First rejection

This is my first rejection I've ever received and I'd like your opinion on it.


{insert Agency address here}

Dear Madam,

We read your client's work with interest. Unfortunately, although the quality of the work is worthy of publication, we must decline. It just doesn't fit our list at the time. We trust you will be able to place the story elsewhere.

With regrets,

The editors, {insert publisher}


This is a form letter, right? Should I put a lot of hope in this opinion? The shortness of the message, is that normal? What do you think?

I left out the publisher's name for a reason.

:shrug

IMO, form letter. File it and move on. (My rejection file sure isn't getting amaller. :-()

<Div align=justify><font face="book antiqua">I got turned down from both Twilight Times and Book of Dark Wisdom then I got accepted at Darkwalls.com so it isn't all that bad. The reason I got rejected from Dark Wisdom is that the story didn't fit their critia. So I am sending it on to Wild Cat Press. I will make a sale eventually, but it will be on my terms. I don't have an agent for my work because it would be easier to do everything on my own. I am expecting some major exposure soon enough here. Try sending around to a few nonpaying magazines first as the test crowd.        Then there was one who basically said they want nothing from me or anything with my name on it. I felt like taking a road trip to their base of operations and use their door for a toilet. Then there are some out there who basically made it clear as long they are in business my name will never be in print. So that is why I do more contests than anything and self-publish. I write so obscure that I have to self-publish everything.       What kind of things do you write? </div></font>

What do I write?

Heh, that's complicated. Basically, I write in three genres. YA fantasy(which this rejection is for), Scifi, and Alt. History.


But I'm toying with a novel idea that is semireligious(specifically, pro-Mormon) scifi.


David

Re: What do I write?

David, the fact that they said your work is worthy of publication is more than most get in a rejection. That part tells me this is not their standard form rejection, though it may be a form letter they use for those submissions that meet their requirements for quality, but can't be taken for other reasons. I would be heartened by it and keep on submitting.

Re: What do I write?

Thomas Edison said when people chided him for failing 2000+ times trying to make the filament in a light bulb (and I paraphrase):

I don't see those as failures. They're practices. Besides, all I need is one success.

Edit: and I'll quote something I wrote in another thread:

The difference between a successful salesman and one who fails is that the successful one doesn't count the failed calls. He only counts sales.

Re: What do I write?

I agree with ChunkyC...I have received quite a few rejection letters, and a couple of the letters from agents have had lines like that in it. I have since heard from them, encouraging me to send other projects of mine. Don't get discouraged. Try and try again.