Well, that's my third one so far (rejection that is...) I feel like a pro!

By good fortune, this rejection arrives a day after I had dragged myself from the pits of hormonic hell and I'm still on a high after the low. Water off a duck's back after a while...*quack*

I must say I found the letter rather dramatic and it made me chuckle...

'Thanks very much for the chance of reading your manuscript but I'm afraid I can't offer to help. My workload is such that I've made it a rule only to take on projects I care passionately about and I'm afraid I just didn't feel that way about yours. I really wouldn't be the right person for you.'

I felt almost as though I had proposed to her...

Don't you want me baby?

X

Sorry to hear that, Nahed. If it's any consolation I'm pretty sure I've had that rejection too - word for word... actually, I don't know if that will be consolation or just piss you off even more but hopefully you'll accept it in the spirit in which it's offered.

(the spirit in which... gawd! wot have I been reading lately?)

ee.

Never mind Nahed, just get back in the saddle and steer that pony. I sent off three chapters to a publisher who phoned me and gushed and asked for the rest of the book which I duly sent off. While I was waiting on tenterhooks for a positive reply, one of my children fell ill. He had a very high temperature and I was beside myself, I let him rest after seeing the doctor and checked my email for distraction, there was a rejection from the publisher saying how good they thought it was but it didn't fit their list blah blah. I remember thinking at the time, for God's sake why on earth are they bothering me with all this right now when something really important is happening. Since that day I no longer Now spiral into despair, sure I get disappointed but I'll never forget that feeling of my priorities shifting and it keeps me sane that's for sure. Good luck.

Julie

Dee - you been reading a book with a Victorian heroine in it??

Actually, the fact that you got a letter of rejection that was almost word for word is mostly consolation than annoyance - consolation because after you received the letter (rejection), you now have an agent. So what one person might get passionate about differs from another person - but that doesn't necessarily mean that the work is bad/unpublishable/unmarketable. And I can't be a*sed to get annoyed with the general/standard letter thing. I have taken it in the spirit it is intended, Dee - so as not to offend.

Julie - hope your child is better if this happened recently. And you're absolutely right about certain things taking priority. Getting published is important to me, it's my ambition, my goal, my aim in life but it's not the be all and end all. And if it isn't meant to happen at all, then I'm a firm believer in destiny/fate whatever you want to call it and accept what I'm given. Maybe there are other plans for me that I don't know about? I have barely thought about this rejection today and I really do think that the last rejection only affected me the way it did because of my rollercoaster emotions at the time.

Life is good and will only get better if I let it.

Thank you both for your support! And more success to you!

X

Wordy

Sorry to hear that you're feeling dejected about being rejected. Don't feel neglected.

It's just as I suspected! They don't know talent when they see it!

What was it you sent them? Anything that we have seen?

Keep at it! Do you need another stamp and an envelope?

Regards

John

I once got sent someone else's manuscript with a rejection slip. Never knew quite what to make of that.

Did that mean they sent my work back to someone else with a contract?

Nah, probably not.

Colin M.

I hope you rejected it back to them!

Dee.

Sorry to hear that Nahed. Have a praline and don't get despondent :-) I've got 3 out at the moment and am expecting them all to come back at once - now that would be fun - I could compare the rejection letters and do a content analysis for similarity. maybe put them through that word frequency thing :-))
Keep it up and you'll get there!
H

I just got this one:
"I enjoyed looking at the material you sent me but I am afraid that in the end I did not feel enthusiastic enough about it to feel I would be the right person to represent you - and if you are to take an agent on it is vital for both of you that they area hundred per cent committed and enthusiastic."
Oh well - still 3 to go..... It's got to the stage where a day without rejections in the post is a good day. Keep at it!
Sue


<Added>

damn! thought i'd got the hang of the italics!
are a

Jumbo...

You're a poet and you don't know it! (Gawd, I feel like I've regressed to about 9 years old):D

No what I'm sending out is nothing I've posted here, but I have been tempted to post the first few chapters - the one's I'm sending out. Maybe it really is rubbish??? :D What do you think? Should I post the first three chapters here and get some comments - polish it up and then start sending it off again? I'm still waiting for one more agent (rejection) to get back to me before sending it out to more. Hmmm...what to doooo?

Colin - I don't know whether to laugh or cry at what you've posted. My instinct is to chuckle nervously. Hope all goes well for you AND the poor person who got rejected and manuscript sent to you.

Heather - I've got a tummyache - not sure the pralines would go down well - if you know what I mean? Good luck with your submittals/submissions. Have a scone!

Sue - sorry you got a rejection It sounds extremely similar wording to mine - they must all be using the same 'How to Write Rejection Letters' handbook! I suppose originality is the writer's forte eh?

Thanks to every one of you for your kind words of support. Onwards and upwards!!

Nahed

Wordy

Good to see you're still smiling!

I don't know about you, but I would always go for the opportunity of having someone else read the piece if possble. So how about posting enough of it for us to get a flavour?

Mind you, if it's anything like Sins of A Father, Dee and I will probably want to read it all.

John

OK. (and this is to everyone)

Whatever it is you’re sending out to agents, post it up and let’s have a look at it. Don’t risk wasting subs to agents if we can spot why they’re rejecting it.

I read something on a thread the other day about agents not remembering who sent what. I would expect that’s normal – if I were an agent I don’t think I would be able to remember every name I’d seen… but… last summer I went to a writers conference at Winchester. I had booked a fifteen minute interview with an agent. I had sent her a submission (actually – I hate that word… it sounds so… submissive) anyway… I had sent her a submission about three months before – which she rejected. So when I saw her I took her a sample of something else I’d written. She looked at it and said ‘Dee Weaver? I recognise that name. Have you sent me something before?’ It freaked me out big time I can tell you!

So the point is… some agents are like elephants (shades of Jumbo’s parrot sketch coming in here) they do have memories. Don’t waste them. Let’s have a look and we’ll see if we can help.

Cheers
Dee.
x


<Added>

Just realised that, coming straight after Jumbo's post, this might look like I'm offering the services of only John and myself to read everything! What I meant was that we'll all read everything... won't we...

I think I'll stop digging now...

;))