I cannot remember how many times I’ve encountered inspiring advice from authors, writing coaches, and book editors encouraging writers not to be discouraged by publisher rejections. This couldn’t be more accurate. Rejection drives writers to improve their work. I have lost count of the rejections I’ve received from book publishers and short story competitions. But I never stopped writing; I kept going. I have about ten short stories published in South African literary magazines. They include The Calabash, published by the National Writers’ Association of South Africa (NWASA). Other works have been published by Kenyan-based publishers, including Literary Editors African and KISA Anthology. A hard copy of the anthology is available on Amazon South Africa.

Some writers feel disheartened by their first rejection letter from a publisher. It should not be like that. Rejection is part of every writer’s journey. Every writer started somewhere—and so did many of the most celebrated authors and creatives in the world. Ernest Hemingway, Stephen King, J. K. Rowling, and Agatha Christie, to name a few. If such notable authors faced rejection from publishers, what makes you different from them? They did not stop writing because each of them knew they had a great idea they needed to share with the world.

Take heart! Sportspeople, such as boxers, golfers, and runners, as well as many other athletes, exemplify courage and resilience. They may suffer defeat at the hands of their opponents or lose competitions, but they never give up. They are always determined to re-enter the competition they lost. In boxing, the challengers will show determination to challenge the champion. In many instances, the challenger would defeat the champion. Confident writers would not be deterred by rejection. Some would put away the rejected manuscript and jump into another project