Thursday, June 19, 2008

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Rejections

Rejection, a stiletto so sharp –that it both amputates and cauterises in one single movement. However in the hands of an amateur the blood bath that follows would put to shame any abattoir.

There are many forms of rejections and many things are done to and with rejects. The one most spoken about is the rejection in relationships, but those have been done to death so lets move on (the antidote too) to other forms. Rejection of clothes - it may not be good enough for the outside market, but people kill for a branded rejection. Besides clothes, the other things that attract rejection are ideas, answers, proposals (not the ones on bended knee), manuscripts and articles to name but a few.

Almost all forms of rejection provide for the economy. Take for example the rejections of the heart – there are cards for those occasions, restaurants where the final blow is delivered or a shoulder provided, there are long rides that need to be taken, there is alcohol that needs to be drunk and beyond all this is retail therapy. Export rejects, the politically correct name for clothes that fall to quality’s keen eye, have a fan following as brands blind everyone.

The rejections that come from desk of an editor are the hardest to swallow. Invariably they are none, which means that a lot has to be read into the silence, if one is made of steel then one venture’s to ask, but that begets another wall of silence. However there are times when someone from the editors desk deigns to reply. Such moments can be of verbosity or of succinctness, a paragraph not only explaining the reasons for rejection but also wishing success in other attempts does soothe the frayed ego, a telegraphic ‘no’ provides enough kryptonite for another attempt.

If only these editorial pink slips could loose significance over time! But their effect does not dim. Therefore in this age of technology the blog is a perfect outlet for creativity. The fact that readership depends on happenstance does not diminish the delight in seeing ones name in ‘print’.

Even though the blog is an escape, rejections are just another source of creativity for an intrepid ‘rejectionist’.

I am onto 5 books as I write
1. How to get the best rejections ever
2. Getting over rejection
3. I was rejected and I survived
4. The secret life of a rejectionist

5. The rejectionists guide to success