Since the turn of the year, I have submitted 12 stories to various anthologies and naturally this has resulted in some rejections. The last six weeks have been the worst period for this since I started writing again back in 2022.

Following this – and a discussion with my writing group back in June – I thought it would be useful to explore the theme a little. Hopefully it will be helpful to some of you (as well as helping me to clear my head).

Firstly, feeling disappointed or upset about having a story rejected is perfectly natural. Knowing the amount of time and effort that goes into writing and honing a piece, these feelings are understandable. I get them all the time. The key is not to let them consume you, however hard that may be.

Sometimes I stomp around a bit, sometimes I drink beer and listen to heavy metal, and sometimes I keep working on whatever project I’m working on as I try to channel those feelings. Ultimately, though, even if it’s an hour or a week, I always come back to writing.

When you submit a story, there is always the chance of it being rejected. It comes with the territory. Even the most famous authors have had stories rejected. The difference is they get back on the horse and ride again. After all, the only guaranteed way of not being published is not submitting at all.

Having had stories rejected a few times now, the other thing to point out is that rejections often have little to do with the quality of a piece. Usually, there are other stories that fit more closely with the anthology’s theme. Stories can be rejected for reasons of space or because they are similar to other submissions. And sometimes a story simply doesn’t resonate with a particular editor or publisher. Nothing much can be done about that (provided you’ve honoured the anthology’s submission guidelines, of course).

I’ve had more story rejections in July than I’ve ever had. This was partly due to the number of outstanding submissions I had, but it’s worth noting that the rejections were all for different reasons. Interestingly, my two strongest stories (in my eyes) got rejected. Meanwhile, two stories I thought were more outside chances got accepted. Sometimes things don’t go the way you expect them to.

So what should you do with rejected stories? Firstly, if an editor has provided feedback that can improve the work, then make those changes. Get feedback from trusted beta readers too. However, only make the changes that fit with your vision. Writing is subjective and although I do make most amendments, there are some I don’t implement because I disagree with them.

If the story narrowly missed out, I would resist making too many tweaks as there are always other opportunities. I have had three rejected stories published in subsequent anthologies – including one from July’s list of rejections – so don’t be shy about submitting a rejected story to another publication. Sometimes, it will find a more appropriate home.

There are other avenues too. For example, you could submit the story to one of the furry podcasts, or publish it on the likes of FurAffinity or SoFurry. You could even consider self-publishing, possibly in an anthology of your own work or by creating an anthology around a theme in which your story would fit. Both of these final options would require a lot of work, but they are definite possibilities.

The key point though is not to be disheartened. It’s hard – I am someone whose confidence is knocked incredibly easily – but you just have to believe in your writing and keep going. That’s what every successful writer has done and is what you should do too. I’ll get back to my latest story once I’ve made a cup of tea…