I Feel Pretty, Oh Soooo Pretty!

This has got to be, by far, the best rejection I have ever received, not entirely because of the content, but as a matter of timing.

Today I begin a 12 week novel revision workshop with a notable women's literary fiction author. I've known all along that I was straddling the lines between literary fiction. mainstream and a romance novel; that's what I am as a person, versatile But versatile is not fairing well in my efforts to find an agent and or publisher for my first novel.

Receiving this e-mail today, just makes me feel that much stronger that a revision is needed to firmly plant my novel's roots aka plot, pacing and tone into a specific category.

Here's the letter (minus the title of my novel and the editors name. . .



Dear Janet,

Thank you for allowing me to read the first 3 chapters of your novel ---

While this is a really great idea for a book, I’m afraid I will not be requesting the full manuscript at this time.

Your writing is pretty, but I’m afraid that the tone and style of the writing just isn’t right for the Kensington list, which is quite commercial.

I’m sorry I don’t have better news for you, but I wish you the best of luck in finding the right home for your project.


Kindest Regards,

Editor



I feel pretty, oh so pretty , but more importantly . . . confident that I've made the right decision to revise my novel to fit a specific category. I should also note, that earlier this month, these very same three opening chapters were deemed as " Very awkward in writing, flawed in construction" on a judges scoring sheet in a novel contest. Apparently "pretty" is in the eyes of the specific editor beholding the manuscript!

Seriously, I have several genre and mainstream books on my shelves that I think are quite "pretty" in their own right. And the suggestion that commercial writing isn't as "pretty" as literary writing is a notion that could fuel yet another literary vs. mainstream war of words. But I'm tabling that discussion for another day, another time, I've got a novel to revise.

Talk amongst yourselves What is pretty writing?

KCathy said:

Congrats on the positive note! I think you're pretty, too.

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Awe shucks! Thank you

Maprilynne said:

So . . . which category are you leaning toward?

Maprilynne

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The revision workshop I started today is headed up by Nicole Bokat, author of Redeeming Eve and What Matters Most. She has a strong literary background i.e. an MFA in Creative Writing, PhD in English Literature; so I'm going to lean on her to get me through.

I mainly read literary novels, my favorite authors are Lorrie Moore and Margaret Atwood. All of my formal course work in writing is university based, so it won't be a stretch for me to reconstruct my novel to firmly land in the literary category. And though I do enjoy the challenge of creating the sound structure that genre and mainstream writing incorporate, I did get lost along the way, and admittedly that is were the majority of the weaknesses with my current draft are rooted.

I'm hoping this workshop will help me strike a marketable balance; I want it all

MidnightMuse said:

Well heck, I think we're ALL pretty!

Except when we sometimes have boogers

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You have very pretty green eyes! They compliment your scaly green overtones

Pat~ said:

Congrats on the 'pretty' rejection! An explanation is always nice to get if you have to get rejected.

I'm not sure what pretty writing is, though, so I'm not sure if I'd know how to discuss it. (Hopefully it doesn't mean flowery...)

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Me flowery
I dunno, I guess it's possible . I mean what are the chances that someone who is addicted to emoticons would have a flowery tone to her writing

Braydie said:

JAlpha,

I got the biggest kick out of how you handled your rejection.

You aren't just a pretty writer, you're a funny one, too. What a joy!

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I'll take funny over pretty anyday Thank you

Soccer Mom said:

But it is good news.

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I totally agree, it is good news. This whole thread is full of good news . After all it isn't every week that I'm told that I'm pretty and funny.

Though my children are fond of saying, "That's pretty funny, Mom." when I ask them if they are eating enough vegetables i.e. fiber while they are away at college.

oarsman said:

You should frame that rejection, decorate it with flowers, and hang it on the wall.

Your writing is pretty

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Be still my heart Thank you, Oarsman. I might just have to make that my new avatar