In a very honest essay about persevering as fiction writer (and having the faith to try it in the first place), Eva Lomski discusses how she manages the submissions and rejection process:
The best way I found to avoid misery over rejection was to ensure I had as many stories on submission as possible, so that when the inevitable email arrived, my emotional investment was left relatively unscathed. Every so often, I went through the spreadsheet, counted my “successes” and calculated my hit rate. It remained stable.
Click here to read Eva’s entire essay, in the latest Glimmer Train bulletin.
Read more essays on the writing life at Glimmer Train’s site:
- Some Things I Didn’t Realize About Myself Before I Wrote Them Down by Stefani Nellen
- Write Locally by William Luvaas
Jane Friedman (@JaneFriedman) has 20 years of experience in the publishing industry, with expertise in digital media strategy for authors and publishers. She is the publisher of The Hot Sheet, the essential newsletter on the publishing industry for authors, and was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World in 2019.
In addition to being a columnist for Publishers Weekly, Jane is a professor with The Great Courses, which released her 24-lecture series, How to Publish Your Book. Her book for creative writers, The Business of Being a Writer (University of Chicago Press), received a starred review from Library Journal.
Jane speaks regularly at conferences and industry events such as BookExpo America, Digital Book World, and the AWP Conference, and has served on panels with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Creative Work Fund. Find out more.