Rejection. Never something to relish but, sadly, a necessary part of working in PR… you write an article or opinion piece and try to syndicate it to relevant publications to gain profile for your client, or for yourself. Sometimes, despite you feeling all zeitgeisty and flooding with confidence, the product of your tapping digits is rejected or, if it’s done nicely, not considered ‘relevant’ for the readership. It all amounts to the same thing – a big fat NO that sends you scurrying back to that little safe place where you try and persuade yourself that it’s not you, it’s them and they’ll be crying into their decaf rooibush when they see it placed elsewhere and realise with crushing clarity that they’ve just done the literary equivalent of Simon Cowell turning down the Spice Girls.
It happened to me this week, I’d just finished writing a piece about ‘The Female Future – a New Business Model’. My focus was on the Print industry, which is where I spend a good chunk of my time, but the points raised had a much wider application. I had fun writing this, it was factual, well researched and pertinent (if I say so myself) and more than that I was excited by it. “This is it” I thought to myself as I sent it off to the the publishing editor, “this is going to start a progressive discussion that might actually bring about positive change.” “Ha-de-Ha-Ha” any cynical onlookers would have thought, “here comes a living illustration of the fabled fall following the pride.”
They were right. The (very polite) publishing editor said some nice things that nevertheless amounted to a no and I shuffled away feeling slighted. Which brings me to a very important lesson…. My finger may feel like it’s on the pulse but it’s my pulse with a different rhythm to someone else’s pulse and it’s the someone else’s pulse that’s important. That’s a very protracted way of saying it’s important to look without rather than within, move the satellite away from your own orbit and focus on the distance. (Wow, it’s clear that it’s late and I’m babbling but I hope you’re getting the gist!)
So, after tending to my sensitive ego, I set about trying to place the piece in a more ‘relevant’ publication and the search continues. (This time next week this blog may be the most relevant platform but we’ll wait and see). Feeling more respectful and considered I escaped for a few days away from the chaos that is the school summer holidays and relaxing in my parent’s living room I picked up the Mail on Sunday’s ‘You’ magazine, (I wasn’t looking for intellectual enlightenment). Enjoying a low-maintenance flick through the problem pages and recipe ideas my supine state was whiplashed as my eyes settled on the Page 43 headline “The Future is Female – ….the benefits of the female way of working.”
….I may need to see a therapist…..