BBC: Understanding Your Rejection Letter

...of this topic!  Well, not really, but this is bound to be a very interesting discussion, to say the least.  Yep, I have a few of the lovely form rejections, although I'm not really confused about them.  They were pretty cut and dried.  But I am eager to see some of the more detailed examples that others might share here - so I'll know what to possibly expect in the future (another ouch).  I'll being dropping back in later.... 

...great question!  How does a writer know exactly what didn't exactly fit in with the editor's desire/expectation?  Especially when there were no specific details mentioned in the rejection letter? 

 You sound like you've really put your heart and soul into your story, Mulberry - and I know that's one thing that the editors do like to see.  My guess is that you orignally submitted your ms in a much rougher form than it is now.  But since it's polished and perfected to the best of your ability, I'd give it another whirl.  However, Dee might have different advice for you.  I'm eager to see what she says, because this was a great question to start the thread with. 

It does sound like it should be something a writer can do easily. But like anything else, it takes practice. Which means... yup, you just gotta do it the first few times.

The question is really, "How long do I want to spend before I have a real writing career?" 

This is not to say that when you're a published author, you'll never get projects turned down. You'll be told no off and on all the time, for a plethora of reasons. But the sign of a professional is that when one project is turned down, it's not the end of the world. It's not the end of your writing life. It's just not the right time for that project.

The longer you spend on a single project---writing, re-writing, re-writing and rewriting---the longer it takes you to put out the next project. Writers are not paper mills, of course, but if you're serious about publishing, you have to keep in mind the pace: Writers hurry up and wait. Publishers take months to get back to you. It easily takes two years for a single book to get from writing to printing. Or even just from purchase to print. So if you don't mind having long, long, long breaks between releases, or for the starting writer, between submissions, you gotta learn to cut those lost lambs loose.

Have you ever had a friend who just couldn't get over a break up?  She had her mourning time, sure. Then she just kept going back to the misery of it and wallowing a little longer. Until you get impatient talking to her because, dear lord, shouldn't she be over by now? And you start looking for someone to fix her up with.

The same principle applies.

A writer can get stuck on a book too. So, you get over it by mourning a while. Then you "Shelve" it. That means tucking the file away somewhere. Or stuffing the print out under your bed, into your closet or somewhere you're not going to see it for a while. A long while. And you start on something new. Find a new idea. Try something different. Feed the well in a new direction. And when the old idea creeps up, calling you to ask for another chance, do what you would with an old boyfriend who hasn't changed--you tell him you've got other things to do. Then you go and do them.

Some books need forgetting. They're brilliant until you realize they're not. Or some, like old flames, come back when you least expect them and when you're ready to tell them the way they should be told. Personally, I had a book that meant a great deal to me and I tried to sell it everywhere. No dice.  There was something there, but the book tried to achieve too much at once. I shelved it. 8 years later, I took it out and reworked it, putting all the craft and personal maturity I'd gained in the meantime into it. Suddenly, it was the book my heart had meant to tell. It was me that wasn't ready for IT, not when it started. And it sold.

Miracles can happen.

Eventually.

For you, singly, Mulberry, that slip is a great thing. It means the editor believes there is MORE to you than one project. MORE than one book of your heart. It means she saw something interesting and more importantly, she wants to be sure you send your developing work to HER.

But this DOES provide a secondary lesson--putting your best foot forward. Was the book ready to be submitted when it was? It seems not. And that's a risk we all run. Being sure the book is ready is another lesson we learn as we go. Unfortunately, it backfired a little on you to rush the project in instead of finishing it first. You COULD send the editor an email or a letter, informing her that you have taken her notations on the project into account (you have, right? Because if you haven't, you shouldn't contact her) and that you've further developed the project and you'd like her to take another look at it. Or you could write something new and show her you've got more in you. And if that second project works or not, you could petition her again for the first.

There's a lot of options. But the most important thing is this--don't be afraid to work on something new. Characters have a way of forgiving you--or better yet, developing in the back of your mind while they wait for their turn again.

Dee 

Thanks!

So far, the only rejection I've received (because it's the only thing I'd submitted prior to the Bite I have waiting in queue!!) was a form one from Spice Briefs. It's frustrating, because you have NO idea what part of the story (all of it? one particular aspect of it?) is an issue, or if it's your grammar, your voice, anything.

