The Great Chain of Rejection

Free-form Friday

Given that January is such a bleak month, I thought I should write about something cheery. So, in an effort to engender bright, sunshiny thoughts, I offer the following heaping cup of cheer:

Welcome to the Great Chain of Rejection that is the publishing industry!

I came across this notion in one of the blogs I read. At the time, I was mildly amused but didn't make a note of the source. So, without proper attribution, here's the gist of it:

The agonizing rejection we regularly enjoy as would-be scribblers is only the first link in a great chain of rejection:

• agents reject authors
• editors reject agents
• publishers (or internal surrogates like the publishing committee or the sales team) reject editors
• and readers reject publishers

Viewed in its entirety, it is a thing of beauty (cue Circle of Life from The Lion King). Your one small rejection is part of the great web of rejections that is publishing. That form letter makes you part of something much greater.

Isn't that a happy thought for a gray, January day?


Image: Photography by BJWOK / FreeDigitalPhotos.net