REJECTION! How to Find the Upside and Create Even Better Work by Natascha Biebow

 

You’ve all heard them – the stories of how famous authors got hundreds of rejections before they got their book deal (and maybe even got rich).

 

And you’ve probably heard all the usual advice about how to deal with rejection:

- listen to feedback – join a critique group, cogitate those nuggets that a ‘nice’ rejection letter wings back to you and be prepared to revise.

- take a break and do something different; put your manuscript away for a while so that you can look at it again with fresh eyes.

- practise your craft – bum on seat, keep learning from other writers and take a course or do some mentoring if you can.

- listen to your gut – you know your story and sometimes you have to go right back to the beginning to find it.

- shelve your book; work on another project; always keep trying something new.

 

And . . . here’s the biggie:

Have courage and patience. Develop a thick skin!

Sounds easy on paper, right? But . . . 

. . .  rejections are hurtful. They sting. They seem like they are a failing on our part, as if they were a measure of our success and worth as authors. Rejections feel like something we should perhaps brush under the carpet. It’s much nicer to talk about good news . . . or the weather.

Even though they are so numerous and common – an everyday part of making it as a writer, really – we find it hard to TALK OPENLY about rejections.

But rejection is actually so commonplace that it should be a NORMAL part of being a writer, or indeed any creative. What if it were ‘normal’ to be rejected, something to be EXPECTED and that we shared more openly?

Rejection is, after all, really a bi-product of learning our craft – it means we’re taking risks and innovating!

If we never failed, we wouldn’t learn what we were good at. It would be difficult to keep improving and produce the best possible work. And, given that we’re creating for young readers, this is means we should be constantly stretching ourselves to make books that are worthy of our audience.

In her book THE REJECTION THAT CHANGED MY LIFE, Jessica Bacal shares some tips for reframing rejection that I’ve found helpful:

- Taking a leaf out of Professor Patricia Linville’s theory of ‘self-complexity’, which is the “phenomenon of having more than one ’self-aspect’, or definition of ourselves”, Bacal suggests considering rejection as just ONE part of your life, and instead focusing on other parts of your life about which you feel positive.

To do this, you can make a list of the things that you CAN do well. For fun, I had a go making a list of all the things I am good at that I wouldn’t put in my cover letter:

Bacal also suggests looking to psychologist Dr Kristin Neff’s theory of ‘self-compassion’ for inspiration. It has three parts:

1. First, acknowledge rejection – allow yourself to feel the pain of rejection and process all the emotions you need to feel.

2. Talk to yourself about the rejection as you would a friend and do something to make yourself feel better. Watch something funny, eat a cookie, binge watch your favourite TV show, share a laugh. Be compassionate towards yourself. Be KIND!
3. THEN normalize the rejection as part of a universal experience – we all experience rejections in life. Yes, make it normal. And, here’s the key:

If you can be part of a group connected in your suffering, this can really help! Having a writing community, such as SCBWI, can be key to helping you to deal with and move past rejection.

This rang true for me, certainly!

If rejection is the new normal for working writers, it will help us to build the emotional stamina to continue to create even better work. If we practise being rejected by failing often, it becomes easier to push ourselves to keep creating and becomes less crushing each time we get a ‘no’.  

 

In the words of novelist Barabara Kingsolver:

 

“This manuscript of yours that has just come back from another editor is a precious package. Don’t consider it rejected. Consider that you’ve addressed it ‘to the editor who can appreciate my work’ and it has simply come back stamped ‘Not at this address’. Just keep looking for the right address.”

 

It’s important keep rejection in proportion.



Celebrating small wins and being kind is definitely helpful. But I’ve also begun to consider that maybe rejection can actually help me become more creative, because it means I’m constantly having to pivot, re-consider my work, and think outside the box.

 

Rejection is not some scary THING out there. It’s just an ordinary, normal part of being a writer. It just means NO, not this and not yet.

 

YOU have the power to make it into a YES by being prepared to work at your craft. No one said being a writer was easy. Still, I am visualizing that YES!

