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Saturday, October 20, 2007

Rejection Letters

I’ve noticed a trend amongst agents, who must be taking heat from whiny writers about their wording in rejection letters. The ‘I didn’t fall in love with this’ theme in the recent rejection letters I’ve received is a hoot. I liked the old style ‘Sorry, not interested’ or ‘Not for us’, and then a quick ‘Good Luck’ at the end if the agent feels charitable. This ‘let them down easy so we don’t get hate mail’ is getting really funny. Dear agents, on behalf of we thick skinned, cement-headed, writer wannabe’s, we realize you don’t have the time to hold our hands while you stick the knife in. We like the quick stab right in the heart. Don’t sugar coat it. You can’t please the sensitive sissies out there, believing they’re God’s gift to the written word anyway. They’d want you all to write a book of your own explaining what exactly about their masterpiece failed to garner acclaim from the writing world.

Love appears in so many rejection notes now, I nearly deleted a manuscript request because I couldn’t tell the difference. I bet the Snark doesn’t use love in her rejection letters. I think I may have queried the Snark, not knowing of course, because her identity is a secret. The rejection letter said simply, ‘Don’t ever write me again. In fact, don’t write again, period’. Now that’s a rejection letter. :)

6 comments:

Jordan Summers said...

Some editor told Sherrilyn Kenyon the same thing. (You'll never be published, so hang it up now.)It's a good thing that she didn't listen or the NYT Bestseller's List wouldn't have happened. As for Ms. Snark, I hear wonderful things about Rachel Vater. ;)

BernardL said...

I love a blunt rejection; and wow, did you just out the Snark, Jordan? Ms. Vater has always given me first class rejections. :)

raine said...

Is the Vater Ms. Snark? :-O

I've never had a super-blunt one before, so not sure how I'd react.
But yes, I'd sure like to be able to tell the difference between an acceptance and rejection, lol.

(Oh, and the Indians lost, Bernard...always the bridesmaid...sigh...)

BernardL said...

It was horrific watching parts of the last three games as the tribe plunged into the abyss, Raine. :(

A rejection is a rejection. I think the agents can leave 'love' out of their letters. We'll survive. :)

Leigh Russell said...

It's really kinder to be straight. There's no point raising false hopes. No means no - I wish some of kids I teach learned that lesson at home! You could wallpaper a house with the list of names of successful writers who could wallpaper their homes with rejection letters...

BernardL said...

I agree with your premise, Leigh. It doesn't help kids growing up to think no one will ever say no to them.