Things You'll Need:
- collection of rejection letters
- notebook
- pen or pencil
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Step 1
Collect various rejection letters. This sounds harsh, but all writers will have a stash of them.
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Step 2
Categorize the letters into the main types: general checklist rejection, "does not suit our needs at this time," or actually read your work but not interested.
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Step 3
The checklist letter and "does not suit our needs" can be used in one main way, to keep track of who rejected what work. A checklist may give you a little insight depending on the reason. The second type means you may resubmit the work at a later time to be considered, however, it would be better if you gave it another few rounds of editing first. It is not failure, just a shot that hit a little off target.
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Step 4
The most useful type of rejection letter will be one in which the editor has read your work thoroughly and gives you feedback along with your rejection. This is also the most rare and treasured rejection as most editors will not spend their time to do you the favor of responding individually. Read and highlight the reasons behind the rejection.
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Step 5
Keep files of these letters. If you resubmit to the same publishing party, or have other work rejected by this party, you may be able to start picking out patterns in their reasoning and use this to improve your work.
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Step 6
It sounds funny, but keep these letters. Remind yourself that without facing rejection you would not be a writer. This will keep you rooted in the real world of writers and make you cherish your accepted submissions even more. Consider it a character-builder.
