Regarding Rejection
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It occurred to me this afternoon as I stood in line to buy $1.98 in postage to send "Devin in My Bedroom" to Seattle, that I have become desensitized to rejection--rejection is simply my routine--which realization reminded me that it was not always so. It used to be that a rejection meant months before I could send something else out--even though I was not hurt per se, there was still some recovery time required for the dashed expectations.
Now I'm to the point where I can be chatting with Tolkien Boy and email an Emily Dickinson spoof to The New Yorker at the same time--because hey, why not?
Yes, I try to match my work with each outlet, but eventually I have to send stuff out or nothing will happen. I have to believe that no one else here would rack up the zillion rejections I have without earning more than ten dollars. I would have to check my list, but I believe I have twelve pieces out right now. Not bad. Each has been rejected at least once before. Some as many as five times.
There is no inoculation against rejection. You have to work through it. But coming out on the other side is not impossible. Nowadays, I don't even blink at rejection. Someday, when something is actually picked up for real money, I just might die of shock--success is the last thing I'm expecting right now.
I don't know if zero expectations are good or bad. But at least they allow me to keep the USPS in business.
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It occurred to me this afternoon as I stood in line to buy $1.98 in postage to send "Devin in My Bedroom" to Seattle, that I have become desensitized to rejection--rejection is simply my routine--which realization reminded me that it was not always so. It used to be that a rejection meant months before I could send something else out--even though I was not hurt per se, there was still some recovery time required for the dashed expectations.
Now I'm to the point where I can be chatting with Tolkien Boy and email an Emily Dickinson spoof to The New Yorker at the same time--because hey, why not?
Yes, I try to match my work with each outlet, but eventually I have to send stuff out or nothing will happen. I have to believe that no one else here would rack up the zillion rejections I have without earning more than ten dollars. I would have to check my list, but I believe I have twelve pieces out right now. Not bad. Each has been rejected at least once before. Some as many as five times.
There is no inoculation against rejection. You have to work through it. But coming out on the other side is not impossible. Nowadays, I don't even blink at rejection. Someday, when something is actually picked up for real money, I just might die of shock--success is the last thing I'm expecting right now.
I don't know if zero expectations are good or bad. But at least they allow me to keep the USPS in business.
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posted by Th. at 8/29/2006 07:35:00 PM
2 Comments:
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He looks so lonely....
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By the way, Devin was rejected last week, so I sent him on to Lullaby Hearse.
The magazine that rejected him, however, asked to see more by me. So I mailed that today.
You see the example I am setting for you.
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