small writerly grumble

[truepenny]

Bah.

Two rejections in two days.

You know, it is true what they say about familiarity breeding contempt. I'm annoyed by this concatenation, but nothing stronger than that. It doesn't bother me. The days of being desolated by each and every rejection seem to be mercifully in the past.

Of course (pause while Truepenny does the math), these are my 127th and 128th rejections, respectively, in not quite four years. Which works out to (pause while Truepenny does more math) thirty-two rejections a year, or not quite three a month. In the same length of time I've made (pause for still more math) thirteen sales, all clustered in the last two years. That's a batting average of .102.

I'd better either be a pitcher or Rafael Belliard.

Except of course that that's not how it works. Unlike in baseball, the number of times I step up to the plate and strike out doesn't matter. They're just how I pay my dues. And I think I've finally got my head wrapped around that.

Comments

[copperwise.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I've only recently become serious about sending things out so I have a very small pile of rejection slips and an even smaller number of sales. But I am still in the phase where things feel hopeless. It does not help when well-known writers publicly state "Oh, I think I sold the first story I sent out..." and claim that they don't have any rejections. It's very reassuring to read a post like this and realize that I'm not unusual and that there is hope.

Mia

[truepenny.livejournal.com]

matociquala told me once that the industry average is one sale per ten rejections. So, no, you're not unusual, and, yes, there is hope.

And I'm glad that my bitching has improved your state of mind. *g*