| Back to Home > Bulletin Board > Media Issues > Topic: Responding to an editor's "No" |
Topic: Responding to an editor's "No"
| Author | Message |
| peyton | Posted – 2/15/2008 2:34:33 PM | show profile i have a problem i know i have to get over if i am going to make it in the freelancing world - being crushed by a rejection from an editor on a pitch. i find myself really set back when i get a no - questioning my potential as a writer and even my relationship with that editor, even if he or she has bought my work before. how do others here deal with this? and do you push back on rejections? i.e., not take the first no for a final no? i feel dirty after a rejection - like i should run and hide and never pitch to that person again, let alone press back on them to reconsider their current no. anyone have helpful tips on getting over this? |
| chucho | Posted – 2/15/2008 2:59:48 PM | show profile You answered your own question. If you're gonna make it you're going to accept the "nays" and move on without breaking stride. If you sulk for two days after a rejection you've just wasted two days. |
| dribbledrive1 | Posted – 2/15/2008 9:50:02 PM | show profile Rejection is an ongoing element in a writer's life, no longer how successful you become or how long you do it. We all get rejected all the time. Whether you need to push back depends. If the editor simply hates your idea, there's not much to say. If he gives an opening to discuss it, and you can provide new information, sure, you can bring up another point. Generally, you need to remember that you're not being rejected -- some words you wrote were rejected. |
| caitlinkelly | Posted – 2/15/2008 9:58:52 PM | show profile Ditto. If an editor has previously bought your work, they like what you do, right? So, this time, they didn't like your *idea.* No biggie, have a bunch more and keep pitching. It's the only way you'll survive psychologically and financially. Cheesy baseball analogy...most of us survive by hitting *consistently*, ie. intellectual singles and doubles. But you have to step up the plate and keep swinging to hit anything at all. Cliche but true. |
| Thabit | Posted – 2/16/2008 4:21:59 AM | show profile Also, I take a "no" (especially if it's a prompt one) as a sign of courtesy -- there are plenty of editors who never bother to let you know they can't use your idea. It helps to have a couple of other outlets in mind so that if one pub doesn't want it you can quickly send to someone else. That way, even a no can help you move on & eventually sell the idea... |
| peyton | Posted – 2/18/2008 10:09:03 PM | show profile thanks guys - these all helped to read. |
| beenthere | Posted – 2/18/2008 10:18:30 PM | show profile Sometimes they like the idea, but it doesn't "fit" the editorial calendar of issues that are coming up. Try asking for editorial calendars (check the sales section of web sites first) so you'll know what the content is for upcoming issues and can target your pitches appropriately. < |
| face | Posted – 2/19/2008 12:36:07 AM | show profile It's always a setback for me, too, even though I know there are perfectly good reasons to turn down perfectly good pitches. I try to have a few projects going at once: sending out several pitches increases the chances of a yes; it also keeps me getting too attached to one idea or project. It's always harder to hear no when it's an idea you've spent all your free time on. |
| jcpatterson | Posted – 2/19/2008 11:26:24 AM | show profile Peyton, also try to remember that there can be an important difference between how you feel and how you react to rejection. I think all of us do or have felt the whole range of emotions you refer to: feeling dirty, embarrassed, not worthy of pursuing the craft, etc. You are entitled to these feelings, and they will come and go depending on the situation throughout your writing career. However, you need to decided now, when you are a little more distanced from a rejection, exactly how you will deal with it. Suggestions about appreciating prompt feedback are good. Even though you feel low, reply to the editor with a "thank you for your consideration" email right away, then file the story idea and rejection away for calmer consideration later (24 hours later, 2 weeks later, whatever works for you and the story). I would also suggest that you also develop a habit of "celebrating" every rejection by getting another pitch out (to the same or a different outlet, as appropriate) within 24 hours of the rejection. After a while, you will have developed a pattern where you can see yourself responding positively and professionally to the inevitable rejection that comes with the job, and you will feel better about your ability to handle future disappointments. Good luck with future pitches! |
| JeanMarie | Posted – 2/19/2008 11:53:20 AM | show profile A new way to look at it. Think about shopping. You go into a store. Maybe you pick out 5 items to take to the dressing room. Sometimes something works. Sometimes nothing works. Would you sulk over the sweater that just didn't work? |
| peyton | Posted – 2/19/2008 3:04:40 PM | show profile thanks for all your thoughts. you've given me a lot of good advice about how to handle these things both emotionally and strategically. i appreciate it. |
| recovering_jersey_girl | Posted – 2/19/2008 3:33:35 PM | show profile For me, how I feel about a rejection depends on its tenor. If an editor writes me and says, "Actually, we're running this very same idea next month," I don't get discouraged. I write back, say I'm sorry it didn't work out but I'm glad I'm thinking along the right lines, and that I'll pitch them again in the future. A lot of my professional relationships have begun this way, and it doesn't upset me at all. |
| woof | Posted – 2/22/2008 1:56:09 PM | show profile Rejection comes with the territory. Brush yourself off and get right back to pitching. Additionally, the baseball analogy is apt. An excellent hitter bats .300 which means he fails 7 out of 10 times. |
