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Had any "bad" rejection letters lately?
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LoopyLou
 08 Mar 2010, 22:14 #83310 Reply To Post
http://bit.ly/dcKo2S

Just been sorting through my letters (I've kept every single rejection letter) and thought I'd write a blog post about them.

___________________________________________________
http://louisewise.blogspot.com

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Louise-Wise/e/B003FW6RKM/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1Romance by Louise Wise
Turnip
 09 Mar 2010, 09:58 #83322 Reply To Post
Well, mine are so uniformly impersonal that I could use them as wallpaper with a repeating pattern. Hey, not a bad idea, as wallpaper has to make a comeback soon.
In fairness, though, what I sent out was a bit less than perfect.
Oh I wish, just wish, for a more exciting rejection letter. I've had a couple of exciting rejection reviews here and on Authonomy. Maybe outing acidic reviews is also an idea?

Back to my roots.
sulcus
 09 Mar 2010, 10:06 #83324 Reply To Post
Quote: Turnip, Tuesday, 9 Mar 2010 09:58
Well, mine are so uniformly impersonal that I could use them as wallpaper with a repeating pattern. Hey, not a bad idea, as wallpaper has to make a comeback soon.
In fairness, though, what I sent out was a bit less than perfect.
Oh I wish, just wish, for a more exciting rejection letter. I've had a couple of exciting rejection reviews here and on Authonomy. Maybe outing acidic reviews is also an idea?



I also use mine from wallpaper. Some have gone very yellow with age and the corners have curled up.
"A,B&E", "Not In My Name" and "52FF" (flash fiction anthology) all available on Amazon Kindle

"How a psychopath makes sweet love. I can get you ringside. Royal box even."
LoopyLou
 09 Mar 2010, 11:27 #83329 Reply To Post
Anyone have the forms, where a list of reasons are given and your particular one is ticked?

I have.

I know that get loads of submissions daily, but still.

___________________________________________________
http://louisewise.blogspot.com

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Louise-Wise/e/B003FW6RKM/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1Romance by Louise Wise
sulcus
 09 Mar 2010, 12:05 #83331 Reply To Post
Quote: LoopyLou, Tuesday, 9 Mar 2010 11:27
Anyone have the forms, where a list of reasons are given and your particular one is ticked?

I have.

I know that get loads of submissions daily, but still.


A couple maybe. The best one (for which read worst) was when they wrote their 3 line rejection across and down the side of my synopsis letter. Looked like a spider who'd been dipped in ink had walked across it.
"A,B&E", "Not In My Name" and "52FF" (flash fiction anthology) all available on Amazon Kindle

"How a psychopath makes sweet love. I can get you ringside. Royal box even."
Ais
 09 Mar 2010, 16:35 #83350 Reply To Post
Quote: sulcus, Tuesday, 9 Mar 2010 12:05
A couple maybe. The best one (for which read worst) was when they wrote their 3 line rejection across and down the side of my synopsis letter. Looked like a spider who'd been dipped in ink had walked across it.

Hey, I've had one like that - it's most bizarre to see.

Most of the rest were all standard things, though I did get a one word email that said: No - and that was just to the idea.

Work as if you live in the early days of a better nation - Alasdair Gray
gabriella
 09 Mar 2010, 17:02 #83352 Reply To Post
I had one ages ago when I was in college. It said something along the lines of:

If this is an example of what you learned in a college creative writing classes, I'd demand my money back and insist on keeping the credit as payment for enduring a semester of literary torture.


Looking back on the short story I submitted, it was a load of crap. Still....

Good to see you back, AIS!
Jen

"Those who control their passions do so because their passions are weak enough to be controlled." William Blake

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Crossmouse
 09 Mar 2010, 18:52 #83358 Reply To Post
I don't remember a particularly bad one; they're all bad, but I once had a really good one, from John Cleese. I sent some rubbish off to Monty Python and had an absolutely charming reply saying 'they couldn't use it, only enjoy it'. Remembering the crap I wrote I blush at his generosity.

I forgot to put my name on the covering letter and he interpreted my signature as Edwin A Gorty, which is why I used to use it as a pseudonym on YWO.
This post was last edited by Crossmouse, 09 Mar 2010, 18:54
Ais
 09 Mar 2010, 20:27 #83364 Reply To Post
Quote: gabriella, Tuesday, 9 Mar 2010 17:02
I had one ages ago when I was in college. It said something along the lines of:

If this is an example of what you learned in a college creative writing classes, I'd demand my money back and insist on keeping the credit as payment for enduring a semester of literary torture.


Looking back on the short story I submitted, it was a load of crap. Still....

Good to see you back, AIS!

Why, thank you Gabriella - back properly by next week when I'll have a new upload!
Work as if you live in the early days of a better nation - Alasdair Gray
Athene
 09 Mar 2010, 21:28 #83369 Reply To Post
Quote: sulcus, Tuesday, 9 Mar 2010 12:05 ... The best one (for which read worst) was when they wrote their 3 line rejection across and down the side of my synopsis letter. Looked like a spider who'd been dipped in ink had walked across it.[/quote


I had one of those, for my first ever novel submission. I found it so discouraging that an agent couldn't even be bothered to get her secretary to type a proper letter to me that it was nearly twenty years (2007) before I tried again.

I got five rejections, all very encouraging and pleasant - mostly along the lines of "We're not taking on any more clients at the moment, but we enjoyed this and you should try submitting it elsewhere." Then I discovered YWO, and stopped bothering - all I wanted was my books in print, and YWO is the easy and completely painless way to achieve that.

It amazes me that some agents can't at least be courteous in their rejections. I can't think of any other profession which routinely demonstrates such gratuitous rudeness and arrogance as I've seen reported by fellow-writers from literary agents.
This post was last edited by Athene, 09 Mar 2010, 21:29


Scias te fortasse Romanum esse si animal convivialissimum arbitreris esse caprum
(Henricus Barbatus)


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