The Dreaded Rejection Letter
Dear Author,
Thank you for submitting your work to us. Unfortunately, it doesn't meet our needs at the present time, but we wish you future success.
Sincerely,
The Editor
Well, that's what they write. Any professional in the business will tell you editors, agents, and publishers don't reject writers: They reject pieces of paper with words written on them. However, that's not what writers hear:
Dear Loser,
We considered using your manuscript as a coaster, but it was stinking up the place so much we couldn't even be bothered to steam off the stamps. Hopefully we'll never hear from you again, but wish you success at a more appropriate profession, such as fish cleaner or stall mucker.
Go Away,
The Editors
And that's not fair, because in the publishing industry the gatekeepers are inundated with hundreds of--let's face it, sometimes desperate--writers every day. Sometimes a form rejection letter (more likely e-mail) is all they have time for; sometimes they don't have time even for that. There are lots of things to complain about with the publishing industry, but on an individual basis the people working there are pretty decent.
Still, writers get more rejections than a nerd at a sports bar, and I should know. (Just kidding--I never went to sports bars.) In fact, if you're doing it right you're going to get lots and lots of rejections. But sometimes, especially if you're having a down day overall, your umpteenth rejection will show up and just hit you harder than most. That's what happened to me, anyway.
When I first started out, back in the days of snail mail delivered by the Pony Express, I collected enough form rejection letters to paper my office walls ... which would have looked better than the wallpaper I actually had at the time. Later I'd get the occasional encouraging note at the end of one. Then I'd get brief, but personal, rejections. Then more detailed ones, and then, one day, an acceptance. A few times after that, I received some detailed letters describing why they were rejecting the manuscript, or even asking for some changes and a resubmission. Now it's decades since I started out: I have nine published books, and stories in three anthologies.
And I still get form rejection letters.
So yeah, it gets me down sometimes, especially this time of year when the days are short. But after all this time, I've developed a method of dealing with these bouts of sudden depression: I go to my laptop, open up a word document ...
And start working on another story.
It doesn't get me published ... well, not immediately. But it does remind me of why I'm doing this to begin with.
Sometimes the writing life just goes to the dogs.
You made my day friend, It was really informative for job purpose. You got the great knowledge to share with others like me. :)
Informative post to know how authors reject and accept the letter.
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Well we just have to keep at it don't we? :) Rejection is a part of life... Ah what a pain it is. At least you've become a published author. I guess you can also self publish so publisher rejection can be avoided. But that entails a different set of challenge.
I'm a hybrid author--both traditional and self published--and certainly there are advantages and disadvantages to both. But either way, perseverance remains the key.
Oh I see. That's great. :)
The withdrawal of self love is one of the primary sources for our least desireable behaviors. It's generally much easier to be compassionate to others than yourself, and when you pass judgement on yourself, then punishment follows, and rebellion after that.
Next time you get down on yourself, picture your dearest loved one saying it to you about themselves and think about what you would say in response. The only way to stop the cycle of violence is with love. This applies just as much internally as it does externally.
The cycle of violence? I think that takes my little piece about occasional self-doubt way too seriously.
I disagree. We're talking about different degrees of the same problem. The withdrawal of love is always an assault. Even when perpetrated on the self. The words are still applicable, even though no outside actor directly lays hands on the suffering person. Sometimes the person cries themselves to sleep; sometimes they end up physically harming themselves or others as a result.
Okay .... but just so you know, I'm a humor writer. Self-deprecating humor is just one tool in my box. And my wife won't let me use power tools, so there's plenty of room in there.
I'm a bit of a philosopher, and a Buddhist. Humor itself is a bit of harmless violence. It's the careful application and relief of stress to produce the laugh response, which is thought to be an evolutionary response designed to signal the passage of a threat to tribe mates.
Just something to think about when you write. If you know what a person fears, you can always make them laugh. If you can make them laugh, then you know what they fear.