I did, however, get a first chapter critique through a contest, and my ego took a direct hit. 

At first. 

I thought "Good God, she hates it."  So I put it away long enough to take my ego out of the equation, and then I realized what she'd been telling me.   She gave me very specific examples of what she thought needed to be changed to make it work.  But it definitely took a few weeks for me to see the light in it. 

I guess the point of my rambling is that a rejection / critique can be painful on the ego, but if you can look past that, you can learn a lot.  

(But Dee said it better, LOL!)

A form rejection is most easily recognized by it's marked generality. It's often not written to you directly and is usually signed "The Editors".

The reason for these blank notes is for sheer volume. The reason it takes so long for manuscripts (from this point on known as mss) to be responded to is that there are literally thousands of mss to read and respond to. To cut down on that time, editors are as brief as possible with rejections. While they'd like to give more detail, if they want to stay anywhere close to the 3-6 month goal for response time, many of these form letters must go out.

How was your piece selected for one? Well, it comes down to this--you may have done your best, you might have put everything you love into your submission, but the editors didn't see enough of it on the page to make you stand out from the many others they see.

This is not an editor being vindictive. Or blind. Or thoughtless. If you don't reach the editor on a personal level with your work, that isn't the fault of the editor. It's the responsibility of the WRITER to improve her craft, including her voice and her style, so as to grab the attention of her reader. Remember an Editor is a Reader first. 

So what do you do if you get the dreaded Form R? If you intend to one day be a published author, you stick it in a file folder and you try again. Research where you submit. Study craft. Feel out your strengths and search for ways to showcase them. Find your weaknesses and try to improve. All the while, write, write, write.

You see, Rejections aren't the end of the road, not even form rejections. They're steps forward and every one you get is a step toward a better rejection, toward success.

This is a tough subject -- I've had a somewhat backwards experience -- I sold, several times, before I was rejected. Then I had the experience of being rejected A LOT. LOL

It's not easy, especially when you are making your living at this, to have ideas and books thrown back at you, but Dee's right -- you keep moving. The real trick is working on more than one project at a time -- maybe you do go back and tinker with the rejected ms, to learn and to find out how to make it work (or accept that it's never going to) -- but you work on other things at the same time. While one project will always seem to take to the foreground in your life, you have to learn to work on others in different stages, concurrently. It's the only way to keep up the pace.

Rejection doesn't get easier, it gets harder. I think not taking it personally is impossible, IMO, depending on the project -- I've thrown ideas at my editors in email, and had them say "no" and I honestly don't even blink at that because all they are rejecting is something that took me twenty minutes to run by them.

However, I have spent three years writing three single title mss that were all soundly rejected, sometimes more cruelly than others, and recently I've just spent 6 months working on a proposal from a new one. I spent a year or so trying to break into Supers as a second line, and was rejected, and I still want to try to do that, but the last R took a while to get by. But my desire to write for the line is stronger than the impact of the R, it seems.

You come to accept that all of those rejected works were leading you somewhere you had to go, and if you quit or get stuck, you'll never get there. You have to listen, learn, and keep moving.

But that's not to say it doesn't suck, and the one thing I can say is that for all the tough love I've gotten from eds and agents, the one thing I do believe is that it's very difficult for them to deliver the news -- and they know it's difficult for us to hear it -- but I have found people I trust, and when they tell me the tough stuff, I listen, huddle up in a ball for a while and wail, then I get back up and start writing again. ;) I go back over everything they said, talk about it with friends, pick out what makes sense to me, and I try to apply it and improve, because at the end of the day, these people WANT me to sell. They want me to get better at what I do, and so I listen to them.

I don't have a thick skin, and I never will, and I don't think you need it -- frankly, a thick skin may mean things are bouncing off that you need to feel -- writers need to feel experience and to process things. If you don't feel that rejection, then you didn't care enough, or you're not learning what you need to learn -- but you can't let it paralyze you either. You need to pick back up and write.

Sam

I'm glad that could help -- I guess I'm more into the Buddhist thing of feel what you have to feel, process it, recognize it, and then get past it. It's that last part that can get you. ;) Just ask Dee, she gets emails from me "processing" all the time, muahahahaha. But rejections and bad reviews can hurt, and you know, you just have to decide they don't hurt enough to stop. Good for you. :) I always have this thing in my head... from the last winter Olympics. There was a skiier who took a really nasty fall, and someone asked her how she got up and did it again the next day. She said you just have to ask yourself before you go up if the possibility of getting hurt is acceptable.

