David James Poissant on Rejection

In this month’s Glimmer Train Bulletin, David James Poissant, author of The Heaven of Animals (Simon & Shuster March 2014) writes “On Relentlessness, Or, How to Make Submitting Your Superpower.” In this featured essay, he advises writers, “don’t let the first dozen rejections stop you” when it comes to submitting works. A story oft told, and yet, relentlessly needing to be oft told. Poissant’s more humorous than stern approach may help some new writers better understand, three or four rejections is no big deal: “Invariably, my response is, ‘Three or four?’ Then, I lead said student or writer to my office where a corkboard hangs prominently above my computer. To the face of the corkboard, I have thumbtacked about fifty rejection slips.” But it’s not just about rejection, but about the sensibility of revision and in some cases, knowing when a work is “probably a dud” and may just need to rest a while.