A Writers Worst Nightmares: Rejection and Fear of Judgement

I have never sent any of my work to a publisher, as my writing is not in that league to do so. But I know the feeling of rejection, having my work criticized to such a disgusting degree by someone in a writer's forum, that I put down my pen and did so for years. I still have that story packed away in a crate in the basement. I've really been thinking of pulling it out and continuing it. I jokingly say to people that I will dedicate it to that S.O.B! Shame on him - but shame on me for letting him get the better of me. You live and learn.

I think that this is one reason I write the things I do. I found that when I et too personal, I get more "attached" to the piece. I mean with a recipe or a craft project, if someone doesn't like it then, oh well. I don't like every project out there, but with something personal I think I would get too upset if I was rejected. Good food for thought Bill.

You are so kind, Bill - thank you! :-)

Great article. I am so afraid to show my little writings, because they can be so easily rejected... And I don't know what's worse: rejection or judgment aka non- constructive criticism...

Beautifully said. I love writing and I love educating people about preserving our wildlife the best way that we can. It is a dual purpose. And I love sharing my pictures. Today a friend said that he feels that I am showing "emotions" of wildlife. Birds don't have emotions, but they have instincts. If he(David) knew that, I think he'd say that I was showing their behavior.

Bill,

It is plain and simple---I do not know what we would do without you and your words of wisdom. You are a spirit lifter with the most supportive guidance to all on HubPages.

I do hope Lea is feeling better and I wish her the very best in her writing success.

My issue with writing is I do not have enough time to do everything I want to accomplish, so I need to put myself out there more and find the time.

I voted up++++

Your Friend

Bobbi Purvis

I've always felt that I could brace myself against bad criticism or worse yet total rejection. The one thing I do dread is finally getting an e-book of poems published. Being constantly on the poverty end I will have to just pull myself together and get it done on my own. Then of course whatever happens it will all be my fault, my problem and my disaster alone. Now that is scary. You as always are an inspiration to keep the backbone up and the armor on. Passing this on.

I experienced some rejections too for the poem I sent but one of them finally accepted which became a kind of enjoyment of having been rejected and cured all pains caused by rejections.

Thank you for the lessons you've shared with us.

Bill my friend, best wishes imparted, ( passed on ), Zuzana was delighted; many thanks. .. Just don't betray me telling her that I missed to adjoin to my comment " great and appropriate videos." (She might be worried that forgetfulness ' hit the road,' you know what I mean. )

Thank you, feels much better.

I like the way you turned the negative letter into the things that were positive about being noticed. It seems like this is part of the learning curve we all go through. I think you put a lot of perspective on rejection and how to handle are inner thoughts as well. Very helpful hub.

Wow Bill, I love the message in this hub. Thank you for the words of wisdom. You're an inspiration to all of us.

billy, you have gone into the mind of people aspiring to write. I too had lots of reservations and fears, but I am slowly overcoming it. Excellent insight about writers.

Good evening Bill.

Very helpful on lesser scale than publishing a book. Naturally , rejection hurts , expected or as a surprise glued to us as faithful companion on life's journey. After a period of time is rather welcomed as a confidence booster (?!). Just recently Zuzana ( my best part ) asked if I was disappointed over unexpected rejection . No, not at all, ( is something wrong with me ?) - either way I would not be surprise because " we just don't know what's coming". Then we start counting our blessings. Nothing will outnumber them.

Voted up, useful and interesting.

Good night and storm -less week,; blessed and prosperous.

All writers, real or imagined, will thank you, Bill, for this shot of optimism. And I do admire your restraint when responding to certain comments (no names of course).

So true. Thanks for sharing this, bill.

Then tell them to send the manuscript to publish America they will publish everyone. They get out of paying royalties by claiming you have not sold books. So if they only want to see their name in print then that would be the best option.

Well let me give you a little published authors advice. No one has to get rejection letters anymore. With Amazon Kindle and Create a Space you can upload your books for free, pick out your covers and have them on the internet in kindle or paperback in less then 24 hours. Times have changed and no one has to put up with a publisher anymore. Anyone can get published without a publisher. Maybe you should hop over to my hub entitled publishing a book could never be easier without a publisher. Go to create a space it is easy to use. There is no reason to have to use a publisher to get published

Bill,

You must be psychic. First email I opened today was a thank-you, but no thank-you. I had applied for a freelance position hoping that it would lead to something more permanent. While I appreciate at least getting the email, I would have also appreciated some feedback as to what I could have done differently in order to meet their criteria. Thus, your article could not be more timely. Thank you for your wisdom and ability to know when I need it the most.

