I'm Being Extra Vulnerable Today...
Here are screenshots of rejection emails I've gotten (plus the usual).
Hi and happy June!
I'm Being Extra Vulnerable Today...
I try to drill into writers’ brains (including my own) that rejection is a normal part of being a freelance writer. That it happens to people who have been in the business for years and are successful. That it doesn’t mean my idea is bad or I’m bad etc etc.
But I have to admit: When my pitches are rejected, those aren’t the first reactions that come up for me. Usually, it’s some form of “I’m never going to get a byline in this publication / My idea was stupid / Why don’t they want me / I’m not as good as [insert person’s name]” and so on and so forth. Yikes!
I say all this to validate that dealing with rejection is a nonlinear process. I say all this to remind you that you can be full-time writer and have your ideas rejected.
One thing that helps me is hearing about other people’s individual experiences with rejection. To me, this normalizes rejection more than general encouragement/reminders do. In hopes it helps you too, I compiled some screenshots of rejection emails I’ve gotten so you can see just how real rejection has been for me.
As you read them, I want you to keep in mind that this is only a handful of all of the rejections I’ve gotten, and it doesn’t count the dozens of nonresponses I’ve “received” after pitching, too. Also, notice how friendly editors are! If they reject your pitch, it’s probably not going to be in a cruel way! In other words, as the saying goes, the worst that can happen is they say “no.”
Writing/Freelancing Tips
Pitch Calls
GENERAL NOTES FOR THE PITCH CALLS BELOW:
If the story is about a marginalized community, you probably need to be in that community to write the piece.
Mentioning my name in your pitch won’t help, unfortunately!
Who Pays Writers can be a helpful site to get an idea of how much publications pay.
Pitch calls:
Conz Preti ®️ on Twitter: "Are you a freelancer? Then keep reading. I'm looking for parenting and health pitches, mostly personal essays, open to some reported pieces when it makes sense. Email me directly: cpreti@insider.com Here are some recent hits: https://t.co/YkOBOqy1IQ https://t.co/aV1fnJlnEE" / Twitter
Paige Blankenbuehler on Twitter: "📣CALL FOR #PITCHES!📣 @HighCountryNews is looking for story pitches for our special issue on climate. The issue will highlight stories of agency + collective action in the fight to decarbonize the West and the efforts to adapt to a changing climate in equitable ways. THREAD 👇 https://t.co/ArkguH9LJp" / Twitter
Want a bunch of these weekly? Purchase a paid subscription to my writing opportunities newsletter! Here’s an example of what it’ll look like.
Writer Jobs
Want a bunch of these weekly, all spelled out? Purchase a paid subscription to my writing opportunities newsletter! Here’s an example of what it’ll look like.
Writing/Freelancing Resources
Encouragement
My Articles + Updates
Quick announcement I may have forgotten to make last month: My approved pitches document is now $25 (that’s half of what it was, and way less than you could make from an article)!
My debut in Yahoo is live! And it’s turned into many more assignments, yay!
I got to interview some incredible dietitians for this story about the importance and benefits of carbs!
My Instagram is now public, and I’m working on vamping it up!
Want More? Here Are Other Ways I Can Help
Don’t forget about my approved pitches document and Medium guide and coaching/editing services and Writing Checklist Set!
More of my content: (1) my writing Twitter // (2) my portfolio // (3) my resource set // (4) my newsletter with tons of writing jobs and pitch calls
Feedback from you: (1) For the newsletter // (2) For the resource set
This newsletter is free, but if you’d like to donate, my Venmo is @AshleyBroadwater, my PayPal is paypal.me/aebroad, and my CashApp is $ashleybroadwater3 :) A huge thanks to donors!
That’s all for now! Thanks for reading this month’s newsletter. As always, feel free to reach out if you have any questions :)