We need a rejection bell

[Nicole Wilson]

Ouch that must sting! Poor Nicole, don't lose hope. Give it a

Meh. To be honest, it didn't sting more than the others. It was just a little surprising is all.

 

[Robinne Weiss]

Another excuse to eat cake...

 

[Alistair Roberts]

I'm worried, really worried. I haven't had a rejection for 2 days!!

 

[Robinne Weiss]

Ding! That's another for me! Polite but generic...

 

[Nicole Wilson]

I'm worried, really worried. I haven't had a rejection for 2 days!!

I guess I got yours - received #2 today!

 

[Robinne Weiss]

Aw, @Nicole Wilson! Don't hog them all. I'm sure there are plenty of rejections to go around. In fact, @Alistair Roberts if you want one of mine...

 

[Alistair Roberts]

Well I'd hate to pinch one of yours.....

 

[Alistair Roberts]

Ding...

 

[Robinne Weiss]

Darn.

 

[Paul Whybrow]

I spent seven solid months submitting at the start of this year, researching literary agents and publishers with an open submissions window before sending off my query. Of the 150 submissions that I made, I've had replies from 56. Most were form letters, with only three of them being personalised with encouraging comments from a real person; all of these were small agencies, who have the time and decency to be polite.

Forget a single rejection bell, I've earned a carillon! Which I will dance to...

Here's an example, with a tune that some of you may recognise:

 

[Alistair Roberts]

Another ding, from Skylark who request a full manuscript. She liked it, but not enough... :-(

 

[Emurelda]

Another ding, from Skylark who request a full manuscript. She liked it, but not enough... :-(

Sorry to read this

Am scared to start submissions again...no matter how many rejections can't get used to it.

 

[Alistair Roberts]

Ah well, it is the stuff author's are full of - rejection! Does that mean when you get 'accepted' you throw a bigger party for the greater number of rejections one has dived through? At least a bigger cake I hope

 

[Alistair Roberts]

Ding ding... I'm starting to feel like Lex, give up before my head hurts from hitting the wall so often. Getting harder to want to write...

 

[Emurelda]

I forgot to mention a rejection from AndrewMann just before christmas. Not for them it seems.

Hoping that by July having an already captive audience of over at least a thousand kids I can self-publish for them. Gather feedback and just engage with their responses. Who knows maybe creating traction this way improves the potential value of the book...i don't know. Just giving it a nudge in that direction.

 

[Nicole Wilson]

Shortest rejection letter I've received yet: "Not for us, thanks."

 

[Alistair Roberts]

That must have strained their brains!

 

[Robinne Weiss]

Shortest rejection letter I've received yet: "Not for us, thanks."

Hmm...that sounds familiar. I got one of those just before Christmas.

 

[Amber Zade]

this post has been here forever ..... and ever.....

 

[Jason Byrne]

Shortest rejection letter I've received yet: "Not for us, thanks."

WOW.

 

[Jason Byrne]

this post has been here forever ..... and ever.....

One can always use a little vent, after a particularly stinging rejection! And whiskey is expensive.

 

[Nicole Wilson]

WOW.

Right? Not even a signature. That was literally the entire message.

 

[Jason Byrne]

Right? Not even a signature. That was literally the entire message.

Seems you would feel the same confused, blind indignation as if someone farted on you on the metro, or randomly slapped you in the face as you walked by.

Like, THE HELL? Is that... is there something on the back? No, that's the whole e-mail...

 

[Alistair Roberts]

But it's also a good indication of a bad agent isn't it? I mean would you want THEM handling your book? I don't think so.....

 

[Nicole Wilson]

Seems you would feel the same confused, blind indignation as if someone farted on you on the metro, or randomly slapped you in the face as you walked by.

Like, THE HELL? Is that... is there something on the back? No, that's the whole e-mail...

Lol okay so the first time I read this, I read that "or" between the fart and the slap as "and", and it made me laugh so hard, I got funny looks down the hallway.

 

[Jason Byrne]

But it's also a good indication of a bad agent isn't it? I mean would you want THEM handling your book? I don't think so.....

True

Lol okay so the first time I read this, I read that "or" between the fart and the slap as "and", and it made me laugh so hard, I got funny looks down the hallway.

HAHAHA... oh... glad to hear so. Funny-look-inducing laughs at work are the BEST EVER.

 

[Emurelda]

But it's also a good indication of a bad agent isn't it? I mean would you want THEM handling your book? I don't think so.....

My rejection criterion aren't as strict I'm afraid.

 

[Robinne Weiss]

DING! Hey, it actually feels good to have a poetry rejection, rather than a novel rejection today!

 

[Alistair Roberts]

Time for an unconventional Ode to Rejection? Ding Dong, the submission is dead. Ding Dong, there's always another one. Ding Dong, ding-a-ling

 

[Robinne Weiss]

Ding! Short story rejection! I'm so pleased they aren't the novel! Wow! I should send out lots of short stories and poems!