You’ve been working it for weeks, months, maybe even years. You’ve massaged your writing into a story that you like, you’ve smoothed it and softened it up, made it ready. The paper’s been kissed by all the right words, covered with sweet nothings. The chemistry is popping. You’re smooth. You’re golden. You are so in… Now, you just sit back and wait to hear those precious three words from your editor: “Do it, baby!”
And then: Rejected.
Ouch, that hurt.
No matter how good you are, rejection is going to happen. At least once. Many, many times if you’re like most writers. In fact, I got a rejection this morning, just as I sat down to revise this article. And here I am, still alive, still writing. And, of course, still hoping for an acceptance next time.
Here’s how to make sure that rejections don’t get you all droopy—and that acceptances don’t get you so exited that you have a premature celebration!
Rejected
Move On: Start moving on from rejection before it even happens. You do this by continuing to write. Get to work on that next project. And stop checking your e-mail a million times a day. (Or, if you’re like me and can’t resist the allure of e-mail, at least teach yourself to write between check-in times.) The rejection will still sting when it lands, but at least you’ll have the padding of a new story to protect the really tender bits.
Buck Yourself Up: Call me a pessimist, but I assume that every story I send out will get a big fat no. Thus, I find a back-up market for it before I even send it out. This way, if I get a yes, I have a reason to celebrate. And if I get rejected, I have a plan for the story. This helps prevent the wallowing and spur-of-the-moment edits (always a bad idea) that can happen when a rejection makes you feel like you seriously suck. Send it out again. Right now.
Don’t Bitch and Cry: Okay, really, you can cry. But only in private and to your bestest friends. Don’t send a nasty note back to the editor asking, “How could you possibly reject my masterpiece? You must be the stupidest editor ever,” (yes this happens) and do not, no matter how tempting, post a “fucking editor bitch rejected me” note on your blog (also happens—rather often, in fact). Instead, send a nice thank you note. Yes, a thank you note. It goes like this, “Thank you for getting back to me about my story. I’m sorry it wasn’t right for [this book/publication/contest], but I plan to try again with another story in the future.”
Notch Your Bedpost: Think of each “no” as a success. After all, you had to attempt that kiss in order to get slapped, right? So, brag about your accomplishments. “Last month, I nailed 12 rejections!” Trust me, you’ll sound like a serious stud and having a sense of humor about it will keep you going between acceptances.
Accepted
It would seem like we wouldn’t need to talk about acceptances, right? You got a yes, you pop the bottle of champagne and that’s all there is to it. But that’s like saying if your date says yes to your fumbling advances, then you’re home free on the sex bit. It’s only after you have trouble finding the sweet spot that you realize a few pointers never hurt. Here’s how to proceed after that frantic, “yes, yes, yes!”
Bask in the Glory: Really, you’ll want to do this. Run around the house, eat all the cookies, call everyone you know and go ga-ga for a while. Scream, “She likes me, she really likes me!” at the top of your lungs. Then, once you’ve got it out of your system, sit down and go through the details.
Check Everything: Double-check the acceptance letter and take a look at the contract (they may have sent it now, or they may send it later). Contracts aren’t as complicated as they seem, but they do need your attention. Especially any bit that has to do with rights and payment (see the links below for a more complete list of suggestions on what to look for and avoid).
Ask for What You Want: This is likely the hardest part of getting an acceptance. If the contract doesn’t work for you (the most common reason is that it asks for all rights of any sort from now ’til the end of time or that it doesn’t include anything about those big bucks you were promised), you have three options: suck it up and sign it (almost definitely a bad idea), refuse to sign it (potentially a bad idea), or ask the editor if you can negotiate some of the contract terms. While renegotiating is probably your best bet, it is not easy. It will likely never get easy. Learn to do it anyway.
Kiss, But Don’t Slobber: When your editor says yes to a story, it’s good to be grateful, gracious and professional without drooling in her eye. A polite, “Thank you so much for accepting my story and I’m really looking forward to working with you,” is perfect. An “Omg, omg, thank you thank you thank you I can’t believe someone finally took this story!” is probably not.
After Glow
Once you’ve signed the contract, you’re still not done. Publishing truly is the never-ending story. Your editor may have editing suggestions or changes—treat these similar to a contract. They’re often good ideas, but sometimes they’re not, and everything is negotiable. My philosophy is to say yes to every edit or suggestion that makes the story better (and since this is your editor’s job, hopefully most of the changes will do that), and to fight for only the things that really, really matter. Sometimes the changes have nothing to do with your story—maybe the anthology already has two other stories with characters named Baby Sue Goshdarn and the editor asks for a name change. In that case, you need to decide how important the name is and how it will affect the story if you alter it.
Additionally, make sure you’re clear on the expected publication and payment dates. I mark these in my calendar, and if I haven’t heard anything by then, I follow up with the editor.
Looking Ahead
As you may already know, this column is the last of the “Sexy on The Page” series. In the last year, we’ve looked at where to come up with ideas, how to write the first draft, ways to find markets and now we’ve reached the final part of short stories—getting published.
So what’s next? Maybe, like me, you’re ready to move on to something longer and more complex. I hope so, because next year, we getting ready to go the distance. Starting in 2008, I’ll be starting a new column, “Going Long: Erotic Novels and Novellas.” We’ll look at everything from making the leap from short stories to longer works, to testing an idea’s novel-strength to writing the first (and second and third) drafts and, of course, to working with editors and publishers. It’s going to be one long, sexy ride, so be sure to strap yourself in and get your fingers, brains and other body parts ready to write.
The Sting and the Bling: More on Rejections and Acceptances
- Rejection of the Literary Kind
- How to Handle Rejection
- The Ten Key Negotiating Points in an Author-Publisher Agreement
- “First Sale” Mistakes Every Writer Can Avoid
Shanna Germain
December 2007
“Sexy on the Page” © 2007 Shanna Germain. All rights reserved.