by Katherine Hutchinson-Hayes, Ed.D. @khutch0767

Let’s talk about the email. You know the one. The subject line looks hopeful. Your heart beats a little faster. You whisper a quick prayer before opening it. And then you read the words every traditional author eventually sees:

“Thank you for the opportunity to review your work…”

Followed by a polite “no.”

If you’re pursuing traditional publishing, rejection is not a sign that you failed. It’s a sign you’re in the game. Most literary agents accept less than 1% of the queries they receive. Major publishers accept 1–2% of submissions—and many don’t even take unsolicited work at all. The average traditionally published author collects dozens of rejectionsbefore landing representation.

Even authors whose books now sit on Christian bookstore shelves once opened emails just like the one you received. So, first things first, take a breath. Rejection in publishing is normal. But discouragement is optional.

Rejection Isn’t Spiritual Failure

When an agent or publisher says no, they aren’t evaluating your calling. They’re evaluating the market.

They’re asking questions like:

• Is there a strong audience for this topic right now?
• Does this manuscript fit our current list?
• Do we already have something similar?
• Does the author have a platform large enough to support the launch?

That “no” might simply mean not right for us today.

It does not mean:

• You’re not called.
• You cannot write.
• You “missed God.”

Publishing decisions involve timing, trends, budgets, and business strategy. God’s calling on your life is not limited by an acquisitions meeting.

Three Lies Rejected Authors Believe

After a rejection, the enemy likes to whisper a few familiar lies.

Lie #1: “If it were meant to happen, it would have happened already.

Truth: Traditional publishing timelines often stretch two to five years from first submission to bookstore shelf.

Lie #2: “If they rejected me, I must not be good enough.”

Truth: Craft and positioning are different issues. A manuscript can be strong but still needs a better hook, clearer market placement, or stronger platform.

Lie #3: “Everyone else is getting contracts but me.”

Truth: Social media shows the announcement, not the years of silence beforehand.

Comparison will drain your perseverance faster than rejection ever could.

What To Do After the Rejection

Instead of spiraling, shift into strategy. Start by reviewing your submission package. Is your hook clear in one sentence?Are your comparable titles recent—within the last five years? Is your proposal focused on the reader and the market, not just your message?

Next, strengthen your platform. In Christian publishing, especially, publishers want evidence that readers are already listening. That may look like growing your email list, speaking consistently, or contributing articles and podcast interviews.

And please hear this: platform growth is not pride.

It’s stewardship.

Another powerful step is to refine one area of your manuscript. Maybe it’s the opening chapter. Maybe it’s emotional depth. Maybe it’s tightening the reader transformation promise. Don’t rewrite everything in frustration. Improve one thing with intention. Then give yourself a reset timeline. Process the disappointment, but don’t stay there. Review the feedback, revise what needs work, and send your manuscript back out. Momentum is one of the best cures for discouragement.

The Best Thing You Can Do

Start the next project. Many traditionally published authors landed their contract with their second or third manuscript, not their first. Professional writers keep writing.

And as a woman with strong Caribbean roots, I’ll say this the way my grandmother might have said it: One “no” doesn’t end your journey. You were called before you were contracted. You were obedient before you were recognized.

Refine your craft. Strengthen your voice. Build your audience. And when the next email comes?

Open it with courage.

Author, speaker, educational consultant, and editor–Katherine Hutchinson-Hayes, Ed. D. has had her hand in leadership for many years. She loves speaking to groups and delivering messages with a quick wit and real-life stories. Katherine is a freelance writer/content editor, a content editor/writing coach for Iron Stream Media, and a sensitivity reader for Sensitivity Between the Lines. She is a review board member and contributor to Inkspirations (an online magazine for Christian writers), and her writing has been published in Guideposts. Her work in art/writing is distinguished by awards, including the New York Mayor’s Contribution to the Arts, Outstanding Resident Artist of Arizona, and the Foundations Awards at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writer’s Conference (2016, 2019, 2021, 2022). She was a finalist in the Genesis Contest ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers/Romantic Suspense 2022). She is a finalist for the Claymore Award 2022 (Thriller Division) for the best-unpublished manuscript. She is a member of Word Weavers International and serves as an online chapter president and mentor. She belongs to FWA (Florida Writers Association), ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers), CWoC (Crime Writers of Color), AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association), and AASA (American Association of School Administrators). She serves on the board of the nonprofit organization Submersion 14 and is an art instructor and virtual exhibition specialist for the nonprofit organization Light for the Future. Katherine is the host of the podcast Murder, Mystery & Mayhem Laced with Morality. She has authored a Christian Bible study for women and is currently working on the sequel and prequel to her first general market thriller novel, “A Fifth of the Story.”