Four Steps to Reduce Rejection

Would you like to reduce the number of rejection letters that arrive in you mailbox? Would you like to receive more acceptance letters for manuscripts you spend hours researching, writing, editing, and rewriting? It's possible.

First of all, understand that a rejection letter is not personal. It may not even mean your writing is bad.

Thank you for taking the time to write and submit your story. However, it does not meet our current editorial needs.

This statement often means exactly what it says. Here are ways you can avoid it.

• Resist the urge to write what you want first. Find out what publishers need and submit accordingly.
• Do your homework. If you want to write a book, study the market guide and see what publishers accept the genre and themes you like to write. Review the publisher's catalog to see how you could submit something that fits but is little different. Consider using some of your chapters as articles in magazines to build your platform.
• If you are writing articles, read the market guide for your genre. What magazines are looking for things that interest you? What can you contribute? By all means, if the magazine has a theme, write within the theme and within the word count. Follow the writer guidelines. 
• The more frequent the publication, the greater the need for articles. Sunday school magazines need articles 52 time a year. Most have at least 8 articles. 
• Use the proper submission format. Find samples in the front of the Writers Market, published by Writer's Digest. You'll also find copies of query and cover letters. 

Even if we follow all the guidelines, we will still receive rejection letters. Remember it's not a personal thing. It just means your story didn't fit the publisher's needs. Maybe it's not the right slant. Maybe it's not good enough. Maybe the magazine published something similar to your submission last month. Put yourself in the editor's position, and learn as much as you can.

Freelance writing is a business. Show yourself and your craft as professional as possible. Fulfilling publisher needs, doing research and meeting deadlines are all satisfying and profitable. 

Good Writers are Great Readers

Writers read, read, read and read some more.  Although I have a library on my Kindle and another on my iPhone, I still purchase books. Amazon is my favorite place to shop.

A long time ago I ran out of shelf space, and many of my books are in boxes or in stacks in my office, bedroom, living room and family room. I read a lot. Time doesn't permit me to read all the books on my list, so I started downloading audible books to my iPhone and I listen while I walk two miles in the morning. Sometimes at the end of the two miles, the action is moving along so well, I'm tempted to walk further or run to my office and keep on listening when I should be writing. Why do I read? Let me count the ways.

• For pleasure (my favorite)
• For research (second favorite)
• For inspiration (Sometimes I'm inspired to write an article or story from something I read.)
• To learn (lots of books about writing)
• To study (to hone my craft)
• To keep up with my blogging/writing friends
• To keep up with the markets.

Write without reading? Are you kidding me? For me that would be disaster. I've learned that my writing improves whether I read for pleasure, research, inspiration or education. It's a life-long process.

What book(s) are you reading? What genre is your favorite? My inquiring mind would love to know.