1.
Cry . . . just let it out. But, don't wallow in the sadness and injustice of it all. Give yourself what you think is the fair amount of time to mourn the loss. (One day for a fiction manuscript, one hour for an article, one minute for a poem?) Let the tears cleanse and renew you, then move on. Write on!2.
Use the anger, frustration, discouragement that comes from rejection as motivation to get more ideas out there. Revamp your old query, get it out to a new batch of editors, agents and publishers. Generate fresh ideas, write more queries; get those out there, too!3.
Make paper airplanes out of any snail mail rejection correspondence. Take the airplanes to your front yard or a park and fly them with your kids. If you don't have kids, borrow someone else's. Get some fresh air, play, laugh it off with a little bit of fun and frivolity.4.
Pray. Ask God to help you regroup and heal the hurt that comes from rejection. Trust his sweet Holy Spirit to redirect and refuel you. Trust that God will give you the strength and stamina and inspiration for the next leg of your writing journey wherever it takes you.5.
Call a friend who cares about you. Tell her about the 'evil' editor who did not see the value in your words. Your Girlfriend will band with you against the Evil Forces of Editor, and maybe she'll even take you out for a time of ice cream and mourning, too.6.
Take a long brisk walk or run. Pound out your frustration, then write. Writing Coach Rochelle Melander has created a philosophy creatively monikered, Walk-Write-Win. Check out her blog about the benefits walking has on your writing career: http://walk-write-win.blogspot.com/7.
Don't take it personally. When the rejection comes, realize that selling books, articles, poetry and prose is a very competitive, subjective business. Acquisition editors buy what they think will sell. For whatever reason, at this point in time, your piece did not work for them. That doesn't mean that it won't work for someone else at some other point in time.8.
Never give up hope. Every seasoned and good writer knows that rejection is a big part of the writing journey. So, don't let the rejections divert you from your publication goals, and your personal writing hopes.9.
If you've collected a bunch of rejection letters, consider creative, green ways of recycling them: use them to wallpaper your bathroom, fold them into origami and decorate your office, or potty train your new puppy on them.10.
Keep your chin up. When the rejections come remember that God, the Author and Perfecter of our Faith is also a Lifter of Heads. So, let him lift your head at least high enough so you can see your computer screen again; and get on with the journey that is writing.
