Happy New Year, everybody!
I want to do something a little different this year, and that is share with you the joy of rejection. I know this sounds smart-aleck, but I am absolutely serious. Last fall I queried a top literary agent with a new novel, waited my obligatory six weeks, and received the kindest form rejection I have ever seen.
And you know the kicker? I actually forgot to include the SASE. I know. I woke up in the middle of the night 72 hours later in a cold sweat when I realized what I’d done. So this top literary agent not only had the great courtesy to send me a kind rejection letter (although it has become the norm these days for agents to simply dispense with rejection letters altogether), but she provided her own envelope and stamp.
That’s what I call a class act.
So I want to share my rejection letter with you. I want you to know that this is part of the process of becoming published—not only writing, editing, and revising, but also being rejected. I am probably the world’s laziest querent, as I love the writing, editing, and revising part but almost never bother querying. However, I do do it every once in awhile. And when I do, I generally ignore my own advice about being patient with revision and send out a manuscript that is not yet ready to be accepted. Then I get busy editing and forget about querying it, even after I’ve done another revision.
It is truly a kindness in agents and publishers to reject a manuscript that is not ready.
Dear Author,
Thank you for writing to me about your project. I apologize that it has taken me so long to get back to you! I’m so sorry for the impersonal response, I hate to do this. Our agency used to respond directly to each query, but the letters have now reached a volume that is frankly unmanageable. Writing a good book or proposal is among the hardest things in the world to do; I promise, we’re not unsympathetic! You have our word that we are reading every single query letter that comes our way, but from now on, we’re only responding personally if we’re sufficiently curious and would like to read further. I’ve been focusing on maintaining my current list for the last few years and can only make an exception for the rare book for which I am completely over-the-top enthusiastic.
I do encourage you to continue developing and submitting until you find the perfect home for your work—it’s out there! Along those lines, I wish you the very best.
Take care.
So do not despair, dear writers!
Rejection comes to us all.