Dear Editors,
Your hard work is far often underappreciated and I would like to change that. Writers constantly complain about receiving rejection letters. We whine about not getting published after spending hours (or minutes) crafting a poem or an essay that we want the world to read. Then it lands on your desk among dozens of others that are equally or more impressive.
I’m sure you complain about us as much as we complain about you. We deserve it! Some of us send some terrible writing to you, and that’s our fault. It’s not your job to fix it (much anyway). Your reality check can be harsh for new and old writers, but it’s necessary.
If you didn’t tell me my writing needed improvement, no one would! Rejection is the only reason my writing has grown from embarrassing and rambly poems I wrote as a teenager to stories and articles with (somewhat) less rambling.
Your job is much harder than mine! Still, you manage to show up despite all the sludge you have to read and the petty backlash. And so, I want to thank you as this year comes to an end.
Thank you for your rejection letters and your unexpected feedback. Thanks for giving us a second chance and for removing our typos. And of course, thank you for sometimes sending us an acceptance!
Because of you, our writing is scrutinized and we only get better. While rejection hurts, it’s the greatest way to learn. I am grateful for every person who has ever edited my work and helped me do better.
So here’s to next year! Hopefully, in 2021, we can go for drinks again and complain about each other over overpriced cocktails.
Sincerely,
Another Starry-Eyed Writer
This article was first published on Medium.
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Victoria Fraser 