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Whatever rejects us only makes us stronger

23 Jan 2007 | National Post pg. AL1 | Robert Fulford.

However phrased, rejection plays a key role in the drama of the writing life. In some careers it's enacted over and over, like a recurring nightmare. George Bernard Shaw started out by having four successive novels rejected by publishers, one of whom told him never to send in another one. Brian Moore's great first novel, Judith Hearne, was turned down by a dozen New York publishers before an English firm brought it out and launched his career.

Robert J. Sawyer, the highly successful Canadian science-fiction writer, recently noted that he has 142 rejection slips in his file. He usually puts a rejected story right back in the mail, on the same day, sending it off to another magazine. One story was rejected 18 times. On the 19th submission it found a good home and within days after publication was chosen for an anthology.