Not a Happy Time Right Now...

[fenderlove]

*throws another rejection letter onto the pile* After the week I had, this is the last thing I wanted in my inbox. I really thought that this one would be the one that people would like. Should I email the editorial staff and ask for more information why this story "wasn't the right fit?" I feel like publishers just say that in hopes of not completely crushing a person's self-esteem, so it'd probably be pointless to ask. I know it's useless to get upset; I mean, hell, you'd think I'd be used to being rejected at this point, but I got my hopes up again like the fool that I am. I've tried different genres, different tones... Are my characters flat and uninteresting? Is it the dialogue? Are my ideas unoriginal? Is my writing just that awful? I'm tired of ripping myself apart in order to try and figure out why I can't write something publishable.

So much for NaNoWriMo this year. I guess I'll just stick to writing my thesis so I can fail at that too.

Comments

[velvetwhip.livejournal.com]

*hugs you*

I wish there was some way I could help. Please don't be so down on yourself. Plenty of very talented writers have suffered rejection upon rejection until someone with discernment finally got hold of their work.


Gabrielle

[fenderlove.livejournal.com]

I just don't know what to do at this point. I can't find anymore publishers who aren't vanity presses that would try to steal every dime I have, and, if I self-publish, I'd be out more money than I'd ever get back. Sometimes I get flat-out rejections, and sometimes I get the "just didn't fit" rejections. Sometimes, the "just didn't fit" ones make sense because it's an anthology or something that they had a more specific kind of story in mind, but sometimes, with more general open calls, I'm just like "Didn't fit what?" or "What part of my story didn't fit? The whole thing? What were you looking for?" If they'd tell me what they'd wanted, I try to write that. I just need some kind of direction to go in besides spinning in place and feeling sorry for myself. I've got professors who reject my academic writing, galleries rejecting my artwork, and publishers rejecting my fiction writing... To top my week off, I did a poster, mostly pro bono, for a group of students who were very behind on their final gallery show, only to have part of the group become very insulting and ungrateful for the work that I was doing basically for free in order to help them have a nice show. That's probably the real reason why I'm so upset, but still.

[velvetwhip.livejournal.com]

Oh my. That is a whole lot of negativity and rejection to be enduring all at once and I am so sorry. You sure as heck deserve better. For what it's worth, *I* think you're talented and I really hope you find appreciation soon.


Gabrielle

[fenderlove.livejournal.com]

I appreciate the well-wishes, I really do.