Maybe it’s our upbringing that makes the word No sound so final. About when we hit two years old, we started saying that word to our parents—often repeatedly and in a thunderous voice. Our declaration flaunted our independence and sense of self. While we didn’t always get our way, we believed the word established a bright and irrefutable line that neither party should cross.
The word and its implied constraints were immortalized in a great country-western song released in the 1990s called “What Part of No Don’t You Understand?” Side note: It makes me wonder if that music genre has a lock on clever lyrics – also consider “Please Bypass This Heart” by the late great Jimmy Buffett.
But getting back to the word No . . . While some believe it constructs a massive brick wall that can’t be breached, I like to think of it as the first step in negotiation—particularly when it comes to submitting your written work.
For example, I recently submitted a short story to a top sci-fi publication. In less than twenty-four hours, they sent me a thank you very much but No. Okay, their rejection email was worded more politely than that, but you get the gist.
I could have:
ripped up the story,
decided it wasn’t worthy of publication, or
spent the evening crying over the rejection.
Instead, I re-read the beginning of my story and more stories published in their magazine. While initially I thought it was a good fit, I realized my story might have been a bit too risqué for their audience. So I’ve sent my story to another publication that prides itself on publishing edgy stories and embraces mature themes and language.
Lesson learned?
If you get a No, don’t repeat what you did without revision—i.e., what you submitted or who you submitted to. And NEVER let No stop your forward momentum.
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