My Seventh Rejection

Hello everybody! As August comes to a close, I am afraid to admit that I will not have time to post the upcoming short story before the month ends. I have been rewriting and editing it since I was not satisfied with the first draft, but it will come soon. At the same time, I will also start preparing for flash fiction stories for October as September rolls around. If you want to write some flash fiction stories and have them posted on my blog, feel free to reach me at: chavirejranecdotes@gmail.com

The rejection email

As the title says, I have recently been rejected again. Rejection can be a tough pill to swallow, especially in the competitive world of writing. Just the other day, I opened an email to find yet another rejection from NeckSnap, a literary magazine I've previously covered in another post. I submitted two stories, neither of which was chosen for publication.

Getting a rejection notice can feel like a personal rejection. After all, when we submit our work, we’re sending a piece of ourselves into the world. It's natural to internalize the outcome, but I've learned that each rejection teaches us something valuable. Sometimes you have to find that value internally, as they do not tell you specifically why they rejected your piece. Most places will say to you, "Please know that this does not reflect on the quality of your work, as there are a lot of factors that go into selection." But what exactly are those factors? And what can I improve? There are no answers, so the rejection lingers in your mind, "Am I a good enough writer? Are my stories even acceptable for horror?"

It is best not to give these thoughts too much headspace and move forward; rejection is not the end, but just one part of the process. I urge fellow writers to embrace their journeys, learn from every experience, and keep submitting their work. The literary world is teeming with opportunities just waiting to be uncovered. Let's remain dedicated to writing, submitting, and believing in the power of our stories.

A stack of rejection letters symbolizing the writing journey