In all my reading, I kept coming across the same ratio, ten to one (10:1). Sometimes it was stated differently, but the math always worked out the same. For every ten rejections, you get one acceptance. Or: for every ten failures, you get one success.
This is why I created the #100RejectionsChallenge. The idea being that if I (or you or anybody) can submit to 100 publications, we will get 90 rejections, and 10 acceptances.
I want those ten acceptances, those ten publications.
There are probably several ways to go about this, but I’ve chosen to send one piece to one publisher at a time (non-simultaneous submission). It’s easier for me to track, it keeps the piece in front of me every few weeks so I can tweak it before sending it off again, and it just feels right. Asking someone to give me their time and then telling them I’ve already published the piece somewhere else doesn’t sit right with me.
Currently I have 35 pieces out for submissions. I’ve collected eight (8) rejections and one (1) acceptance. I started submitting pieces on June 4th and it is currently October 5th. So four months of submitting has only landed me nine responses so far. And while there are five publications I ought to hear back from this month, it is clearly a slow process.
For many, eight rejections with only one accepting is failure. For me, it’s a massive win. I got the acceptance when I only have five rejections (or something like that) so I thought I was beating the 10:1 ratio big time. I had a moment where I envisioned that I was simply a better writer than every other writer under the sun, and my goodness how terrifying!
Then a few more rejections flowed in and I was so relieved. Isn’t that odd?
The only thing we’re guaranteed of failing is everything we don’t try.
The opportunity to chase your dreams is a privilege, it’s a gift, and it’s a challenge.
I hope you take it up.
Sunday Dutro, Author - Official Site 