On Rejection

Writers face rejection. The best rejections are prompt, recommend an alternative venue, and explain how you might improve your work. Most rejections are just that: a no. Other times you won’t even get rejected, just ghosted by editors. 

Despite publishing many articles, I have not found the end of rejection. For me, writing, even technical or professional writing, can be intensely personal. After refining my thoughts though writing, it can be hard to tell where I end and the piece begins. This makes rejection feel personal.

Remember: rejection isn’t personal.

As I’m rejected, I remember my worth and seek alternate publication venues. Sometimes good ideas languish for years or only live on in your Google Drive.

Below, I've listed some recent rejections that I could remember. Each has the date that the project started, the number of rejections, and a short description of the projects ups and downs.

Recent rejections I remember

Cadet combat divers (one rejection). This 2019 editorial ghosting birthed the Harding Project. Frustrated that I couldn't share the great story about how well West Point cadets do at the Combat Diver Qualification Course, I researched how well Special Warfare met its mission and proposed renewing it to leaders at the Special Warfare Center and School. Ultimately, that search broadened into the Harding Project today. 

Army professional writing (one rejection, one publication). “Bring Back Branch Magazines”, the piece that birthed the Harding Project, was initially rejected by War on the Rocks in 2023. I resubmitted to the Modern War Institute, where it had a great response. I first started collecting data for this piece in 2020, so this project has certainly had a long burn. 

Combat observers (three rejections, one publication). How should the United States best learn from foreign wars? This project proposes sending military observers to learn lessons as we did in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Drafting started in early 2020 shortly after the Nagorno-Karabakh war started. Parameters first rejected the full piece in 2021. A few months later, War on the Rocks rejected a short version. About a year later, War on the Rocks published a revised version only to have Joint Forces Quarterly reject the full version that I had re-written for their joint audience. I may rewrite the full piece again for Military Review, but I haven’t found the time. 

Drinking in Hungary (one rejection). Back when War on the Rocks published more drinking related content, this 2018 piece by Michael Burgoyne and Raul Manaut inspired me to reflect on drinking palinka with Hungarian special operators. War on the Rocks asked that I find a Hungarian co-author, but Hungarian friends abstained for fear of glorifying alcohol. Today, “Five O’Clock in Budapest” lives on in my Google Drive waiting for a Hungarian co-author’s contribution.

Flag officer confirmation special data feature (one rejection). As part of my academic interest in retired flag officer politics, I spent too many hours in 2022 scraping and cleaning flag officer promotions from the Congressional Record. Regrettably, Armed Forces and Society, the only outlet possibly interested in this project, rejected the piece in a split reviewer decision. Part of the project was reborn in this Lawfare article, but the rest of the piece is on ice. 

Share yours

While I hope that the Army's editors will work with authors, some pieces will be rejected for either a lack of space or editorial capacity. 

Tell us about a rejection, how you felt about it, and what you did next.