NttG#5 – Rejection

Rejection is a part of writing. I was recently rejected for something I submitted and wanted pretty badly. They didn’t like what I put out there, at least not enough to get on the list. Yeah, almost 300 people submitted and yeah I made the short list before they chose their people to be in the design rotation, but none of that matters to me because I didn’t get the job. It’s a reality check. Sometimes people are going to like what you’re putting out there and sometimes they’re not. It’s all part of the game. When I think about it I’ve had more work passed on than accepted, and every time it’s a pass it feels like someone kicked me in the groin. It hurts, but it also reminds me I still have work to do. It pushes me to be better. So I go back to the drawing board and work. That’s the only choice I have because the other one is to quit and I won’t do that. That’s the kind of attitude you need to have to survive doing this – but it’s not just attitude. If you don’t understand what you’re not doing well or what you’ve done wrong, then no amount of positive attitude or willingness to work will mean much. You need to self analyze, see where you can improve, and work on those areas of your craft. That also means asking the people who reject you questions. Ask them where you messed up, what you did wrong, and how you can course correct to be better. It takes swallowing your pride, but you’ll be a better craftsman for it.