Dealing with Disappointment

Queries submitted in the last eight days: 16
Rejections received in the last eight hours: 2
I'd say this calls for some wine and yoga (although not necessarily in that order). Yes, I did get an acceptance email just the other day and one of the editors explained that she'd just assigned a similar story, but rejection still stings. Period. Lest anyone worry that I’m actually going to spend the weekend in a merlot-induced haze, here are a few ideas on how to cope with disappointment (because today it was me, but who knows what might happen tomorrow?):
Buy yourself some bling. Ok, I'm just kidding on this one, but if you can afford a new diamond pendant, then more power to you. In my moment of weakness, I opted to browse Amazon for some upbeat, (hopefully) career-enhancing reads.Space out your queries. I blatantly disregarded this sage bit of advice, and now I'm a cautionary tale about a writer who pounded out a dozen queries over a two day blitzkrieg. It is far wiser to pace yourself so that you won't come home to a mailbox stuffed with rejection letters. Over time you'll have articles in every stage of the process, which will remind you of your success.Fugged about it. Easier said than done, I know. Before I got really focused on querying, I'd send out a couple pieces, forget about them, and be pleasantly surprised a month later when I got an acceptance letter and writer's agreement. Step away from the iMac from time to time, and you'll be able to keep things in perspective.Write a snappy comeback. No, not something snarky and malicious that will get you on every editor's black list. Try this: "Thanks for getting back to me so quickly. Here's another idea you might consider... " Often I've had more success on my second try, and hopefully you will, too.Have a Plan B. For the record, this one has nothing to do with reproductive rights. It's much simpler than that: keep a list of other publications that might be a fit for your fabulous idea, and you won't get bogged down by a few rejections.