How to Take Rejections Well and Keep Going

Submitting your work is part of the process of being a writer. But the sting of getting a “no thanks” never goes away entirely. We asked four writers how they handle it—and how you can, too.

Illustration by Kenny Wroten/Narratively archive

A few months ago, I received a rejection email from a goal publication that left me feeling a bit bummed. I had been so sure it was a good fit, and yet the form letter stated exactly the opposite: “Our editors were drawn to your writing style, but unfortunately did not feel the piece was quite right for [redacted publication name].” Would it ever find a home, I wondered? Did I need to rework the entire thing? Could I even rework the entire thing? (I looked the piece up on my “story budget” spreadsheet later and was reminded that this was only the second time I’d sent it out in this form, which actually made me laugh out loud. The drama!)

Even though I’ve sent pitches and submissions out for consideration hundreds of times in my career (if not more), I’d venture to say the sting I feel when they get rejected never fully goes away. Of course, as an editor too, not just a writer, I know more than most what goes into a rejection — that publi…