Dealing With Rejection

Rejection is a part of life! What do we do with it? What we do is be grateful that we are one rejection closer to a yes!

If your book is rejected by a publisher, it is probably because they didn’t actually take the time to read it. If your website is rejected by an affiliate, it is likely because of your numbers. They may say that it is due to content quality, originality, or whatever other lame excuses they want to come up with, but the truth is that they are only interested in the impact of their exposure.

Am I taking a jab at corporate America? Yes, I am, and rightly so. It is unfortunate that great books get overlooked and good content gets dismissed because of numbers and greed. I believe there is still something to be said for those who support aspiring artists in the beginning. Those are the people we will remain loyal to throughout our careers regardless of our successes.

Unfortunately, people don’t see it that way anymore; at least, most don’t. There are still a few out there who will recognize an opportunity or good deal and run with it from the start, but most want guarantees upfront.

It wasn’t always like this. In the ’50s and ’60s, it was quite easy to get bank loans for business ventures and investors were ready to put their money to use. For example, anyone who fronted Dunkin’ Donuts (1950), Walmart (1950), Kentucky Fried Chicken (1952), or Denny’s (1953) made a fortune!

The problem today is that there are more entrepreneurs than money.

One thing we do have going for us is crowdfunding. A relatively new concept, crowdfunding began in 1997 when a British rock band funded their reunion through the online donations of fans. With a lot of people giving a little bit of money toward a business venture or project, crowdfunding is a great way to raise capital. Patreon is a popular crowdfunding website for artists, writers included.

The catch-22 of any business these days is that in order to attract investors and acquire bank loans to fund your efforts, you have to show both current success and future potential. Most often, they also want to see collateral that can cover their investments. The catch is how do you show success, future potential, and current capital without having the funds to develop and promote your business?

Investors rarely take risks anymore; now, they expect guarantees. It is a paradigm shift from how things once were. In the past, the whole point was betting on a potential winner.

With respect to writing books, the sad thing is that if an author has a mediocre book but has established a large following, it will get published. However, if a newcomer has an incredible novel but no followers, it will likely never see the light of day. If I ever get a movie deal (God willing someday), I intend to change that at least for a few.

The same can be said for websites. If you have incredible content that is highly valuable to your readers, that doesn’t mean anything unless you have the numbers to gain the interest of affiliates and advertisers. Capitalism at its best! We all want a piece of the pie, but only if the pie is already baked and looks delicious on the window sill.

My advice to publishers and affiliates would be this: Wake up and smell the coffee! A dozen fools rejected Harry Potter and wound up losing billions! Don’t make the same mistake!

For the record, I don’t often rant or complain, but this particular topic really sets me off. Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments and don’t forget to subscribe for post alerts and my monthly newsletter.