The Daily Rejection

*sticks head out of editing hole* *waves at everyone, feels happy Hathor is on the mend* *notices agent is back from vacay* *freaks out* *sticks head back down into editing hole - is almost done*

Glad things are going well for you two.

Other than the big scab on my scalp, I'm feeling fine (unless I poke at it to see if it's still sensitive -- and yes, it is).

Hathor said:

Glad things are going well for you two.

Other than the big scab on my scalp, I'm feeling fine (unless I poke at it to see if it's still sensitive -- and yes, it is).

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Ew. Don't poke at it.

Oh, you sound like such a mother.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

I'm baaack! Kmarshall, glad someone got some good news around here

Didn't do any writing on vacay, but did read 50 Shades of you-know-what... so we're staying at this older couples cabin, with two other couples. I'm reading in the living room, they've got the television on... Some Good Morning America type show is saying "There's been a 105% increase in lingerie sales and a 60% spike in the purchase of dirty sex toys--does anyone know the cause? The book that girl in the corner over there is reading!" And then they showed the cover, and all eyes turned to me...

Only a slight exaggeration, but I was bright red. 50SoG did make me think I shouldn't be a snob about erotica, and should go find some stuff that's actually well-written.

Got a form R on a full on vacation. Sigh. Now it's back to the waiting game...

Oh, I'm so sorry about the form reject on the full, OctoberLee. After all the waiting and hoping, it seems at least a few words of personal response should be written. The more I play this game, the more I marvel at the thick hides writers must have.

I admit I spent the first few minutes of wakefulness yesterday morning imagining how Mr. Awesome Agent who currently has my full will phrase his rejection. I'm going to see how close I am to the real thing. I don't recommend this pastime to anyone, however -- it is not fun.

It's a crazy roller coaster, for sure. Hang in there.

Thanks c.e. Yeah even just a "this is where I quit reading"... though I suppose that's almost worse since it's all subjective. I guess on a full, I just wonder... did you read past chapter one? Guess I'll never know.

Haha, oh no! Don't be speculating on Mr. Awesome Agent's Super Awesome Rejection! Don't. Do it. That sounds terrible.

I can't really talk though. Couple days ago I dreamed I got up, looked at my phone, and there was a rejection on a query I sent the other day. And I looked in the morning--there was nothing. I'm CONVINCED there was a form letter, but I can't find it! Maybe I deleted it in my sleep? No idea...

mrsmig said:

About two months into my slow n' steady query process and just got a form rejection on my only partial thus far. On the up side, I've been thinking about making a couple tweaks to the MS and haven't done it because I had the partial out, so now I can implement those.

But still...Le Sigh.

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Aww Hugs mrsmig. I know how you feel...

Good luck with the edits! Sometimes editing gives me the confidence to continue querying. Like, "oh yeah, this thing's actually pretty good!" And sometimes editing throws me into a deep, wallowing despair. Er... but most of the time I think it helps me feel stronger about the MS I'm trying to send out

Hi all, it's been a long time since I dropped by this thread. I was on vacation, then I decided about a month ago to quit querying. It was crushing my soul and turning writing from a joy to an e-mail addicted nightmare.

I know I'm a good writer. Sometimes it's hard to get that thought to stick, but I've heard it enough times from the right people. Hell all of the personalized rejections I got on Aetherstorm told me how well written they thought it was 'but...'. Always the but. It wore me out and I spent more time worrying about that dreadful 'but' than I did writing.

Instead of querying I'm just going to enjoy writing again. I picked a fun project that *I* enjoy writing and I'm posting it all for free on my blog. It's already getting rave reviews and I'm only on the first episode (though I have the next 4 weeks worth of installments in the can). My blog readership is going way up, and I think I can sustain the growth. I think this strategy is a winner for me.

The way I figure it agents can come to me for a change. Maybe I'll make them write a query letter to me, detailing how they can help me get my work to market. (that last one was a joke, in case you didn't notice)

So I'll see you all around. I reject rejection, and from now on it can't touch me or dampen my spirits. I will persevere. I will make a living from my writing one day in the not too distant future. And I will do it without ever being rejected by another agent.

I wish you all the best of luck, and hope you find your own routes to success, however you define it.

If you're curious, there's a link to my blog in my sig.

