Beat Those Blues

I’m a bit skeptic about this proclamation.  I read it in my local newspaper, the Arizona Republic, then I found an article online. Health magazine has researched and proclaimed today, January 24th, as the most depressing day of the year.   The conclusions are based on the let down from the holidays, that most people have broken or given up on their resolutions and the due date for huge bills from holiday spending.  The article gives some great tips for ways to beat those blues.

Writers seem to get hit constantly with great fodder for depression. Projects are canceled or they find the mailbox with another rejection letter.  The rejection letters can arrive in the email box or the physical mail box. Admittedly it’s hard to keep going and believe in yourself but it’s possible.

The only group that might receive more bad news than writers are active literary agents. The legitimate agents are the ones who only get paid when they sell a project for their clients. And what about those payments?  Publishers are trying to control their own cash flow challenges so they schedule the payments in a variety of scattered payments hooked to some publishing deadline or marker. The lion share of those payments go to the writer and a percentage goes to the literary agent.  Agents who are making a living at the publishing  business are constantly sending out submissions for their clients. They are constantly receiving rejection notices. Also these agents keep track of their submissions. When they don’t hear from a publisher over a reasonable amount of time, they will check with that editor.   When this agent checks with the editor, in general, they should put on their protective armor because in general, time without a response isn’t a good signal.  Many times the editor will say, “Oh, yeah, that project—our publishing house is going to pass on it. Best wishes placing it elsewhere.” In their search to place projects for their clients, agents receive lots of rejections.

Here’s several quick ideas how to beat the blues of rejection:

1. Take a deep breath and understand it’s not personal. It’s business. You can’t repeat the first two sentences often enough. It’s not about you. It’s about the work and placing that work in the right place at the right time with the right publisher.

2. Redouble your own efforts to improve your own writing. Take a class. Read a recommended book on writing. Listen to a tape or seminar. For example, Annie Jennings PR includes a number of free teleseminars. Follow this link and download several and listen to them. Then plan action steps from what you learn in the writing book or the seminars.

3. Make sure you are seeking to have balance in your life with exercise and rest combined with hard work.

Take some action steps and you can beat those blues.