Kim

It's true no one can hurt you as much as you. And I want some of that rejection smoke too, so I can "man up" about my writing. Truth is, Hubpages is great because you can get paid for what YOU want to write about and not have it edited to bits. I recently had a blog post edited to bits which I was proud of....and in the end I didn't even want to look at it. So, moving on....I'm gonna keep on keeping on with my own stuff to make my mind sing ;)

Thank you for yet another very inspiring hub, Bill. Your words about the reality of writing and your encouragement are very helpful.

I love your approach that something good can come from rejection. In the world of writing it appears that pretty much everyone, even the best writers, have faced rejection at some point. Sooner or later I will take the next step and send articles to travel magazines. When that time comes I'll be prepared to handle whatever comes my way, thanks to you. Well done Bill.

Yes, certainly one part of being a writer ... I like to look at it as one stepping stone closer to success. I am mindful to look at all those famous writers who received countless rejection letters. Finding the perfect publisher is key ... no doubt!

Thanks for being gentle with your friends.

Blessings,

Faith Reaper

Great topic. I have a fear of being rejected by HP because they did not feature a hub that i really liked, but their rejection make me work harder, so in reality they helped me, but i still have that fear. Writing and poetry are my passion, it is a work in progress. All of your helpful hubs are really appreciated.....

Yep, right on, bullseye, nail on the head, ouch. This is a rough ride. Why do we do it? I'm compelled to express myself this way. And I'm compelled to avoid rejection. Wow, what a pair. Thanks Bill. Once again you've given courage to many who need it.

Great hub. Years ago I sent a story to television. I got this email with all of these letters of rejection from different components of the network. I later found out I needed an agent and should have sent my material through the agent first. Rejection is good but so bad too.

I find myself my worst critic. I have yet to get to the point where I am willing to submit anything, other than HP, for I don't feel I'm ready yet. I know, I could stay in this spot for years to come but writing here and reading your sage advice certainly helps me take tiny steps forward.

Keep 'em coming my friend. There'll be a book dedicated to you one day for all the help and encouragement you have provided.

Voted up, useful, awesome, interesting, and shared.

Thanks, bill, I needed to hear this. I got a rejection letter years ago and it haunted me to the point that I stopped writing at the time. When I first started a newspaper column, I was physically ill for several days before it came out in print. When I realized that people would be lining their bird cages with my face, and that it was okay, I was able to continue writing. Now, after writing for the past, let me see, I guess it has been seventeen years, I am still scared of rejection. Writing for Hub Pages has helped me. Thanks to the positive feedback I am getting, I am gearing up for another try at getting my books published. Thanks for the encouragement (yea, if they don't like it they can just go suck and egg! Ha Ha!).

Billybuc! Just getting online and I am THRILLED you are addressing this issue, THANK YOU FROM MY HEART! I printed out this whole article, and I will be back to add extra comments. I want to watch the videos...but I DO want to acknowledge I am aware of your taking the time to answer my question and how much I so appreciate you! To be continued...Blessings, Sparklea :) PS: I continue to print out your hubs and I am studying them...they are so valuable to me!

Bill, thank you for being such a source of encouragement. Your answers to these issues are right on. We are very blessed to have you share your experiences and expertise so willingly. Thank you very much.

Well said and expressed

Well all my rejection was some time back and I said well, your loss sucker...lol...but all your words are starting to put the fight back in me, I just may try again. ^

When I shared that story about my mother, I was so nervous about how people would react. I think that because I have judged myself so harshly for so many years, I was expecting the same from others. Sharing something so personal--like your struggles with addiction--is terrifying after years of negativity from your inner critic. But as is true with so many things in life, the greater the risk, the greater the reward.

Billy,

Thanks - Norwich is a beautiful city filled with beautiful buildings and hundreds of Churches with a river running right through it. I live fifteen minutes away from it. Forgot to mention they used to have an equal amount of pubs - one for everyday of the year - until it became less fashionable to imbibe or to go to Church.

Sally

Billy,

The part which I am going to let stick in my mind is what you said about not taking rejection personally and using it as an opportunity to improve what you have already started. I like that. Recently someone I know very well, discovered my writing on HubPages and unlike all the lovely people here who write such great comments, she informed me that I had made a spelling mistake in the first line of my Profile. She made no comment about the actual writing! Strange how we seek re-assurance from others - but sometimes we get what we are least expecting!

Anyway, I used it to my advantage - ha - I corrected my typo.

Another Gem, Billy - such words of wisdom.

Gave a great evening.