Nice to hear from you, DJ. It sounds like you've worked out the plan that's best for you. Dealing with just querying and revising the same work (trying to figure out what agents really want) can be ego-deflating.

I'll be following your writing. Your new project sounds interesting.

Enjoy that new baby of yours, too.

Sighhhhhh me too, c.e.!!!!

I feel like all the agents are in little boats and I am standing on the shore, throwing my MS to them. And its tied to a really big rock and slowly sinking to the depths of their inbox the ocean, and there I am watching it, just praying one of them will notice it and thinks its shiny enough to rescue.

Aside from bad analogies, I got nothing goin on today.

Crickets for me as well on the agent front, aaaaand I've spent the day chasing around my references, BEGGING them to send in their recommendations for this job as HR is getting impatient. Would it be unprofessional if I just threw myself to the office floor and started screaming?

I subbed three more short stories over the last week, so it's crickets for me, too.

So I got the job! ... but apparently some people in the HR office last Wednesday (when I came in to retake the computer test to make up for the lost scores, and they kept me waiting for 45 minutes and then told me I didn't have an appointment) were upset that I was upset. So I offered to send them an apology letter for... being upset and worried that I was going to be late to my current job. :/

Oh well. I will be excited soon. But right now I feel kinda ick. I rarely stand up for myself, so it's kind of funny that I got smacked down when I finally did.

Congrats, Beckstah! I'm sure you handled the situation professionally (unless you did fall on the floor and scream). You weren't the one at fault.

I wish I had crickets. But I received a form R to send me on my way. The query was so long ago I'd assumed it was a rejection. Nice of her to tell me, though.

In case I don't have time to post before I leave on vacation, play nicely with one another and have some good news for me when I get back. I'm unsure if I'll have any internet access while I'm gone. I'll leave you with my new earworm. I like the song, so it doesn't fit my usual criteria. But it seems appropriate. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TLLcvWeiKw

Guh, a pass on a full that I had high hopes for at a nice publishing house. Why do I do this to myself? I had way to much anticipation on that one. Except, that they have another book of mine that my agent subbed to them in which the editor wanted some changes/rewrite. So, yeah, I'm all up for that if it happens.

tri

One of my better stories got a rejection the day after I sent it. So off it went on a revenge query 30 minutes later, to a more suitable market.

Have a great time on vacation, Hathor! I'm so sorry about the R. I hope you come back refreshed and ready to persevere.

Congrats, Beckstah! I'm glad it was worth all the hassle. And I'm sorry about the smack down. I, too, am a very non-confrontational person, and I salute you for standing up for yourself.

Oh, tri - very sorry about the rejection. I'm trying to tell myself to be utterly rational and logical on certain queries/pages, but it's darned near impossible not to build up some hope. I wish you the best outcome on the rewrite.

I love your analogy, OctoberLee! I suck at similes and metaphors, so kudos to you. Someone WILL notice your MS! It's not sinking!

And Filigree - I see your inner Spartan is alive and well today. Nice!

Ugh, sorry about the Rs, everyone. Here's hoping the next week holds 'yeses' all around.

Congrats on the job, Beckstah

Form Rs for me. But I'm still writing, getting ready to sub the new book in a couple weeks.

Beckstah-- on the job!!!

Hathor--Have a good vacation! You SO deserve it! And stop poking the scab!!! I hope you get to recharge and come back fresh and recovered!

Sorry about the Rs but wishing lots of luck to everyone as they push forward!!

I'm going to need to duck out of here for an extended period...life just got very, very, very hectic. But I will try to check in once in a while and I hope you all get very good news very soon!!!

Beckstah said:

Ugh, sorry about the Rs, everyone. Here's hoping the next week holds 'yeses' all around.

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Yeah, seconded. Congrats on the job Beckstah! (not sure if I said it before).

Okay tonight officially starting new project! Shelving and querying old project, no more editing for a while. Now for a walk and some reading and a nice long break from the obsessive email-checking, darn it.

OctoberLee said:

Yeah, seconded. Congrats on the job Beckstah! (not sure if I said it before).

Okay tonight officially starting new project! Shelving and querying old project, no more editing for a while. Now for a walk and some reading and a nice long break from the obsessive email-checking, darn it.

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Thanks, OctoberLee! Good luck on the new MS! It's nice to just have fun and enjoy that new project smell for a while.

And thanks to everyone else, too~