________________________________________________________

Natascha Biebow, MBE, Author, Editor and Mentor

Natascha is the author of the award-winning The Crayon Man: The True Story of the Invention of Crayola Crayons, illustrated by Steven Salerno, winner of the Irma Black Award for Excellence in Children's Books, and selected as a best STEM Book 2020. Editor of numerous prize-winning books, she runs Blue Elephant Storyshaping, an editing, coaching and mentoring service aimed at empowering writers and illustrators to fine-tune their work pre-submission, and is the Editorial Director for Five Quills. She is Co-Regional Advisor (Co-Chair) of SCBWI British Isles. Find her at www.nataschabiebow.com

How to improve your chances of getting published. Advice from commissioning editor Laura Roberts

I was invited to write this piece by author and Picture Book Den blogger, Lucy Rowland. I’ve known Lucy for a few years now, having had the privilege of commissioning, editing and publishing several of her picture book stories and establishing a firm friendship with her in the process. That’s one of the many brilliant things about my job - the people I meet and the relationships I build with them. Another wonderful perk of what I do is discovering new talent and stories.  

I’ve worked in children’s publishing for over 13 years, mainly as en editor and for various leading publishers including Bloomsbury, Macmillan, Egmont, Oxford University Press, Little Tiger Press and Scholastic. The one thing that has remained the same throughout all that time is the excitement I get when I come across a new story or an author or illustrator with a really special quality.

That is exactly what happened when Lucy’s agent, Anne Clark, sent me the text for Little Red Reading Hood. I’ve seen many rewritings of fairytales, but this one was utterly unique. Not only because of its wonderful celebration of reading and stories, nor because it is so beautifully written in Lucy’s inimitable lyrical style, but because the story is completely full of heart. This was a rare occasion where the text was signed almost on the spot and the illustrations just clicked into place because the fantastic Ben Mantle was the only illustrator we could imagine for the job.

Not all picture books happen this way. Sometimes a story idea lands in the right place at the right time when a publisher has a specific topic in mind, and other times an idea just really captures a publisher’s interest and imagination. So there is no one specific method to ensure success in getting published, but there are ways for an author to improve their chances:

1)  Research the marketplace.                                                                                  

     Visit bookshops and look at online booksellers to see what is available and what people are buying. It’s always good for an author to stay in touch with what is happening in the marketplace, no matter how long they have been writing or how many books they have had published. Trends and conditions change all the time.   

2)  Be aware of your audience.                                                                             

     When coming up with an idea, consider whether booksellers would be able to sell the story based on your market research. Will children connect with it? And will adults enjoy reading it to children time-and-again?

3)  Keep abreast of current affairs.                                                                                            

     Book trends are often influenced by subjects that have become topical, so publishers are always on the lookout for story ideas that tap into current affairs.   At present, for example, environment and mental health and wellbeing are popular picture book themes.

4)  Don’t be prescriptive about the illustrations.

 It’s good for an author to have a sense of how they imagine their story may look, but unless they are        illustrating the story as well, it is best to avoid including too many illustration notes and direction as illustrators need to have creative freedom, plus publishers will have a grasp on how to make a book look right for the marketplace. Authors will always be shown work in progress illustrations, so they do get opportunity to be involved.

5)  Network.

      There’s a strong online community of authors and illustrators on Twitter and Instagram, so this is a great way to engage in publishing conversation and news. It’s also a good opportunity to make contact with agents, editors and designers and make them aware of you and your work. If you’re looking for more guidance and support then it could be beneficial to join an organisation such as the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).

6)  Seek advice.

     Speak to as many people involved in children’s books as possible and ask the questions that you want answers to. Even ask people to look at your work - but be willing to take in feedback and suggestions for development.

7)  Consider an agent.

     Agent representation isn’t for everyone, but if you are considering it, do your research into where you would be a good fit. Don’t be afraid to make contact and send an agent your work - but make sure you have a number of texts to show them first.

8)  Don’t give up!

     As the phrase goes, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” Even established authors receive rejections. If a story idea doesn’t get picked up by a publisher, then park it and move on to a new idea. There is every chance that this story could get another opportunity at a different time.

