Writer’s Journal | It Happened To Me | Journey to Being A Published Author

I Offered My Sweet Baby, and They Said, “No!”

The rejection did not sting as much as I imagined it would.

The author created this AI image with Midjourney. S.I. James owns copyright and provenance, per Midjourney ToS.

The email arrived on a Tuesday and was a crisp rejection letter from LCS Literary Services. My heart, which had soared with the initial submission on May 16th, took a nosedive. They found my debut novel, “Love Interrupted; Love Ignited,” unfit. It’s the story of Oorun at her marital crossroads.

But a strange thing happened. The sting was there, a dull ache of disappointment for sure. Yet, a curious lightness bubbled beneath it. Relief, maybe? I finally released the pressure of that first submission and the fear of the unknown.

Twelve days. That’s all it took for someone to consider my year-long creation. “Reviewed with interest,” the letter said. They saw something, some spark in Oorun’s journey. That, right there, was a win.

They say rejection is a writer’s rite of passage. It’s a badge of courage for facing agents and publishers. And honestly, it feels oddly freeing. Now, I can submit it for renewed purposes — no more dwelling on this one agency.

Onward!