been rejected 24 times would I give up? Or keep persisting? You see, in writing, it's not uncommon to face a lot of rejections. In fact, one article I read recently recommended aiming for 100 rejections a year (fun fact: I'm not even close to submitting that much).

Despite the rejections I have received (and those not yet to come) I know one thing - I'm better than I was and one day I will be better than I am today.

So after 24 rejections - or hundreds - what can you tell yourself? How do you lick those wounds? And aside from the fact that writing itself can be a form of masochism, how do we explain the need to continue on and keep trying?

Well, when I was a kid, I always said that I wanted to be an author when I grew up. Somewhere along the way, I promised myself that I wouldn't give up on that dream (or goal, as a mature write may call it). And with each rejection, each passing day where writing fails me, I tell myself that it's all about that promise to myself of not giving up.

What this man in India who has lost 24 times has taught me this - don't give up. If you believe in your cause (as this man believes in his cause), then you must continue. You see, each writer has a cause and that is to share their story with the world. And much like democracy, it isn't that simple nor is that easy to win (and we don't always "get" the ones that do). It's like our readers are a bit like voters. We don't always understand them and they don't always understand us. However, we must persist in trying to reach them.

So, as you sit down to write, and maybe even read another rejection letter, think of the Mr. Kondekar who walks around Pune, India with a signboard trying to convince people to vote for him. Sure, there are those who laugh but there are those - like me - who see the bigger picture. If you believe in yourself, you cannot give up.

Now go on, write. Revise. Get critiqued. Submit. Rinse and repeat. Write in spite of every rejection you've received. Prove the rejectors wrong. In fact, be deliriously determined. Aim to get the world record for rejection letters. Because you may surprise yourself. You may hear the "yes" you've been waiting on.

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6 comments hope, keep writing, Nicole Pyles, rejection, Rejection Letters

On Taking Advice From Your Critique Group

There is no finer feeling than those few moments of bliss when you’re sure you have created a written masterpiece the likes of which the world—nay the universe!—has ever known.

And then you sit down with your critique group.

In the strategies of improving our writing, the critique group is often the first line of defense against the dreaded rejection. But there are times to listen carefully to your critique partners and there are times when you should grab your manuscript and run.


CONSIDER THE SOURCE

When I was a little girl and someone would say something mean to me, I’d rush home to my mom and tearfully tell her all about the slight. Her standard response: “Consider the source.” Which I came to understand meant that I shouldn’t pay any attention to that person because she didn’t know what she was talking about.

It’s the same in your critique group. It matters who is giving the advice.

If the critique member is a generally strong writer, knows the genre as well as the industry, works regualrly on his/her craft, and manages to get published (or at least gets close to being published), then you should probably listen to that advice.

On the other hand, if the critique member is a hobby writer, doesn’t keep up with what’s going on with the industry or the other members in the group, shows up with more criticisms than helpful critique, then consider the source.


RULE OF THREE


Technically, it doesn’t have to be three for this rule to work. If your critique group only has four members, for example, it could be the Rule of Two. But here’s how it works:

If a majority of members in your critique group point out the same problem in your manuscript, poem, or article, then you have a genuine problem, my friend, and a closer look at that problem is warranted.

However, do not count the critique member who hears someone mention a problem and chimes in, “Oh, yes! I noticed that, too!” It could be a legitimate critique, but it’s more likely the bandwagon member, that person who always piggybacks on someone else’s critique. You’re free to ignore the bandwagon member, but those other three people giving you the same advice? Ignore at your own risk. Which brings us to the last bit.


LET IT REST

No matter how spot on your critique group is with their advice, let your notes and writing sit for a spell.

Yes, that can be challenging when your critique group has finally solved that pesky plot problem. You just want to dive right in and write away! But resist the urge to fix your problems immediately. Give yourself time to look at the whole rather than the parts. Ponder a while until you know exactly how you want to go about taking that advice.

Of course, don’t ponder for a month or you’ll forget everything. Just let your thoughts rest for a couple of days or even a week after your critique group meets. And then get back to work on that masterpiece. Because the next time—Ahhh, the next time!—your critique group is going to be amazed with what new writing brilliance you hath wrought!

Cathy C. Hall is a kidlit author and humor writer. She jumps in and out of critique groups so as her mother would also say: "Do what I say, not what I do!" (She does work steadily, though, and is always happy to share writing advice. Come see more here!)

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5 comments Cathy C. Hall, critique groups, rejection, writing advice