But she didn't deny that it hurt. *G* And she probably looked at the tape over and over to make sure she didn't make the same mistakes next time. ;)

Sam

This one is great. Why? It means you've caught their attention with something and you're finally going to get a hint with how.

You can tell an Extended Form letter because:

1. It's written to you by your name
2. Somewhere in the second or third paragraph, there will be a sentence or two that actually lists a few general reasons why your ms was not accepted. 
3. It's signed by an actual person from the Editorial Department

Getting an extended form letter is most definitely a step up. They also occasionally mention they'd either look at this project again if you rework it or that they'd be very interested in seeing your next project.

If you get either of those, break out the bubbly. That's a milestone! You now have a name to address your future submissions to that line and that editor will recognize your name. You've now got a contact that will be monitoring your improvements and noting how well you do. You've become a person instead of a submission. Rejections now have the possibility of moving up to more detail on what's not working. Yes, feel bad about the piece not being accepted, that's understandable, but also be proud--you've grown! 

>> You now have a name to address your future submissions to that line and that editor will recognize your name. <<

Okay, this may be a really dumb question but...

Who do you address the first submission to if you don't have a name? Senior editor of a line?

One idea of what to do with rejections is look for patterns in the feedback. Most of mine have been verbal or email, but one thing I did was listen for the things that several people would say, or the comments that kept repeating themselves... sometimes, weirdly, though are the hardest to hear because they refer to our blind spots (or maybe something we're just not getting even though we think we are). So if you have written rejections, more than one, you're even luckier! *G* You can see if there are common refrains, and those are comments I would really zero in on...

Sam 

Now that's something I never would've thought of, Dee.  See?  I learn all kinds of things from eHarl.  This site is an amazing storehouse of hints and advice.

Sam, when you said: "....they refer to our blind spots (or maybe something we're just not getting even though we think we are)"  I imagine this does happen a lot.  We're all creatures of habit when it comes to certain things, and once we make a mistake we may unwittingly keep repeating it... at least, I probably do.  Good thing is, like you said, if we can get to the root of the problem (through rejections letters, or whatever means), it's fixable.  Now if only I could get to the root of my repeat issues.... *tapping my chin thoughtfully, but determinedly*. 

I entered the Instant Seduction contest a few months back.  It was one of those first chapter and synopsis ones for those who don’t know.  It was my first comp, and my first attempt at a Harlequin. 

A few weeks later (after I’d already resigned myself to the fact I wasn’t going to hear anything) I got a rejection letter with a compliments slip (like Mulberry’s to use on my next story).  I’m guessing it’s what Dee would count as an Encouraging R, as it was specific to my manuscript, signed by an editor and was encouraging.  The main generic negative comment was ‘not enough emotional conflict to sustain the story.’

After I’d read the letter several times I sat down with my original competition entry and my completed and slightly different manuscript, and wondered if I could fix it – it just seemed such a waste.  I’d already spotted that I was very reliant on external conflict as I was writing the full so I believed that the story did have more emotional conflict than the first chapter and synopsis had.  I also thought my original synopsis was weak and probably told the story from a very external plot focussed way. 

To cut a long (and boring) story short, I worked on it some more, did a different synopsis trying to highlight my emotional conflict, and used the slip to send off the same story (3 chapters and new synopsis) to the editor.  You probably think that was a little naïve, even cheeky.  It probably was.  But I just had to give it another shot as I couldn’t move on until I had. 

Luckily for me I got a revision request 6 weeks later, which I'm still working on.  From, my perspective I'm glad I took the chance as I'm learning so much along the way.  Editor feedback is just so useful. 

So Mulberry my advice to you would be to sit down and look at your work carefully.  Do you think the editors comments still stand?  If not then submit it again if it will help you move on.  It can’t do any real harm, just explain in your covering letter than you have really worked on those issues she had initially, and that you think you have overcome them. 

Until I read Dee's description I thought I'd gotten a Revision/Possible Rejection letter, but I realize now it was a rejection with the option to resubmit.

