Working writers get rejections....it's just a fact of life. Still, the terse dismissal of months of one's heartfelt work can sting. That's one of the reasons that Andre Bernard's little book Rotten Reviews and Rejections: A History of Insult, A Solace to Writers
has a permanent place on my bookshelf. This small gem of a book reminds us that on a regular basis, really smart readers, writers, and critics—including the likes of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Charlotte Bronte—heap withering scorn on books and authors that go on to be classics.
Does this mean that we should assume that those who criticize our work are wrong? Hell no. What it does mean is that writing is called an art rather than a science for a reason. Personal taste and personal "takes," not to mention the myriad influences of time and place and culture, always influence a reader's responses, no matter how experienced or illustrious the reader may be. My suggestion? Learn what you can from your rejections, but never use the responses of any one reader as your guide.
Unless, of course, it's Working Writer who has bullied—er, I mean blessed—you with the scrawl of her brilliant red pen.
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