Happy New Year everyone! Last night, Anthony and I joined 2012 quietly (we have decided that we are getting way too old for the parties), but today we are on the road visiting family and friends.
I’m not going to make any lofty abstract resolutions — I don’t do well with those. Instead, I’m going to try to make a goal that was floating around the Internet a few months ago. I’m going to try for 100 rejections in 2012.
I saw this discussion on Kathleen Kirk’s blog (Here is the direct link to her blog — the original poet was Brett Elizabeth Jenkins). The idea is to get 100 rejections in a specific period of time. Now, one has to send out his or her best work — no sloppy haiku please!
When I first saw this, I thought to myself, “Hey that wouldn’t be a problem” but then I took a look at my records for 2011. Last year, I sent out 48 packets of poems. I got 26 rejections and 12 acceptances (if one poem is accepted out of a packet of four, I count that as an acceptance — otherwise, number crunching would drive me crazy). I withdrew 4 packets. I still have 6 packets waiting response. Looking at these numbers reveal that I simply did not submit as much as I should have. This year, I want to be more aggressive about sending out material. Submitting to at least 10 ifferent journals per month should do it!
Oh, and I am going to continue with my rejection jar!
Here’s hoping good health and happiness (and lots of acceptances, although you are welcome to start out the 100 rejection resolution with me!) in the New Year!
The Scrapper Poet 
Sandy Longhorn Said:
on January 1, 2012 at 4:46 pm
Good luck, Karen! Happy New Year!
Mary Alexandra Agner Said:
on January 1, 2012 at 7:59 pm
Karen, thanks for this idea (although I can’t find the blog you’re referencing or a mention on Kathleen Kirk’s) because I’m going to try this, having been greatly disappointed in my offerings to mags last year. Thank you!
dryadart Said:
on January 1, 2012 at 8:30 pm
I like this attitude – maybe I should try it too, but 100 rejections – wow! I am not sure I could do that much work
Kathleen Kirk Said:
on January 1, 2012 at 11:23 pm
Brett Elizabeth Jenkins gets credit for this project! Here is my blog entry on it, and it has various links to her:
http://kathleenkirkpoetry.blogspot.com/2011/09/100-rejections.html
I’m going to keep track from 9/1/11 to 9/1/12, as she did, but switch then to a calendar year accounting.
kweyant Said:
on January 2, 2012 at 12:03 am
Thanks Kathleen — I posted a correction/clarification!
Again, happy New Year!
Jeannine Hall Gailey (@webbish6) Said:
on January 2, 2012 at 4:53 am
I remember my mother advising me to collect my rejections in a shoe box at age 19…and to try to get 100, then 1000! Don’t know if I’ve reached 1000 yet…but 100 is a good target! If I do half of that in a year I feel tremendously productive…
Hello, July! « The Scrapper Poet Said:
on July 1, 2012 at 1:17 pm
[…] six months ago, I made a New Year’s Resolution to try to get 100 rejections in the year 2012. This, of course, would mean that I would write […]
Hello, 2013! « The Scrapper Poet Said:
on January 1, 2013 at 2:59 pm
[…] Street Rag’s 2011 Chapbook Contest. This past year was also the year that I tackled the 100 rejection goal – a goal I failed miserably. I didn’t even get 100 submission packets out the door. […]