The letter was about five pages long. The "section" about the good things was one sentence. I'll paraphrase: "There are some strong things about your writing but you already know them so I won't mention them again." Sigh. I really would have liked to know what those things were.

Anyway, I grouped the 5 pages of issues into categories and worked through them one by one. In the process I basically rewrote the manuscript (again) because one issue was "he doesn't have a conflict."

I learned a ton, as Sam said, about things I didn't realize I needed to learn. I finally got it finished, mailed it back, and got The Call a few weeks later.

Dee has it right--if you get a letter like this, pull it apart and see what you can learn. They're full of insight that you probably won't get from anyone else.

I'm going back to lurking. Have fun,

Ellen

I'm pretty sure you got a Revision Letter. Most Encouraging Rejections (even with option to submit) are still one pagers. Five pages means that editor REALLY expected you to do the work and make it right. Hard worker that you are, you did! It's always great when you can take what they give you and run with it!!

 Congrats!!

Dee 

(((Jodie)))  I'm so sorry about your R.  I'm cringing along with you.  But you're a darned good writer from everything I've seen you post here on eHarl, so I know if you keep trying you're going to get published!!!!  So, I'm sending lots of encouraging vibes your way, okay?

But she's right. You've got excellent skills and I know that's been noticed. :)

I also think you're right--Bites and Shorts seem to be form letter in general. So, don't take it personally. They're running a totally different system over there and truthfully, the programs are so new, no one quite knows what to expect yet. But as soon as we do, lol, I'm sure we'll have a thread about it. :)

Dee

Jodie--sorry about your R--I enjoy your writing and I know others here do, too. I can't help but believe that you are close.

I have to say some very naughty thoughts flitted through this brain about the bites and shorts and shorts and briefs. Comment, hmmm...

When you get through grieving over the R, get back to work.  Remember, Rejections are those things we get from editors that prove we are real writers and not just people who'd like to have written a book someday...

(((((hug)))))

I consider myself a newbie...and I've laready packed up my share! lol.

Great thread Dee. Thanks.

I said it before...((HUGS))) Jodie. Rejection stinks, especially forms. I know. Dee's right. I think it is just the naure of the novellas. They get so many submissions!

I got a form from spice briefs on a novella a few weeks ago and a slew of agents for my full length nocturne. I also got an extended form from One agent, and two encouraging forms from two agents. The encouraging forms confused me the most...One really liked my premise and synopsis, but didn't get drawn in by my writing. The other said my writing showed a lot of promise, but they didn't connect with the premise.

Now what do you do with that? :p I guess it just shows how subjective everything is...

FWIW, I entered the instant sedction contest, too. I never recieved any feedback. zip, nada. Hold onto those comp slips and R letters ladies...they're gold. Looking back, I think my submission was more blaze than presents...It's shelved for now but at some point I'm going to rework it and sub it to Blaze...I have to read some Blaze books first. :) Oh Sam??? Any suggestions? :p

SueB

My DD doesn't get sick often, but when she does...watch out!  Last time I had to clean up puke from every surface in her room (since she didn't tell me she was ready to upchuck until it just started gushing out).  Admittedly, because I'm weak-stomached aka wimpy, I was gagging the whole time I was cleaning!  Who could guess one kid could produce so much...stuff?  But TWO?  EEEK!   You do have your hands full.  I hope your babies (I've seen a pic of one of them and she's adorable) start feeling better very soon, Dee.  Bless their hearts.  Bless yours, too, for that matter - LOL!

Having read through this string, I am feeling a bit better about the R letter that I received for my first submission - a Spice e-book. It was addressed to me by name, had an editor's name and title at the end and indicated that my story had some of the required elements of the genre but lacked others. So I guess it wasn't a form letter....?

Can I ask a question that is a bit off topic? If you submit a story - first three chapters and a synopsis - if there is some interest, should you already have the entire story written? I have written two stories and plan to submit one of them to Harlequin Presents.

Thanks!

 Ilanit

Thank you!!!!!  I had no idea!  I thought that since there wasn't a specific "If you revise this, we might be interested" or similar line in there, that the editor never wanted to see it again!  (((((hug)))))  Wow.  Well, if I can ramp up the suspense and make the characters stronger (I really do think my h was too weak without explaining soon enough why)...maybe she actually would like the changes....  [Note to self: more internal conflict for h & H...]