REJECTIONS
The general rule is: people who publish stuff, don't have to like your stuff and don't have to publish it if they don't want to.
Mostly they'll be kind, but it all adds up to the same thing: 'Nope'. Be angry, get drunk, get over it. Then have a look at this blog:
Slushkiller on Making Light or if you want to indulge go to the Rejection Collection. Once you've got over that, see what can happen to you if you get too many rejections.
I've got to say, though, that the best rejection (of a poem) I ever had consisted of a carefully typed (yes) form where the boxes reading 'Wrong shoe size' and 'Wrong type of fish' had been carefully xed in. I laughed for days.
Self-publishing
Anyone can self-publish. It's easy to do, although not necessarily a good thing to do. If you have enough money you can self-publish - selling and distribution are the difficult areas however. Here are some sites - both relate to science fiction/science fantasy although there are many more sites out there - including companies which will ease the process for you:
The Hal Spacejock Series, 'How to self-publish a book ...and who should be doing it'.
Ian Irvine: The truth about publishing
Manuscript assessment service
PressPress has just begun a new manuscript assessment service. Using a diverse panel of assessors, the service is reasonably priced and available for poetry and fiction. Go to PressPress or download the application form and costs as a Word document or as a pdf.