I just returned from teaching at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference where I had the privilege of seeing many old friends and meeting many new ones!
It won’t be long until some of you will be hitting the SEND button to submit all your requested masterpieces. But what if the response is NO instead of YES?
Well, I can tell you from personal experience that it isn’t the end of your writing career…and it could actually be the beginning of the best! I hope you’ll be encouraged by this true post I wrote back in 2008 (with a few updates).
A Positive Rejection
In order to protect the not-so-innocent, we’ll call him John. He was tall, handsome, and athletic. The desire of every eighth grade girl. Oh, if only he would chose me–my life would be perfect!
Well, you know the story. I lined up, alongside three-fourths of the female eighth-graders, and applied for the role of John’s girl. But he said I wasn’t a good fit. I wasn’t his type.
In other words, I was rejected.
It was the best thing that ever happened to me. Two years later, I met Gary, the love of my life. We’ve now been married almost 42 years–and we’re still happy about it! But it wasn’t until I ran into John twenty years after high school graduation that I realized how blessed I was to have lost that competition. Let me just say, it was a positive rejection!
Rejections are part of the writing life. We look over the field of options and decide on the magazine or book publisher or website we desire to partner with. We line up alongside hundreds of other writers and apply for the role. And chances are, we don’t win the part. They tell us we aren’t a good fit. We aren’t their type. In other words, we’re rejected.
It can be the best thing that happens to us.
Years ago, soon after the publication of my first paid article, I submitted a piece to HomeLife Magazine (a LifeWay publication–I had met the editor at Blue Ridge). It was a good article. I was sure they would choose to partner with me–and then my writing life would be perfect!
But the article was promptly rejected. We weren’t a good fit, they said. The article wasn’t their type, they said. They did say, however, that they would pass it along to the editor of LifeWay magazine, Christian Health. I’d never even heard of it.
When I received Christian Health’s email rejection, I wasn’t surprised and wasn’t even too disappointed. After all, I hadn’t submitted to them in the first place! But as I read the note, I was surprised at the last paragraph. “Even though this particular article isn’t appropriate for our magazine, we do like your writing style. Would you consider writing a 1000-word article on Folic Acid?”
So I became a writer for Christian Health.
A few articles later, the editor of Christian Single Magazine, another LifeWay publication, called me at home. “We’ve been introduced to your writing through the editor at Christian Health. Would you be interested in writing a monthly column for us?”
So I became a writer for Christian Single. (Yes, I am a married, 60-year-old grandmother of four…and I was writing for Christian Single Magazine before they ceased production.)
But here’s the punch line: A couple of years later, I received an unsolicited email from the new editor of HomeLife Magazine. Yep–the original magazine of this story. I had never contacted the magazine again since that first rejection, but the editor said she was aware of my articles and impressed with my work. “Would you consider writing for us?”
So after a round-about detour, I became a writer for HomeLife Magazine!
I can’t help but think back to that original rejection. At the time, I was devastated. All I could see was my failure. They didn’t want me. But now I see it was a rejection with a positive ending. Instead of writing for one magazine, I ended up writing for three magazines within the same publishing house! And since the time of writing the original post here, I’ve gone on to publish with another one of LifeWay’s magazines, ParentLife.
This type of story plays out time and time again in the writing world. A few years ago I heard from another writer who had experienced positive rejection. After submitting her novel to a major Christian publisher, the author was disappointed when her manuscript was rejected. But that wasn’t the end of the story. Later, without any contact from her, that same publisher invited her to be part of a team of writers for a new series of books for girls. Instead of writing one book for this publisher, she’s already had one published and has the potential to write more!
Oh, dear writer, can you see that God has a plan? Can you see that He has a plan for your writing life? My plan was so small the day I submitted that article to HomeLife. One article. One magazine. One chance. I remember how disappointed I was when I added that rejection to the pile. By that time, I had probably collected 70 or more rejections, had invested lots of money in conferences and classes…and I had one check to show for it. How much longer do I keep trying? I asked myself.
How much longer will you keep trying? The Bible is full of examples of men and women who kept trying, who hung in there when things were hard. Do you think Hannah was disappointed time and time again when she didn’t get pregnant? How many times did Moses have to return to Pharaoh? How long did Joseph wait for fulfillment of his dream? How many times was Paul beaten and chained? Hannah and Moses and Joseph and Paul were rejected. And yet God chose each of these people for a very specific role.
If God has called you to be a writer, He has a specific plan for your writing life. It may not be the route or the timing or the publications you have in mind, but He has a plan. And often, those plans include rejections. Rejections that can even turn into positives.
Friends, we have to come to the point of submitting our work, our successes, and our perceived failures to Him and His plan–whatever that is. Then, whether we ever achieved the world’s perception of success or not, our writing lives will be perfect, because we’ll be doing whatever it is He has chosen for us to do.
Whether God’s writing plans for your life include lots of publications or lots of rejections, He can use your words for His glory.
