When You Get A Rejection, Who Is To Blame?

Rejections are a tough thing to handle. You have spent months on that project and you think it is the best thing ever, and then the rejections come rolling in. "Are these people idiots?!?!" you scream. Clearly the editors and agents just don't see an amazing story when it sits in front of them. This is clearly why the market is the way it is. And the list of comments run on (I left out the four-letter words).

But the real question here, where does the blame lie? Whose fault is it?

Now, while I am sure there are some editors and agents who might have different motives for rejecting a project, although I can safely that all those I have worked with are genuine, writers have to remember that we are all out to find a great story. When we can find those gems and those books get out to the readers, EVERYONE wins!

The odds are, the reason for the rejection is something happening on your end. Sorry to throw you under the bus on this one, but it is important that we start there.

Let me first begin with a definition of communication. I love this one. Communication is "the getting and the giving of information." This is a two part system. If your story is great, and we did not get it, yes, there can be an issue on both ends. Maybe the editor or agent just does not have the brain for figuring it out. On the other hand, and we hear this a lot, maybe it was the information that you gave to us that might be flawed. Consider

• Your query letter did not give us a true picture of the story.
• Your synopsis was really not giving us the complete picture.
• Your first three chapters really did not set the scene for us.
• Your pitch was pathetic (I know, this is harsh, but it is often the truth)

We have to make a decision on your project from what you send. If that information is not strong, it is not our fault. You cannot simply say, "If you read the whole story, you would get it." No one would have the time to do anything else. 

That query letter is just like any other cover letter and resume you send out for a job interview. You have to "get in the door first." You have to "make that employer" want to meet you face to face. Screw that one up, you will not get the interview, or in this case, the request for more.

The next thing to look at is really the quality of your writing. Yes, you love your story. You put your heart and soul into it, but the truth could be, the story might not be that good. It could be your writing.

When I request more of a project from that initial query letter, I can see the story could have promise. But, when I look at the reading, a lot of the time, the execution is just not there.

• The writing is forced
• The writing is lifeless
• The author chose an approach that does not work with the story
• The writing is elementary
• etc.

This is where I have to get a bit real here. There are some people out there who are natural storytellers. They can put a pen to paper and get a great piece of writing every time. But, unfortunately, that number is small and for many writers, this is a skill that needs to be learned. It is a skill that needs to be practiced and will take time. And this is where the "self-publishing" programs out there are really misguiding authors.

"Do you have a story to tell? Do you want someone to publish it for you?" These programs imply that everyone can be a successful published author. What they are really saying is that everyone can put something out there, but they cannot promise everyone will be successful. 

For many authors, they need to take the time to learn to write. Ask the majority of successful New York Times Best Selling Authors and they will all tell you their first story is still sitting in a file cabinet. It is bad! So, that rejection you are getting might be the truth. Your writing is not that good..

So, before you start throwing the blame on other people. Take the time to examine your end of the equation as well. If the mistake is on your end, this is something to work on fixing.