Is it appropriate?

Shadow_Ferret · Jul 12, 2007

OK. Say you're a struggling writer. You've got your novel. You know it's great and you're submitting it to all the top agents. Let's say, as is normally the case, the top agents don't see your genius and reject you.

You don't give up. You do a little polishing on the query, synopsis, and the novel, and keep submitting.

Eventually your determination pays off. Big time. A lesser known agent takes you on. He manages to convince a good publishing company to buy it and maybe you get a couple book deal in the process.

Then let's say the novel goes -- well, if not like gangbusters, at least it sells very well. And your next novel does pretty well also.

Can you then write the top agents that rejected you and go, "Neener neener neener!" ??

I mean, I just want to know the protocol... you know, just in case.

mscelina · Jul 12, 2007

LMAO! My guess is...probably not.

Alexandra Little · Jul 12, 2007

Well, presuming your theoretical situation is talking about you...

1. Congratulations!! Sooo cool. Nothing is greater than hard work and near slavery paying off.

2. No. If you have that thought--let it go.

Zoombie · Jul 12, 2007

I'd say no. But you COULD send letters to those nasty Literature Teachers in High School.

badducky · Jul 12, 2007

I doubt seriously an agent will remember you when you go "neener neener neener" unless you include the original query letter, writing sample, and rejection notice.

seriously, they live buried under a mountain of letters.

also, and this is far more important, i don't think any agent i know of would actually care.

but, i do think saying neener neener neener to all the people that told you not to quit your day job or heard that you were a writer and asked such questions as "so you're a waiter/bartender/temp?" is always called for.

rubarbb · Jul 12, 2007

Try being the better person, 'cause in your heart you know that you have won...

Siddow · Jul 12, 2007

I think success is the best revenge...let 'em kick themselves, no need for you to do it for them.

TrainofThought · Jul 12, 2007

Try it and let me know.

Rolling Thunder · Jul 12, 2007

I'm betting J.K Rowling did. I also would bet she'd never admit to it.

Shadow_Ferret · Jul 12, 2007

Alexandra Little said:
Well, presuming your theoretical situation is talking about you...

1. Congratulations!! Sooo cool. Nothing is greater than hard work and near slavery paying off.

2. No. If you have that thought--let it go.

No. No. No. It was ALL hypothetical.

If it REALLY happened I'd be too excited to even be typing and I'd have simply said, Guess What? I'm a Writer!

But no. I'm still in the send, reject, sent, reject, send, reject phase of things.

JoniBGoode · Jul 12, 2007

Hmm, let me think. "Neener, neener,neener" = appropriate behavior. Sorry, nope. Not in this universe.

Seriously, you may find at that point that one of the uber-agents can sign you on and get you megabucks for a movie deal, etc. on your next novel. So, do you really want to be rude to them?

RLB · Jul 12, 2007

I agree. I'm not sure you'd want to alienate people in your field who you may have the opportunity to work with in some capacity...

Not that I wouldn't understand the sentiment. Rejections suck.

CheshireCat · Jul 12, 2007

Well, tempting though it certainly would be ...

No.

The reason being a very logical and cold-blooded one.

Of all the writers I know, only a handful are still, years into their careers, with their original agents.

So you may want/need to contact said agents farther into your career, when you have a track record that entices them.

In which case, it is also not a good idea to casually remark, "You know, you rejected me X-number of years ago."

Just enjoy the secret glee.

Andre_Laurent · Jul 12, 2007

Shadow_Ferret said:
OK. Say you're a struggling writer. You've got your novel. You know it's great and you're submitting it to all the top agents. Let's say, as is normally the case, the top agents don't see your genius and reject you.

You don't give up. You do a little polishing on the query, synopsis, and the novel, and keep submitting.

Eventually your determination pays off. Big time. A lesser known agent takes you on. He manages to convince a good publishing company to buy it and maybe you get a couple book deal in the process.

Then let's say the novel goes -- well, if not like gangbusters, at least it sells very well. And your next novel does pretty well also.

Can you then write the top agents that rejected you and go, "Neener neener neener!" ??

I mean, I just want to know the protocol... you know, just in case.

I've considered this question myself.

kristie911 · Jul 12, 2007

No, but you can walk up to them on the street and kick them in the shins. They don't know you and it'll make you feel better!

Jersey Chick · Jul 12, 2007

I'd say do the neener neener in private, where no one can see you (and no one can lock you up in a rubber room for neener neenering nobody - try saying that five times fast!)

Celia Cyanide · Jul 12, 2007

This actually happened to a local writer I took a class from. He got rejected by St Martin's Press. A small press published his first novel. After he got some success, St Martin's wanted to publish him. He had a small urge to say, "neener, neener!" at first, but he got over it. Instead, he casually mentioned it to someone at St Martin's, in a "you wanna know something funny?" kind of way. The guy just said something like, "really? That's so weird! Whoever rejected you probably doesn't work here anymore!"

javili · Jul 12, 2007

I would never write a jeer at somebody in those circumstances. Not if I could go do it person and make them cry.

Shadow_Ferret · Jul 12, 2007

Barbarique said:
Of course you could, but the question is, why would you want to? Just for some sort of schoolyard-level retributional "payback"? Doing something that puerile would diminish you far more than the agents.

I'm all about schoolyard-level retributional "payback." Why should kids have all the fun?

*runs off to look up what "puerile" means*

johnzakour · Jul 12, 2007

Sure you could do it, but you probably shouldn't as you never know when you might need one of those agents.

Claudia Gray · Jul 12, 2007

Not if you want to come across as a professional.

Shadow_Ferret · Jul 12, 2007

ClaudiaGray said:
Not if you want to come across as a professional.

Oh. That.

Pfft!

JoNightshade · Jul 12, 2007

javili said:
I would never write a jeer at somebody in those circumstances. Not if I could go do it person and make them cry.

Exactly. See, what you want to do is wait until you're famous enough that you'll be invited to parties where these people hang out. Then you GO to the party, grab a mic from whoever's doing music, and do it up on stage.

(Yes, I have it on expert testimony that all editors and agents have monthly get-together bashes where they gather around in a circle and burn all of their unwanted submissions.)

EriRae · Jul 13, 2007

Zoombie said:
I'd say no. But you COULD send letters to those nasty Literature Teachers in High School.

Hey! Oh, wait...my license expired this year... I guess I wouldn't care if I got any nasty letters because those nasty kids made me quit teaching anyway. HA!

Don't thumb your nose at those top agents. You may wish to submit another novel to them one day, if your agent decides book 4 is not for him/her. If you must write your nasty letter, do so, but don't send it.

seun · Jul 13, 2007

The better thing to do is find the agents who rejected you and kill their pets. That'll learn them.

Is it appropriate?

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