Determination & The Art of Rejection

This past week, I was at AWP in Chicago. Besides the numerous panel discussions, readings, and receptions, the writer's conference boasts an enormous book fair. Several ginormous rooms filled with row after row of tables set up by presses, university writing programs, and the ever daunting literary magazine. Sometimes I think there are more lit mags than there are people on this earth. As a poet, it's overwhelming. As an avid reader and editor, it's pretty exciting. What I realize every time I visit an AWP book fair is that editors are people, just like you and me. An editor myself, I should know this. But it's easy to forget after your 5oth or 60th rejection. These people are dang friendly, and they want you to submit. The most important lesson my poet self has learned from my editor self is this: Don't take rejection personally. Remember:

1. Volume - When an editor receives hundreds of poems and only publishes a handful, the odds are against you. The sheer volume of submissions that literary magazines receive is your biggest enemy. This is why you shouldn't take it personally. It's a numbers game.

2. Style - Sometimes a fabulous poem is just not the right fit. I know, this one used to bug me, but it's true. A poem can be good but just not feel right with the particular magazine or the specific issue being published. Again, it's not personal. You should read old issues of the journal, though. If the poems don't seem anything like yours, try a different journal.

3. Subjectivity - What I think is a good poem someone else may think is crap, and vice versa. While there is a craft involved in poetry and certain tools of the trade will undoubtedly increase the quality of your writing, it all comes down to preference. If I don't like poems about fruit, I probably won't publish poems about fruit. Weird, but not personal.

4. Quality - This one you don't want to  hear, but you have to. We all write bad poems. We all submit bad poems. Sometimes, it takes several rejections for me to realize that maybe the poem is the problem. Poems are our babies, and we don't want to hear that they aren't good enough. It's hard not to take this one personally, but try. Revision is a writer's best friend. Isn't it awesome that you can turn a crappy poem into an amazing one, just by revising? If you receive rejections for the same poems over and over again, go back to the writing desk. Use it as an opportunity to improve your writing.

5. Guideline Errors - If you don't read and follow the guidelines, you risk having your work rejected without being read. This may seem unfair, but editors and readers put a lot of time and effort into reading and thinking about your work. Do them the honor of reading and thinking about theirs. Though they may seem unnecessary, guidelines are there for very specific reasons.

What I want you take from this post is that more often than not, rejection has less to do with you than with every one else. Most writers receive countless rejections before receiving an acceptance. And then they repeat the cycle. I've often looked at writer bios and thought Wow, look at all those publications. They must have had thousands of rejections. You come to appreciate that kind of determination.

So, don't give up. Try different places. Revise. Try more places. Let every rejection be a reminder that you are a professional writer. Your work is out there, not in a shoe box. That is a great feeling, knowing that you are living your dream.