Is this an ultimate rejection or what?

Firstly, my commiserations about the rejection. The online comments are brief and not very specific--I think the editor must have assumed they were effectively anonymous, and to any reader other than yourself they probably are. (Assuming she doesn't say too much more?)

My sympathies Selena. It's a tough way to find out and unprofessional of the blogger/publisher if she posted enough details that you could definitely ID it as yours.

"New" publishers quite often become "ex-publishers" so I wouldn't cry over this particular missed opportunity.

Good luck with your book.

I'm sorry to hear about that.

See, here's what I don't get. Some people here say that a common mistake new writers make is to think that agents'/ publishers decisions to reject or accept is all subjective, and that in fact it is more objective than one might think. Okay, I get that one might have to "pass" an objective standard, but who's to say you haven't, even if one of the agents/ publishers says you haven't? After all, agents are still human beings. If one of them has never liked Batman or Ninja turtles all along, and maybe only begrudgingly accepted a story like that before, then they might still be prejudiced against such stories, believing they wouldn't sell.

The thing is that most comic type stories are quite similar to each other and have the potential to be very commercially successful. I hardly think that all these comic books over so many decades were classic works of art - some of them were very poorly written while others were better. But people were buying into them in large part because of the concept and characters, more so than the actual writing.

To me, that blog seems unprofessional, but then maybe some don't care, since they believe it will be anonymous, or they believe that even if it isn't, they are the ones with the power to decide who is published/ marketed to a publisher.

Dark Sim said:

I'm sorry to hear about that.

See, here's what I don't get. Some people here say that a common mistake new writers make is to think that agents'/ publishers decisions to reject or accept is all subjective, and that in fact it is more objective than one might think. Okay, I get that one might have to "pass" an objective standard, but who's to say you haven't, even if one of the agents/ publishers says you haven't? After all, agents are still human beings. If one of them has never liked Batman or Ninja turtles all along, and maybe only begrudgingly accepted a story like that before, then they might still be prejudiced against such stories, believing they wouldn't sell.

The thing is that most comic type stories are quite similar to each other and have the potential to be very commercially successful. I hardly think that all these comic books over so many decades were classic works of art - some of them were very poorly written while others were better. But people were buying into them in large part because of the concept and characters, more so than the actual writing.

To me, that blog seems unprofessional, but then maybe some don't care, since they believe it will be anonymous, or they believe that even if it isn't, they are the ones with the power to decide who is published/ marketed to a publisher.

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Agents can't be 100% objective in every area, and all agents make mistakes. That's why agent isn't spelled "G-O-D." But when an agent makes a decision based on something like this, it isn't because they like or dislike such stories, and it has nothing to do with whether they have or haven't handled such stories.

They judge what will sell and what won't sell not by their own experience, not by whether they like or dislike it, but by looking at all the books published by all the mainstream publishers. Stories similar to Batman, etc., do not generally do well at all in novels unless they ARE Batman, etc., and they still rarely knock anyone's socks off with sales numbers.

And I think you're dead wrong about comics. Many do have wonderful artwork, and nearly all the commercially successful ones have extremely good writing, probably done by a writer most people would know. Concept only gets you so far, and characters along are meaningless. It's the writer who makes the character what he is. No matter what character is in a comic, that character is made likeable by the writer.

And far, far, far more comies fail than succeed. Comics are no more similar than novels, and like novels, they have to be way above average in every way to sell well. Go to a comic dealer and look through the archives. You'll find hundreds of comics you've never even heard of because they flopped after only a couple of issues. When you look through them you'll see why. The artwork and/or the writing just wasn't good enough, even if the concept was terrific.

"Great concept, lousy writing," is the epitaph for innumerable failed TV shows, novels, comic books, etc.

A rejection is a rejection, any way you slice it. Good, now this one is out of the way. Just one less no on the way to the yes.

That sucks!! I am so sorry. At least no one except you (and now us) will know. I religiously watch the blogs of the agents who have my stuff and think "hey, maybe they'll say something nice." (dream) or "oh dear, what if they say something bad?" (nightmare) Unfortunately, they say nothing. I guess that's better. ? <shrug>

Maprilynne

Hi Selena!

As some others said, that wasn't professional of that new publisher. There are plenty of far better publishers (small or otherwise) out there.

Selena_Fai said:

Hi all,



A rejection

I got a submission for... YES!... another children's book. I'm going to reject this one, however. The story is too much like stories already told... Batman, Ninja Turtles, Superman... It really doesn' thave anything special or specific. Well, I know it can happen - but up to now I only had to reject... Sign in to see full entry.

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I couldn't read the blog, you have to sign in and pay to read,apparently!

Sorry to hear this but never mind; just keep on truckin' and one day you'll get there.

I see a positive in this

Dear Selena Fai,

Okay, so maybe I'm an eternal optomist. The publisher didn't reject you because of poor spelling, uncompelling story etc. S/he said your story was too much like Batman, Superman, Ninja Turtles etc. Okay, so your story is far too much like some of the biggest sellers and most successful books out there. Many small publishers try to appeal to eclectic tastes. They want niche books to fit small markets. They often pass on pieces that would be far more commercially successful. Some small publishers look down their snooty noses at popular books. I suggest that you find an agent and have this book pitched to a major publisher. Either that or change your lead character to a lesbian, handicapable rabbit who champions social injustice in third-world countries.

Transom-Jumper

I agree with everything that's been said.

If I went to an audition, and I didn't get the part, and I found a blog about why I wasn't very good, I would be very upset.

However, if I got the part, and I found out the director had done that to someone else, I might have second thoughts about the role.

Think of it this way: If you got accepted, and you heard from someone else on here that this happened to them, you'd still know how unprofessional that was, wouldn't you?

Hopefully, a more professional publisher will read your manuscript and love it.

Sorry to hear that, Selena.

blog

As long as no names were mentioned, the blog wasn't unprofessional. Of if it is, then a great many editors at the best publishing houses are unprofessional.

People talk about their work, write about their work, blog about their work, and have every right to do so. When you submit a manuscript, you're in business. Editors everywhere talk about manuscripts they buy, manuscripts they reject, manuscripts they love, and manuscripts they hate.

And they should. Good editors do not name names, and at least half the time the manuscript being discussed isn't even teh one the writer believes it is, but editors do discuss things, and beginning writers hould be happy about this.

And wait until an editor posts one of your cover letters or query letters for laughs. Yes, this, too, is done by some of the best editors in the business.

Ths is a business, and the blog is nothing to get upset about. It is, in fact, a good thing. Toughen up and deal with it. This editor didn't say anyting at all nasty, at least in teh part you posted, and for all you know, fifty-seven other writers sent in identical manuscripts. It happens all the time. But even if this is your manuscript, you should have learned something, and so should all the other new writers out there lucky enough to read it.

Selena_Fai said:

It appears I might be her first rejection. Couldn't I have been notified first?

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James, this is what selena is upset about. Not being notified before posting.

stormie said:

James, this is what selena is upset about. Not being notified before posting.

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Hmm. Reminds me of the time I was at summer camp when I was thirteen, and I had a debilitating crush on this girl. The other boys in my cabin wrote me a letter, supposedly from her, with all the requisite loopy letters and the smiley faces dotting the i's. It suggested that she had picked me for her first kiss on a walk home after the coming dance. So I wrote her a suitably gushing reply.

Mercifully, my mates intercepted my purple missive before it made it to the girl's cabin, but it made the rounds of the other boys' cabins for several days. I still remember the snickers.

Suffice to say, what counts is not the content, but having your name bandied about at the bottom of it.

And no, I never did get that kiss. I still remember her name. Abby Waring.