I’ve been thinking about the relationship between rejection and risk-taking.

This, after getting an email from a writer friend that read: “I’m having DEEP REGRETS about telling so many people that I’m [specific risk redacted for privacy reasons]. I’m worried now that I’m not going to get [it] and will then have to suffer the humiliation of telling everyone that.”

I sent my friend a big, bitter list of last year’s rejections to make her feel better. Wasn’t that sweet of me?

Seriously, though, every time we bundle up a submission or send out a query, we’re floating a new idea or a (hopefully) unique concept. Of course we’re getting rejected! Not getting rejected would be a sign we’re complacently treading water.

So here’s to embracing the possibility of failure in 2015, and taking risks anyway. I started my first proposal of the year after the email exchange above. Fingers crossed!