Dear Writer, May You Grow an Alligator Skin

The sooner you develop thick skin, the sooner you’ll thrive.

There’s an Arabic saying: “You’ve developed an alligator’s skin” (تمسح)—meaning you’ve grown thick skin after facing life’s setbacks.

And when it comes to writing and publishing, developing an alligator skin isn’t just helpful—it’s essential.

An alligator’s skin is thick, nearly impenetrable, and built to withstand the harshest environments. It protects, shields, and endures. It doesn’t flinch under pressure, and neither should you. As a writer, you need the same kind of resilience. Because no matter how good you are, you will get rejected.

Again and again. And again and again.

You will face tons of no’s.

Take me, for example. Below is a rejection I recently received despite having over 20 years of publishing and writing experience.

It stung, but I moved on because that’s what writers do.

In fact, you might as well tattoo the phrase, "Thanks, but we will pass," on your arm to constantly remind yourself that rejection is just part of the game.

And to prove my point, let me tell you about what literary legends faced before making it.

Here are some of their rejection letters:

Sylvia Plath – Rejection of The Bell Jar

Source: Knopf archives, as reported by NPR
Date: Circa 1950s

Editor’s Feedback:
"There certainly isn’t enough genuine talent for us to take notice… One feels simply that Miss Plath is writing of [these experiences] because they did happen to her, and the incidents are in themselves good for a story, but throw them together and they don’t necessarily add up to a novel."

Context:
This rejection came from Knopf regarding an early draft of what would later become The Bell Jar. Plath didn’t let that stop her. She persisted, rewrote, and eventually, the novel was published under a pseudonym in 1963. Today, it’s a classic.

George Orwell – Rejection of Animal Farm

Source: Faber & Faber archives
Date: 1944
Rejection Letter from T.S. Eliot (then an editor at Faber & Faber):

"We agree that it is a distinguished piece of writing… On the other hand, we have no conviction that this is the right point of view from which to criticize the political situation at the present time…"

Context:
Even Orwell, one of the greatest writers of the 20th century, struggled to find a publisher for Animal Farm. Multiple publishers turned it down before it finally found a home. Now, it’s one of the most influential books in history.

So, my friend, if you want to make it as a writer, grow that alligator skin.

Keep writing, keep submitting, and keep going.

The difference between a writer and an aspiring writer is simple: The writer didn’t quit.

Be relentless.

You’ve got this. You, alligator, you.