And that, my friends, is a positive.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So, Are You Ready to Submit? Here are This Month’s Writing Opportunities!
Thanks to my friend and fellow writer, Marilyn Shipe, we have a new batch of opportunites just for you!
1. The MacGuffin Magazine
The MacGuffin Magazine Guidelines
Phone: , ext 5327
E-mail:
Contact: Steven A. Dolgin, editor, Nicholle Cormier, managing editor, Elizabeth Kircos, fiction editor.
About: “Our purpose is to encourage, support and enhance the literary arts in the Schoolcraft College community, the region, the state, and the nation. We also sponsor annual literary events and give voice to deserving new writers as well as established writers.” Pays on publication. Buys first rights, reprint rights and electronic rights.
2. Plain Spoke Magazine
Plain Spoke Magaine Guidelines
Phone:
E-mail:
Contact: Cindy Kelly, editor.
Shaun M. Barcalow, fiction editor
We are now considering unsolicited submissions. “We publish work that has a sense of word economy, strong voice, Americana appeal, tightness, and shies away from the esoteric and expositional. We like to be surprised.” Quarterly.
3. Postscripts: The A to Z of Fantastic Fiction
Postscripts: The A to Z of Fantastic Fiction Guidelines
Phone: 0-11-44-1964 537575
Fax: 0-11-44-1964 537535
E-mail:
Contact: Peter Crowther, editor/publisher.
Needs: Fantasy (space fantasy, sword and sorcery), horror (dark fantasy, futuristic,
psychological, supernatural), mystery (amateur sleuth, cozy, police procedural, private eye/hardboiled), science fiction (hard science/technological, soft/sociological).
4. Design Design Inc. (Greeting cards)
Design Design Inc. Writers Guidelines
Phone:
Fax:
E-mail:
Children’s: Greeting card company. 5% of products are made for kids or have kids themes. Needs freelance writing for children’s greeting cards. Prefers both rhymed and unrhymed verse ideas. To contact, send cover letter and writing samples. Materials returned with SASE, materials not filed. For greeting cards, pays flat fee.
5. Highlights (They are ALWAYS looking for submissions.)
Highlights guidelines
Highlights current needs
Phone:
Fax:
Contact: Manuscript Coordinator.
Christine French Clark, editor-in-chief, Cindy Faber Smith, art director
“This book of wholesome fun is dedicated to helping children grow in basic skills and knowledge, in creativeness, in ability to think and reason, in sensitivity to others, in high ideals, and worthy ways of living–for children are the world’s most important people. We publish stories for beginning and advanced readers. Up to 500 words for beginners (ages 3-7), up to 800 words for advanced (ages 8-12).” Pays on acceptance. Sample copy free. 80% freelance written.
6. Charisma Magazine
Charisma Magazine Guidelines
Query letters should be mailed to:
Charisma
.
Query e-mails should be sent to . 80% freelance written.
7. AUTUMN HOUSE POETRY AND FICTION CONTEST
$25 ENTRY FEE
The winners will receive book publication, $1,000 advance against royalties, and a $1,500 travel grant to participate in the 2012 Autumn House Master Authors Series in Pittsburgh. The deadline is June 30, 2011. All full-length collections of
poetry 50-80 pages in length are eligible. Fiction submissions should be approximately 200-300 pages. All fiction sub-genres (short stories, short-shorts, novellas, or novels) or any combination of sub-genres are eligible.
8. FAMILYFUN
FamilyFun editorial guidelines here
FamilyFun contact info here
FamilyFun magazine targets families with children 12 and under. It’s lively and informative content focuses on making the most of family time together through cooking, crafts, celebrations, volunteering, travel, and other family activities. Separate guidelines for travel and nontravel writers. Pays up to $1.25/word.
9. WOW: Writing on the Word
Writing on the Word writers guidelines
The writers of WOW devotions love words! We love the Word of God as revealed in the Bible, and we love to write. If you are also a person who loves God’s Word and loves to write, please submit a devotion for approval. We do not pay for devotions, but the WOW blog provides a place to share your writing with a larger audience. We presently have over 90 subscribers plus weekly visitors from all over the globe.
That will do it for this month. 
Writers, don’t forget to send me your kudos for next month’s celebration of any writing-related successes! I put out the call for kudos the first week of each month, but you can send them anytime and I’ll save them until it’s time for announcements.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Are You MoGoing? It Could Mean $100 in Your Pocket!
Do you want to write a book this year, or at least make huge headway on your project? Then, check out the MoGo7000 guidelines here.
And even if this is the first time you’ve heard about it, don’t worry–it starts over every month. So regardless of the month, you’re right on time!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Parting Words from the Word…
Is your rejection pile growing? Do you wonder if God cares? Are you considering leaving the writing world. Remember that God may be working behind the scenes to bless you with a positive rejection.
Many are the plans in a man’s heart,
but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21
I pray God’s blessing on the work of your hands and your hearts,
Vonda
