Regardless of how encouraging everyone around us may be, we have all received that response. You know what I’m talking about–the one that says something like:
Thank you for your submission/proposal/resume, but
- It doesn’t quite match our criteria at this time
- We don’t think we can give it the type of support it needs
- We will keep your information on file
As a full-time author, Desmond Ryan knows that rejection is not necessarily all about you but getting past it is. In the article below, he breaks down the process he takes to move through that thanks-but-no-thanks response to yes-yes-and-more-yes success.
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| Photo by energepic.com from Pexels |
Every success follows some pretty spectacular failures. I’m sure you can list about a dozen examples without even thinking about it. Sitting in a place of safety and security, this is nice-to-know information. When you feel like your world is collapsing around you, this is not helpful at all.
Action—any action—will always create some sort of a reaction. What you do now will impact where you end up later.
As you sit for a moment (or a few days) licking your wounds, think of your last success. Aside from the outcome, what was different? What steps did you take? Who were the people around you? Where did you turn when you faced adversity? What was your mindset?
How do you nurture your vision or goal?
As an author, I have sent out hundreds (thousands?) of query letters to agents. Most did not respond at all. Some advised that my novel was not what they wanted for any number of reasons. Three actually provided some positive feedback, but still rejected my work.
All of this is to say, I know how you feel. And I know what it’s like to believe that you are a complete zero and your dream/vision/idea was just some stupid, childish, fill-in-you-own-phrase waste of time. And I know how hard it is to get back at it and carry on.
After two years, I received three publishing offers. I declined them all. Not because there were terrible offers, but because I had grown as an author, entrepreneur, and individual and my dream/vision/idea of who I was and what I wanted to achieve had changed.
You are growing, too. What seemed like The Dream and/or the ONLY way to get there when you started may not be so today. Maybe your heart isn’t in your project anymore, perhaps the market has shifted away from your proposed product, or possibly you’ve found a better way to achieve your desired outcome.
Whatever the case may be, you will never get there if you stop. One of the reasons that you are able to create anything is because you are creative! You have a vision.
You have succeeded in the past. It is in you. Follow your old success roadmaps. Surround yourself with positive people. Dig deep and find that spark inside of you. Most importantly, remember that you have something unique to offer and the courage to do it.
Rejection is a part of your life, not the narrative of your life.
Check out his blog posts, upcoming books, and what people are saying about him at realdesmondryan.com.
Real Detective. Real Crime. Fiction.
