Hit 100 rejections in my short story submissions last week

I keep track of every story I send out in a simple spreadsheet. Column for date, market, outcome. Last week I noticed the 'rejected' tally hit exactly 100. Most people I talk to in the writing groups say to quit after 20 or 30 and revise harder. But for me, each rejection taught me something different. One market wanted more dialogue, another said my pacing was off. Those notes helped me reshape a story that finally placed in a contest last month. Has anyone else kept pushing past a big number like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

lucas4981d ago

100 rejections just means you're sending out work that isn't ready yet.

christopher_west11d ago

Man, 100 rejections sounds like an achievement in itself honestly. I mean @lucas498, at what point do you just frame them on the wall like a participation trophy? My buddy in Chicago got rejected from 15 coffee shops for his open mic night before one finally gave him a shot, and now he's a local legend. Maybe that's where the real art comes from though, learning to laugh off the "no's" while you keep scribbling. Either way, you're building a weird kind of stamina, right? Or maybe just a really thick skin for people not getting it yet.