Author Liwen Ho

Getting Punched

Yesterday, I got punched in the gut. Not literally, thank God (cause I’m no Rocky Balboa), but most definitely in a way I could feel in my heart.

Image courtesy of hin255/freedigitalphotos.net

The source of the punch? This email…

“We appreciated the opportunity to read your work and found much to enjoy in this essay. However, we are currently receiving more high-quality submissions than we are able to publish, and we are afraid we decided to pass on this one.”

Sigh. 🙁

Although this was not my first rejection letter from a publishing company (and I know it won’t be my last one either), it doesn’t make it any easier to swallow. It’s times like these when I wish there was truth in the childhood saying, “I’m rubber and you’re glue; whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you”. But the reality is that I’m human and each “No” I get has the power to pierce through my flesh and draw blood.

Okay, maybe I need to look on the bright side and stop being so melodramatic. 🙂 I know there are always two ways to look at a situation: positively or negatively. If I choose the former, I can tell myself there are other opportunities out there and I have heard “Yes” a couple of times, so don’t give up. If I choose the latter, I can stop writing and just drown my sorrows in Cherry Garcia ice-cream – which is a tempting thought considering how much I love the combination of cherries and chocolate!

But what keeps me going is the fact that I love to write and the belief that anything worth doing takes perseverance. And a reminder from hubby that J.K. Rowling (as did many successful writers) faced rejection numerous times, too.

So, I choose to keep on trying. I got back on the proverbial horse (or in my case, my laptop) last night and contacted another publisher. Sure, I risk facing rejection again, but I also may have opened the door to a potential acceptance.

A side note: Right after I received the rejection email and was feeling down, C took my hand and said, “Mom, sing with me. Things are going to get better.” She had made up the little tune on her own, not knowing how discouraged I was feeling at the time. I sang along with her, squeezing the words out past the lump in my throat, and thanked God for reminding me that things are going to get better.

Here is Pink’s song, “Try“, which is all about getting up and trying again.

What has helped you bounce back from rejection?

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