I recently topped 10 form rejections and was looking for a way to, okay, not celebrate the fact, but to acknowledge them and turn them from the scarlet R of shame to a badge of honor. I mean, I earned these suckers. I polished my novel until it shone like the top of the Chrysler Building. I did my agent research. I wrote (50+ times) my query letter. I put my most vulnerable self out there. And in return, 10 times and counting, I got a form rejection email. Sometimes they were nicely worded, sometimes they were Dear Author types. All of them were crushing in their own way, but hey, I survived. I deserve a freaking badge.
So that's what my husband did, he made me my first badge o' rejection:
I'm quite proud of it. It shows I'm dedicated. It proves I haven't given up. And turning a negative into a fortifying positive, well, that's something of a past time for me.
How do you turn rejection into a badge of honor?
B is also for Band of Horses. This is one of my fave songs ever:
