Love rejection. Rejection is evidence you are in the game. If you’re striking out, it means you got up to bat.

I wish I could say this was true for me. Rejection is something I hate with a passion. I’m already dreading my first bad review (something that is inevitable!) because I know it will be difficult to handle. But handle it I must.
I guess it’s a matter of perspective. Rejection means you tried in the first place, which is a battle in itself. It makes you better than the person who never tried. They didn’t have the courage to open themselves up to the possibility of rejection. You did. That should be something we celebrate.
When I wrote my screenplay it was absolutely terrifying to try to market it, especially from Australia. My screenplay was set in England in 1885, so it wasn’t likely that filmmakers in this country would be interested in it, although I did try them. It was like pulling teeth for me to put together a list of five companies a month and send them a query letter. I always felt relieved when it was done.
I usually didn’t receive any replies. All the replies I did receive were rejections, including one attached to an ominous letter from the company’s legal department for sending them an unsolicited query. However, with one of my rejections I did at least hear something good. I was told that my screenplay was well written. That was something, and I hung onto it, even as they went on to say that they didn’t think it was commercially viable. At least it was written well.
I had a little more confidence when I was sending The Heir around for expressions of interest. And of course, even finding an interested party, while certainly an achievement, led to more ‘rejection’, as my book was sent around for professional edits. It’s hard to hear someone tell you what you need to change before it’s acceptable for publication. It’s even harder if you believe the change is impossible for your story.
But in the end, I got up to bat. I deserve plaudits for that. And I’m still stepping up to the plate, especially as my book launch draws closer. I’m still as nervous now as I was then, but I’m not going to stop. Who knows? Maybe I’ll hit a home run.