Of course there are illustrators who are keen to write too. Sometimes an illustrator will tell me they have a story idea and want to try their hand at writing it themselves but don’t know how to start. My advice is to tell the story the way an illustrator knows best - in visuals - and then add the words after.

This is just a part of another great aspect of my job: variety. The making of no two picture books is ever the same. Whether it’s an author and illustrator paired together, an author-illustrator creating the whole picture book, a debut or a highly experienced author or illustrator, the creative process always throws up new experiences and surprises, and as an editor I am always learning new things. I feel very privileged that I get to work with so many talented people who place trust in  me with their art.

Since becoming a mum to my own little human a couple of months ago, I’ve been taking a little time out from working in a publishing house and instead working solo as an editorial consultant. It’s been a wonderful experience to make contact with aspiring authors and see their work develop and evolve. When an author I’ve worked with has a story published, it is a very proud moment for me too!

If you want to get in touch with me for professional consultation on your own story ideas then drop me a direct message on my twitter handle @EditorJangles

Editors: 10 Top Tips For Getting the Best From Your Contributors

 By Moira Butterfield

I have been thinking recently about the delicate balance that exists in the relationship between an editor and freelancer. Having been both an editor and an author, I know there is a trade-off between meeting the needs of the company and its sales targets, and keeping contributors engaged and committed and generally ‘onside’. But what constitutes good and bad practice? Below is my list (in no particular order) of suggestions to smooth the relationship. If you are a freelancer, please add your own thoughts and experiences and it would be great to hear from some editors, too.

1. Don’t treat an author’s text as your own. Don’t try to re-write it wholesale. Good authors spend a lot of time choosing the right vocabulary and establishing the right rhythm. Many inexperienced editors don’t realise this and tamper with text too much. Suggest improvements by all means, but let the author convert suggestions into text.

2. Don’t ask your author to make changes without carefully explaining why. This may seem obvious but surprisingly it happens a lot. It isn’t about being above criticism. An author needs to know that the editor is clear about the direction of a project. There’s nothing worse than “Hmm. It’s not right yet,. I don’t know why….Can you sort it out?”

3. If you have a brief or some comments on work, email them over but also make sure you explain properly what you mean. Emails are notoriously bad communication tools. People take them to mean one thing when they mean another. Better to email, then phone.

4. Constant phoning with thoughts and requests isn’t great, either. Not only is it time-consuming, but the freelancer is going to feel that the editor doesn’t quite know what they are doing.

5. I have been to lots of sales conferences in the past, and salespeople often suggest useful improvements to proposed new projects but they have occasionally been known to spout ill thought-out nonsense, too. Good editors can sort the wheat from the chaff and gently but firmly head off the less considered comments. Don’t pass on all comments wholesale to the author and expect them to act on all of them. If there are consequences – a change of schedule or a lot of rewriting – it needs pointing out in-house.

6. If there are changes to be made, is it a rebrief on your part? Did you ask for one type of text and now you’re asking for another? Don’t pretend it’s not a rebrief when it is. If it is, you should allow for more time, and if appropriate, some recompense.

7. Freelancers are not employees. They need to be properly paid for their time and expertise, and treated with respect. See Point 6 above.

8. Keep your contributors in the loop about what’s going on in-house – If there’s been a delay or a postponement, for example. Silence is the worst option.

9. It takes surprisingly little to make a freelancer love you forever. ‘Thank you’ is good. Thank a freelancer immediately for work sent, even though you may not have had time to read it yet.

10. Tell your authors and illustrators what kind of projects your company is looking for, perhaps in the light of bookfair or sales team feedback. Your contributors are creative thinkers and, given the chance, they are likely to produce the goods.

Keeping the balance right is a difficult skill, requiring fine judgment and good people-handling skills. The payback for a good editor is in creating a good pool of creative talented people who are always keen to work for you.

One other thing. Get out of the office once in a while. Come and have a chinwag, a cuppa and a bun. Then you really will have your freelancer eating out of your hand!

PS: It would great to post a similar list from an editor regarding contributors. Do get in touch, editors.