Don't Get Discouraged

Shop Talk: After waiting for 9 long weeks I finally heard back from the magazine I submitted my first manuscript to. I have officially received my first rejection letter. It was a form letter with a list of possible rejection reasons and then the one that applied to my piece had a check mark next to it. Some of the reasons listed on the letter were: The story is well written but lacks a fresh approach. It lacks a strong plot. It involves stereotyped roles. The reason my piece was turned down was It is not suited to our present needs. That's fine. I actually feel glad that the reason wasn't more negative like "lacks a strong plot." I still feel good about the article and now I will get it ready to submit to a different magazine. I have a market guide with hundreds of magazines in it. I just need to find the right one for this article. A sentence at the beginning of the rejection letter says, "Many a noted writer has climbed to success on steps built with early rejection slips. Don't get discouraged!" As I said before, I've learned so much through the process and what I've learned will help me better prepare my next manuscript package. Rejection letters seem to be some right of passage for writers. A rejection letter means I tried. I didn't give up and I followed through. I feel proud of that and I think I'm feeling a little more like a real writer now :)