Reflections on Rejection

While this week has been a good and productive one, two rejections hit my inbox on Tuesday, and that’s not exactly what I consider optimal. Or encouraging. Or any other positive word you might want to plug in. Yet, as much as it stinks that two of my pieces haven’t found homes in the magazines I submitted them to, I know it’s okay. 

One of the first things you quickly learn, if you take your writing seriously and aspire to be published, is that you have to get used to being told No. You have to understand that rejection is simply part of the game and probably the most unpleasant part, too. Not everyone’s going to “get” your stories or perspectives or ideas. You aren’t going to be—and you don’t need to be—everyone’s cup of tea.

In this latest case for me, I’d submitted short stories that I felt were strong and well-crafted to two separate magazines. One story, in particular, kept me quite a bit of company the first quarter of 2026, either because ideas were percolating or because I was actively writing and then editing. When I sent it off, I knew it wasn’t a perfect story (what story is?), but I was incredibly satisfied with what I’d accomplished with it and how it’d been written. I was and still am proud of it.

The response I got back from the magazine earlier this week didn’t say why they turned it away, only that they did and that such things are subjective, of course. Though I understand that, I am curious to know what about my story didn’t work for them. Not because it’ll make me agree that, oh, yes, it actually was a bad story that didn’t measure up to publication; rather, it could help me think about my story from different angles. Because, as all writers know, there’s so many ways to tell a story. Twists and turns or perspectives that could have been shifted or changed or left out. I also understand, though, that I’m sure the reviewers had many, many submissions to get through and couldn’t have time to give such in-depth feedback to folks.

So, all this to say is: I get it. You can work hard on a piece, and it can be “good.” Great, even. Just as a reader can have enjoyed it yet come back with a critique or two about why it didn’t make the cut. Better luck next time.

The disappointment of being told No isn’t lesser, though, even if you understand this is how the writing game works. Getting those emails on Tuesday and reading them in my car was a real bummer and certainly didn’t add anything to my morning. And because I desire to be published eventually, I must continue submitting my work and dealing with the less-than-optimal outcomes.

My education in Journalism never fails to come to mind when I think about rejection and why we writers bother with it. As my peers and I were learning more about reporting and interviewing, our teachers encouraged us to come up with good, smart questions—and then not be afraid to ask them. Because what’s the worst someone will tell you? No? Are they going to take away your ability to ask a different question? Or take away your ability to be a writer? Or craft your stories?

Being told No, in this capacity, can be more directional than debilitating. Once you have that answer, then you have options for what to do next: Take time to get feedback from a trusted reader and revise; pursue other submission opportunities; or dive into your next story and work on it to be ready for the next open reading window. One negative response doesn’t mean your progress or process should come to a hard stop. You can’t write The End just yet. 

Putting yourself in a position to be told No is also the best way to be told Yes. Magazines, literary agents, publishers are not going to be hunting you down, that’s for sure. You must seek your opportunities. You must put yourself out there, despite the risk of rejection. 

These are things I’m writing today to you, friend, but they’re reminders for myself, too. Frequent reminders because one of my goals this year has been to more actively and intentionally query and seek out submission opportunities, so I’ve been opening up the door to rejection a bit more than I have in the past. 

Last year I saw someone post about having a goal of being rejected 50 times by agents. At first glance, that may strike you as a counter-productive objective, but I’m actually a fan of what it’s working towards. Because we know, in the world of publication, there’s a lot of competition and it can be challenging to get agented. A goal of 50 rejections means you’re keeping yourself in that competition, that you’ve accepted the challenge of your aspirations. 

Accepting the reality and challenges of aspirations doesn’t take the sting and disappointment out of being told your story hasn’t been accepted or that you’re being passed on for representation, and I needed a day or so to be bummed out and let my mind settle before I started writing this reflection on rejection. So, if you’re in this same situation—of putting yourself out there and not seeing the outcomes you’re working towards—just know it’s okay, too, if you’re not always letting the negative things roll off your back easy-peasy. Sometimes these things catch us on off days, and sometimes our hopes were higher than normal. It’s okay because it’s still all part of the life of a writer. 

If I’m going to leave you with anything, though, it’s this: Keep writing, friend. Keep up your diligence and discipline. At the end of the day, we pursue our projects because they bring us joy. Because we can’t not pursue them. Don’t lose sight of that.

I’m hoping for you (and myself) that this coming week will have unexpected bright spots, especially if you’re waiting on news in your own process towards publication, and I’ll catch ya back here next Sunday!