A writing friend of mine has papered her bathroom with rejection slips. Viewed in that context, they become less weighty and are put into perspective. As writers, we tend to think of rejections from publishers as negative. But rejections can be gifts in disguise, offering us a way to make lemonade out of lemons.
There have been times when, once I let the initial sting of rejection subside and looked at the submitted work again, I could see why it wasn’t ready for publication or right for the place where I’d sent it. Often the writing still was in an early stage, but I hadn’t recognized that yet. When we don’t have someone to edit our work, we can misjudge it, so it is important to view some rejections as professional feedback, not a rebuff.
In one rejection I received, the editor was kind enough to point out I hadn’t hit the emotional center of the piece. I was remaining too general, skirting the heart of the story. Once he pointed out my omission, I was able to literally turn honey into gold, the actual title of the article.
In another instance, I had written an article on cats. The editor of a cat magazine returned it without any comment, a response that can hurt even more than the typical form letter. That was a few months ago. Today I picked up the essay and could see clearly what wasn’t working: it didn’t have a sharp focus. Again, I hadn’t hit the heart of the piece.
Several years ago, after touring Europe, I wrote my first travel article, wanting to make other travelers aware of some problems I’d run into. I sent it off, expecting immediate acceptance: after all, the article made so much sense. Well, that was exactly the problem. The piece was too factual and needed more personal flavor. He was right. While this travel editor was patronizing, he had made valuable recommendations. After being rewritten, the piece was published.
We writers need to create something in prose out of what might seem a negative experience that elevates us above the original moment. Make lemonade out of a lemon. Turn honey into gold.
6 thoughts on “Making Lemonade: How Writers Transform Rejection”
Yes, hard as it is to accept the view that my piece is not perfect, just the way it is, after hours of my honing and sculpting it, well!!
The beauty in a rejection is that there’s no arguing, usually. Usually, we look again, sometimes much later, especially if the piece carries strong emotional ties to ourselves, sometimes with a hint or two from a thoughtful editor, and we see what … I mean how? Wait! Did I really write that!?
Thanks, Lily, you did it again!
Well expressed, Gayle! Look forward to seeing you soon.
Sharing your personal experiences helped me to connect with you better and see you as a fellow writer , and ill try incorporate your view of rejection in my experiences .
Hurray!
I absolutely agree…a rejection has a purpose. Sometimes we understand why and sometimes not. Writer need to be continuous learners.
Exactly! Thanks for confirming this message.