rejected and feeling a strange (misplaced) optimism(?)

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theotter

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okay so I got my first rejection today but here's the dealio: I expected them to get back to me in WEEKS, maybe months, and they got back to me within a few hours. I know it's easy to send an automated email, but seriously, a few hours??? I feel almost optimistic, like I did something right, but I don't know. A rejection still means my work was crap, but maybe it was slightly less toxic crap than if they had taken, say, four weeks to a month. Am I totally off here? Does it denote anything, good bad or otherwise, if the rejection letter comes within a few hours when the website warns that response time can range from a week to four weeks, or does it mean nothing and am I desperately staring down a Rorschach that's really nothing more than splotches of ink on an otherwise blank, meaningless piece of paper? I am curious
 

MartinaMay

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Some agents are quick to respond. Some take forever (like >9 months). But, feel good, because you finished a book and you're querying it! That's something to be proud of.
 

theotter

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Some agents are quick to respond. Some take forever (like >9 months). But, feel good, because you finished a book and you're querying it! That's something to be proud of.

Aw thanks! :3 That was really nice of you to say, and how could I doubt a reader of Stephen King?
 

Lonegungrrly

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Yeah response time doesn't mean anything, and a rejection doesn't mean your work is "crap" !! It just means that one person didn't connect with it, for many reasons - maybe they already represent something similar, maybe it's just not their cup of tea. Definetely doesn't mean you're crap! But at the same time, no means no, no matter how long it takes to get a reply.

Personalised rejections are how you can determine how close you actually came
 

Jamesaritchie

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It means it was read when it first came in. That's all. Response time is usually slow because the query doesn't get read for weeks or months. If an agent or editor is caught up, then there is no wait.
 

theotter

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Yeah response time doesn't mean anything, and a rejection doesn't mean your work is "crap" !! It just means that one person didn't connect with it, for many reasons - maybe they already represent something similar, maybe it's just not their cup of tea. Definetely doesn't mean you're crap! But at the same time, no means no, no matter how long it takes to get a reply.

Personalised rejections are how you can determine how close you actually came

I was being sarcastic about the "crap" part, I have a dark sense of humor. I appreciate your response though.
 

Fruitbat

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Congrats on your first rejection! It's tangible proof that you're officially in the game. I think you should frame it and hang it on the wall. ;)
 

theotter

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Congrats on your first rejection! It's tangible proof that you're officially in the game. I think you should frame it and hang it on the wall. ;)

lol you guys are so nice it's cray. Thanks for the encouragement :)p
 

MJRevell

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I remember feeling this exact same way when I got a quick rejection. Find hope in every stage of it the process - it's good to enjoy it, even the rejections :)
 

object of my charm

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Rejections are part of being a writer. In fact, people become writers by displaying tenacity in face of a whole lot of rejections.
 
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