Sally

Rejection isn't failure. The only failure is not trying. We have to keep on telling ourselves that as writers. Excellent hub on a topic that is close to every writer's heart.

Excellant as usual, Bill. I applaud Lea for even getting to first base (they read something) and second base (they responded) with the publisher. Great job!!

I have yet to get beyond the silence stage regarding submitions. Oh well, perhaps someday....

You struck a blow for the Walter Mitty's who dream of doing something that they love to do - write. To all of you (and I include myself here) be brave! Write for the sheer joy of writing. Do not fear - someone will read it somewhere, sometime. I call it The Beginning Of An Echo when we write. We may not know who, where, or when our works are read, but rest assured someone sometime somewhere will hear our words and read our works. It may be on line in a Hub, or some other internet writing platform. We may be long gone from this Earthly plane, but it will be read. Put your mind at ease and write because you enjoy it!

Billy, you hit this one out of the park! I found myself silently saying 'that's right' to every sentence. When the time comes I will hold your advice throughout my very being as a shield against the editors of this world! Awesome and very helpful my friend ;) Pearl

S very true. Everything we write is a piece of us, who we are and every comment, rejection, critique feels personal. Thank you for putting this in a way that makes it easier to handle.

"if you do not try then your chances are zero" great advice and so very true. I will reread this hub until I make it part of my living style.

Thanks Bill

Rejection isn't pleasant but it makes me fight all the harder. Ok, so they don't want it - well, someone else can benefit then! 'Believe in yourself' is the message.

As far as the non-responses are concerned, I think that's just plain rude and who wants to deal with rude people? It doesn't take much to draw up a standard email to say 'sorry we can't accept your story but thanks for choosing us' type of idea.

Great advice to encourage writers. I still just enjoy the writing experience and love the inspiration that pops up all around me! Ann

Another sensible, as well as therapeutic, work of art. I have become accustomed to nodding, as I read your gifts to us.

Relating to so much of this, helps it go down smoothly. The most obvious arrow, pointing down, above my head, is being "self-critical."

(BTW, not limited in this dept. to just my writing. ) I've been cursed with this demon for as long as ......well, you know.

Merely getting a handle on that particular little bastard, would probably do a whole boatload of writers, some GOOD. I know it would be a refreshing relief for moi!..............Up+++ pinned & tweeted

A Writers Worst Nightmares: Rejection and Fear of Judgement interesting hub on this topic, I know what rejection feels like but have passed it and learned from it. Thank you for an informative hub and always a learning lesson from you.

“Some editors are failed writers, but so are most writers.”

~ TS Eliot

Like every art, writing does magic, it picks up dust and ornaments it with such words that it turns into pieces of beautiful pearls. Bill, you have perfected this art and we all are under the spell of it. With your powerful writing, so many will be benefited immensely,there is no doubt about that. You have so much to offer. Thank you very much.

Being rejected means you are putting yourself out there and working towards your dream. It's one thing to write, but you have to ask yourself what you want to come of it. If it's to be published, that doesn't happen if you don't put your work in the face of many. Remember when you were learning to ride your bike without the training wheels? How many times did you fall off and bang up your knees? Did you give up? No! Living your dream and carrying it through should follow the same process. It should be like riding a bike and we all know that was no easy feat!

Once again Bill, thank you for sharing your wisdom. If you don't try you've already failed, take it all in but trust your own intuition.

Rejection is always hard to take but for some writers it seems it kills their will to continue their passion! If J.K. Rowling listen to those critics we would never had the chance to know Harry Potter!

Really good stuff, thanks buddy.

I swear, Bill, sometimes I think you are reading my mind.

I'm not even close to approaching an editor or a publisher, but

I fear the rejection would be intolerable to bear.

Until then, I will keep writing and simply tell myself it is for fun.

Yes, that sounds good. I write for the fun of writing.

Yep, having a ball!

DJ.

Good morning, Billy; rejection is difficult to accept as you so aptly put it because there are pieces of our soul in our writing. As you know, I write about addiction as I am a recovering addict, so initially, I felt more vulnerable in my writing. Published in addiction magazines validated some of it, however, my original curriculum was rejected by a major publisher and I was crushed for a day or two. However, as you also point out, when a publisher contacts us directly, we have an opportunity to go back and rework something and risking rejection again, we can submit it one more time.

I think we always have to keep in mind, who are the readers for any given market. None of my articles, stories or curriculum would work for Sports Illustrated and to send to them would be pointless. Researching types of publications, or finding authors and writers that we "are similar to", I think means we have more opportunities to be accepted, not rejected by a particular publishing venue.