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Deaing with Rejection and Negative Critiques
by Katie Gustafsson

The Ailment: How do I handle rejections and negative criticisms of my work?

The Cure: "I know, this is your baby and you feel that your baby has been rejected. The same baby that you sweated blood over to complete, but it isn't the end of the world. Criticisms are just opinions from people who think they know better. 'Think' being the operative word in that sentence because the next person you show your work to may think it's the best thing to hit the world's literary market since Dickens or Hemmingway.

"It depends really on who is your critic. If it's great-auntie Mabel then perhaps her view of your pulse-racing, too-scorching-hot-to-hold novel is going to be negative, mainly because it's 'not my cup of tea, Dear!'

"What about your friends? Find out what they normally read. Their judgment could be entirely biased because they only ever read epic sagas and your science fiction masterpiece has left them baffled and bewildered.

"Should you have a similar reaction from many friends who have varied reading tastes, you should probably take a look at your writing through their eyes.

"If an editor has dared to pour water on your flames of enthusiastic scribbling, then you need to take note. Editors know what they are doing and they want to sell books. If your book could make them money, then they'll want it. If they tell you that there is something wrong with it, look carefully at what the comments are and see if you agree with them. Would it be so bad to make some changes?

"Whatever you do with negative comments, don't take them to heart. Every writer gets them. File them away somewhere and one day when you have a six-figure advance on your latest book, get them out and have a laugh over the person who said, 'You'll never make it!'"

Copyright © 2001 Katie Gustafsson

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