One of the less pleasant aspects of writing is getting rejected by a publisher. It is unavoidable, however, and one must develop a certain thickness of skin if one desires to ever be published. If one can't stand the thought of rejection, he or she would be better off taking up a career elsewhere, or else keeping everything one writes in a shoebox somewhere and never showing it to anyone.

The reality is, that not everyone is going to like what one writes. There are marketing considerations. Perhaps the editor liked what you wrote, but the marketing people can't see how the company could ever make money with it. Or perhaps they just chose to publish a book on a similar theme. Any number of issues can keep good work from getting published, or letting bad work get loose.

More than 40,000 books are published in the US every year. I'd certainly like the chance to see my books wind up in the discount bin, too. Maybe someday. In the meantime, I just collect rejections. I intend a small bonfire once I get a contract with someone...