AD- This is a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions remain my own.
Everyone deals with rejection at some point in their life. You might lose out on a great freelance opportunity or face a painful break-up.
And for those in the creative world, rejection is all too common!
From receiving a rejection from a publishing house to getting negative feedback on a piece of writing, you definitely need to learn how to bounce back as a writer– and it’s not always easy.
In this blog post, I’m getting honest about rejection as a writer! I’ve also put together 5 top tips to handle rejection as a freelancer, blogger or writer.
Getting honest about rejection as a writer
Whether you’re a freelancer, blogger or remote worker- it’s likely that you’ll have dealt with rejection at one time or another.
You might send a great pitch to a magazine, only to hear nothing at all. Or you might apply to work with your favourite brand, only to receive a rejection.
It’s an unfortunate part of working in the creative world.
As someone who struggles with self-doubt and perfectionism, it’s all too easy for me to take rejection to heart- and I know other people are in the same position.
However, I think it’s important to talk about it!
By reading other people’s experiences online and getting honest about the rejection we all face, it’s easy to see that rejection is very common- and it can even be a good thing in some cases.
In fact, everyone deals with it- from published authors to bloggers.
My top tips for handling rejection as a writer
1. It’s NOT personal
Rejection as a writer is never personal- however bad it might feel.
I once spent a couple of hours working on a pitch, only to be rejected within 10 minutes. It hurt, but it’s never personal. In fact, I laughed about it- it’s just something that happens.
The editor said that my idea didn’t work for them at the time- but she encouraged me to send another idea. It wasn’t about my writing or even my idea, it just wasn’t the right time.
Whether you’ve completed a piece of online remote translation work or you want to get your book published, rejection is never personal.
2. Find the positives
If you receive a rejection or a bunch of edits on your work, it’s important to find the positives.
If an editor has given you negative feedback, is it something that will make your piece much better? If you’ve received a pitch rejection, has the editor suggested you could send another idea?
This might not always be possible, but any positives you can find will take away the sting of rejection a little.
3. Treat yourself
Just because rejection is part of life as a writer, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt sometimes.
If you’ve received a rejection, treat yourself. You could take yourself out for a coffee or buy yourself a little treat to lift your mood.
It’s so important to treat yourself with compassion when you receive a rejection. There’s no point beating yourself up, on top of an external rejection.
4. Remember how great you are!
As with many things in life, reminding yourself how great you are is so important.
Just because you didn’t get something right the first time, or someone didn’t want to publish your work, it doesn’t mean you’re not good at what you do.
I always think that people who work in the creative world must have super thick skin.
We’re used to hearing negative feedback and receiving rejections for our writing- but we keep on going!
5. Throw yourself into your writing
One of the best ways to handle rejection as a writer is to throw yourself into your writing. The worst thing you can do is let rejection stop you from trying.
If writing is your passion, throw yourself into your writing again when you feel inspired.
If you write for your job, throw yourself into a new task or commit to making your writing that little bit better if you’ve received some constructive criticism.
Have you experienced rejection as a writer? Do you find it hard to deal with rejection? Do you have any top tips to handle rejection as a freelancer or blogger?
Let me know all your thoughts in the comments 🙂
Happy reading x
Not-So-Modern Girl 
Well-written post! Thanks for sharing x
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Thank you Monika x
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These are some great ideas. Although it can be disheartening, it just makes me work harder on my writing. Being compassionate and remembering it isn’t personal I think are so important. Thank you for sharing.
Lauren – bournemouthgirl
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Thank you! Yes I think you have to move on from the rejection and throw yourself back into what you love. I appreciate the comment 🙂 x
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Top two is number one for me. And just as with the wins, find a treat for the not so good outcomes
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That’s so true! A treat can really help to boost your mood after a disappointment x
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Some good tips for those who are starting out and getting rejections. It’s hard to deal with
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Thank you Emma 🙂
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All of this is so encouraging; rejection can be really difficult to navigate sometimes so it’s good to have these tips as a reminder to not let it stop us from pursuing writing. Thanks!
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Thank you Molly! Everyone is in the same position, for sure 🙂 thank you for sharing, I’m glad you enjoyed the post x
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Rejection as a writer can hurt, but it’s how you react and respond to it that counts. A great read! x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
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That’s so true! Thank you Lucy x
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I’m not sure if I could handle that level of rejection for something I’ve created. I think you need a strength I’m not sure I have. Still, the tips make a lot of sense so I hope they benefit budding writers
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I’m sure you do have it, but I get what you mean- it can get you down sometimes. Thank you 🙂
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Great advice! I have been rejected several times for a book and it can bring you down but I embrace it and take on the criticism. It is part of the writing life.
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Thank you Jamie 🙂 I think sometimes criticism can be a helpful thing- as long as it’s genuine, constrictive feedback. Good luck getting your writing about there! Thank you x
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Thank you.
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Great post! I think you’re right, reading about other people’s experiences helps and it kinda lets us know that sometimes not hearing back or getting a no it’s part of the journey. Thank you for sharing these tips, very helpful!
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Thank you! I think so too, hearing what other people go through is so important. Thank you for sharing x
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Rejection is the worst. I’m similar to so many, I had SUCH a slow start to the year and it gave me a real wobble in my confidence. Rejection is par for the course. These tips will defo help me!
Rosie
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Aw I’m sorry to hear that! I experienced some of that slowness too, so I completely understand. It can be hard, but we keep bouncing back 🙂 thank you for sharing Rosie x
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Great post! The quicker we all learn that rejection is part of life the better but it can be difficult to manage, especially when you get quite a few rejections in a short space of time. You really do need to lean into self-care when that happens!
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Thank you Jenny 🙂 yes I completely agree, showing yourself compassion can help you get over any rejections- especially when a couple come at once, as you say. Thank you for sharing your thoughts x
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I’ve never had to handle rejection for posts or books, but it would definitely impact me if I did. I would go straight to the treat tip and buy some food to feel better, haha!
Thanks for sharing x
Em / http://www.earthlyem.co.uk
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Haha food is always my go to 🙂 thank you for sharing x
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Great tips on how to deal with rejection and keep going even when you’re disappointed.
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Thank you!
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This is such a great post, as rejection is always tough for me to deal with! Thanks for sharing all these tips and tricks for dealing with it!
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It can be so difficult, you’re not alone. Thank you x
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Thanks for sharing – great tips!
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Great tips, finding the positive always helps. I haven’t been rejected before but will keep these in mind.
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Thank you 🙂
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I nodded along to all these points, especially ‘it’s not personal’. It really isn’t, it could just be that you aren’t the right fit (at the moment), but have the some will, some won’t… so what? Next approach – I have learned that the rejection can be a silver lining on occasion! 😉 Great tips in the post, especially for newbie writers! Sim x
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Thank you Sim! I completely agree, sometimes you might get rejected from something that just wasn’t right for you anyway. I’m so glad you found the post relatable/helpful 🙂
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I love every point you made, I’ve been rejected for sponsored posts I’ve applied for and while I felt some type of way about it, I see it just say ok and keep it moving. In the end i just think of it as it was for the best.
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Yes I think rejection can often be for the best. Thank you for sharing your experiences Kel 🙂
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Rejections are part of the process and they can move us further on the way, even if it often first doesn’t seem so… Thanks for the tips!
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Thank you! Yes that’s very true 🙂
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