Do you want to know why?

That brought up a question:

Would rejections like that be construed as "unsolicited critiques"? Or do writeres welcome them?

It sucks to get those rejections, it seems to be all I have been getting. Yeah a few requests to see the first three chapters...to answer your question, yeah I think I want to know why. At least I can fix the problem then. Otherwise I'm doomed to keep repeated it over and over...

Yeah, I always like to know.

(Hence my followup post to the poem I put in SYW yesterday.)

But I'm a rank amateur, and you're not. So I can understand why you wouldn't.

Yeah, actually I do. I got depressed reading the form letter rejection I got via email from an agent but then when I got the ms back and he had a hand written note on the front telling me why I felt a tad better.

But sorry about the rejection, though.

I like to know why, the more specific the better. That way I know if it is just a taste issue or if there is something wrong with my work. Plus, I know the agent read my work and thought it was at least worth the time and effort to comment on. Though sometimes, agents say different things about the same work, and then I'm just confused.

Paint, so sorry about the rejection. I think I'd want to know why, and would welcome critique UNLESS the editor absolutely hated it and thought it was worthless. (In that case I think I'd rather not know!)

Yes, I like to know. I still need help improving. Plus, not all the rejections my husband and I receive are about the writing or idea. Sometimes the agent isn't the right one, or this or that. Somehow it strokes the ego when someone says he likes the writing, even if he can't take on the manuscript.

Sure I want to, rationally--but like you I don't enjoy it.

I think finding out why can be useful, especially if you get a few that agree and point to a trend.

In my case, I've been so confused trying to figure out the trend of my latest few rejection letters that I posted them in Share Your Work.

If anybody can give me some clues about what they're really saying, I'd certainly appreciate the feedback.

It depends. I have a partial with a publisher that I've never worked with before, but I'm pretty sure what I've submitted is just what they're looking for. If they reject, I want to know why, so I can better gauge the next submission (or if I'll submit there again at all.)

I appreciate feedback with a rejection. In fact, I've learned more about my writing through rejections than I ever learned from any praise I've received.

Agents and editors don't know you - don't love you - and certainly don't care too much about your feelings. They are telling the truth as they see it. It might not all be on target, but it is said without prejudice. Take it. Use it if you can.

Nancy