Welcome to my annual blog post about rejection—I mean my annual blog post in which I tell you how many writing submissions I made in the previous year and then tell you how many times literary magazines said YES and how many times they said NO WAY.
(Your job is to say BOO to all the rejections.)
This was an epic year for literary submissions in that I tried really hard to submit many pieces to lit journals and magazines. If you have been reading my blog for a while, you know that I aim for 100 rejections every year not because I am a masochist but because I’m a writer (is that the same thing?), and a writer’s life is filled with rejection after rejection (unless you are/were Joan Didion—which sadly, I am not). I figure if I get 100 rejections, I’m more likely to get 10 acceptances, give or take, just by sheer odds. And every writer wants 10 acceptances.
But first, let’s do the annual roundup of past years because who doesn’t like to be reminded of all the rejections? (I am a writer, after all; therefore, I am brave.)
In 2020, I received 88 rejections and 2 acceptances. Okay, okay, this isn’t sounding like a good start, but let’s move on.
In 2021, I received 174 rejections and 30 acceptances. Phew. Better odds.
In 2022, I received 43 rejections and 3 acceptances. Eek.
In 2023, I received 34 rejections and 10 acceptances. Not bad, despite the fact that I really didn’t submit much.
Now for the breaking news (someone call Gayle King for this!): Okay, hang on. Before I tell you how many rejections and acceptances I got, please keep in mind I submitted a TON in 2024. More than I ever have. So let’s remember this when I tell you that in 2024 . . . I received 125 rejections.
Are you booing at all those literary magazines who didn’t know that my writing is PULITZER-PRIZE WORTHY?
I knew you would. Thank you.
But on to the good news: I also got 13 acceptances. WOO HOO!! And one of those acceptances was from a magazine (Rattle) that I have been trying to get a piece published in for literally years and years. Yes, you can applaud. Yes, I am taking a bow for that one. And yes, I used the word “literally” correctly, which is always the sign of a good writer, right?
I’m pleased with my efforts. So what’s the message? It isn’t new, and it goes for writers and non-writers alike: Keep trying. Don’t give up on what you love. Never take rejection personally. And always be proud of what you send out into the world, regardless of what happens. If you think your work is worthy, then that’s what matters most.
P.S. If you are interested in reading what pieces of mine get published, please consider subscribing to my monthly author newsletter, in which I post newly published work, tell you about upcoming writing classes and events, update you on what I am reading (and watching), and sometimes offer a doodle.
Photo credit: Jaunathan Gagnon
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