Submission Sunday 2.19.23: The Rejection Interview with Cecil Castellucci

Our inaugural rejection interview: You gotta be in it to win it.

Happy Sunday, writers! Thank you for subscribing.

So I’m a little obsessed with rejection. I don’t think I would have been so invested in this Submission Sunday newsletter for the past ten years if I wasn’t.

I’m not alone in wondering why I don’t try to avoid rejection more in my own life. It’s bad, right?? I’ve been wrongly accused of everything from excessive confidence and masochism to foolhardiness and desperation, but I finally realized I have been rejected so many times that it doesn’t scare me any longer. I have been rejected by a dozen universities, an entire application year of graduate programs, countless crushes, hundreds of jobs, a full spreadsheet of literary journals and artist residencies. Hell, I willingly use dating apps. I have been rejected so many times that I have come to expect it as the outcome and, as such, I no longer fear it. If that’s actually what confidence is, so be it.

It’s why I encourage you all to submit your work and not be afraid of rejection. It’s the only way to get anywhere! After my recent interview with Edan Lepucki, who is always admiringly upfront about her rejections, I thought it would be fascinating to ask other successful people about their experiences with rejection. I’m grateful to writer Cecil Castellucci for agreeing to be the inaugural subject of a new feature for paid subscribers: The Rejection Interview.