WATCH: Parisa Saranj on How to Handle Rejection Like a Pro (Hint: It Involves Cake!)

Last week was what we were calling “Rejection Week” at Narratively Academy. I wrote a craft piece for which I spoke to several writers and editors about what it’s like to be on both sides of it, and shared some advice in Writers’ Room about it, too. I also got to speak with the one and only

Parisa Saranj

, who is a writer, Persian translator and contributing editor at literary magazine Consequence Forum, about all the many inventive and thoughtful ways she deals with submitting her work and sometimes getting rejection letters.

Parisa works harder than almost anyone I know at getting her work out there, whether it’s submitting to journals, applying to grants or residencies, or even reaching out to authors she admires and making connections. She also has a unique way of looking at it all — not to mention an energy and enthusiasm that is unmatched. We’re so lucky that she came to chat with us and shared her secrets about reframing (here’s where the cake comes in!), how essential it is not to write alone, what kind of community to look for and so much more.

A few housekeeping things… Parisa talks about her Submission Sunday Club in our chat, and she wanted us to share her email address with folks who may be interested in joining: parisasaranj63@gmail.com.

Also…we’ve been loving doing these Substack Live videos. One of the things that makes them fun is how conversational and spontaneous they can be. On the other hand, the whole live part can get kind of tricky when your video is randomly spotty, like it was in this chat, so apologies for that. We’re working on fixing the issue for the future, and for now, we’ve included subtitles that fill in the gaps to hopefully make things easier to follow. Thank you for understanding and for your support!