Not a rant or a rave, this one is more of a whine.

Gosh, it’s easy to be mature about rejection when you haven’t just experienced it. A little over a month ago I said, and I quote, “I try not to take rejection personally. I’m pretty sure the agents and editors I’ve queried don’t mean it that way.”

Today, however, my emailbox — and yes, I know I’m taking liberties with the English language — contained a form-letter rejection, so I’m not feeling so sanguine.

You see, for some reason when I decided to start sending more queries, it never occurred to me that this would, of necessity, result in more rejections.

As we used say in middle school, well duh!

Ah, well, I’m sure I’ll live to query another day.

Addendum: For the record, I’m grateful to receive any response, even a “Dear Author” one. Many agents and editors don’t acknowledge queries they’ve chosen not to pursue.

And it could be worse. At least I never received one of these in my locker.

English: Rejection (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Addendum: About ten minutes after I finished writing this post, that song by Kelly Clarkson started running through my brain  — you know the one about what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger? —  and I suddenly thought, “Kym! You idiot! You survived cancer — why on earth are you whining about a measly rejection?”

Why indeed?

Related articles

• Writing Tips: How to Handle Rejection (shannonathompson.com)
• Interview with editor Betsy Thorpe: 10 questions you’ve wanted to ask an editor but haven’t (writerhughes.wordpress.com)
• Rejection Rescue #1: Keep Passes in Perspective (jennymoyer.wordpress.com)
• Rejection dejection (teddexteristhelostman.wordpress.com)
• How To Deal With: Rejection (cristaramone.wordpress.com)
• Writer’s Need A Thick Skin… (mandyevebarnett.com)
• The Art and Science of Querying (catherinelowrites.wordpress.com)