Comments on authonomy Blog | authonomy writing community: Other People's Rejection

What is needed is a site that bypasses these idiot...

2009-07-29T02:10:44.141+01:00

What is needed is a site that bypasses these idiots that send out rejection letters! Authors - it is time to take back control in the way that bands fought back against parasite music publishers and distributors

My stand-out rejection was from an Australian lite...

2009-01-22T03:33:00.000Z

My stand-out rejection was from an Australian literary agent. Among other things, she criticised my inclusion of a prologue in the manuscript, stating that 'a good book doesn't need one.' Given that this was a fantasy novel, and as the presence of the prologue was her main complaint, I had a very strong urge to write back and query whether, despite the claims of her website, she'd ever actually

I received a rejection letter on a proposed series...

2008-12-24T14:17:00.000Z

I received a rejection letter on a proposed series of three books. However, the name in the letter wasn't me, but it did mention my manuscript...I called the publisher and they were very kind and put an editor on. She remembered my proposal and said it was read by another editor. She said the editor was concerned about something in the proposal. The editor was nice enough to take my name and

My personal favorite rejection letters are the one...

2008-12-23T17:35:00.000Z

My personal favorite rejection letters are the ones which say 'I really enjoyed your whatever, but I just didn't feel as passionate about your manuscript-blah-blah-blah and best of luck in finding an agent/publisher who will blah-blah-blah'. I've always had the feeling that the real subtext was 'OMG, I'd better keep this noncommittal for I will look like such a prat if you

'Tis all well and good for those who have a drawer...

2008-12-18T09:44:00.000Z

'Tis all well and good for those who have a drawerful of badly-worded 'thanks-but-no-thanks' clangers, but in this brave new world of electronic submissions, I've received exactly zero rejection letters. Most agents/publishers put up a 'due to the volume of submissions' excuse, but seriously, how hard is it to knock up a form e-mail?

So what happens if you send in your rejection lett...

2008-12-04T15:58:00.000Z

So what happens if you send in your rejection letter and it gets rejected?

I am looking forward to garnering my own collectio...

2008-12-03T16:53:00.000Z

I am looking forward to garnering my own collection of poorly worded, blank (as in blank eyed stare), vague and generally meaningless rejections..... if you don't have any rejection letters, you haven't tried hard enough..... and I also believe in having a good horror story for dinner parties..... It's more fun that way.

After eight months retention of a SCRIPT Little Br...

2008-12-03T16:00:00.000Z

After eight months retention of a SCRIPT Little Brown/Virago headed their rejection letter with the wrong title saying they 'really enjoyed it'. Blake Friedmann made sure (while rejecting) to enclose a recommendation that I bought a copy of Carole Blake's book (although I had mentioned a reference to it in my submission!)Hope these anecdotes will name the authors of these rejection letters!

I sent out a non-fiction book and got back, 'Sorry...

2008-12-03T14:35:00.000Z

I sent out a non-fiction book and got back, 'Sorry we do not accept fiction.'

Duh?

"Reworked and edited" is worlds away from "good en...

2008-12-03T07:36:00.000Z

"Reworked and edited" is worlds away from "good enough for publication"...

My personal favourite, from an editor that should ...

2008-12-03T05:46:00.000Z

My personal favourite, from an editor that should have known, from the abundant evidence in front of him/her, that the book in question had been extensively re-worked and edited -with the input of some 300 people involved in the process:

"I would definitely keep reading, and keep writing and there’s plenty to be learned by going through this script and making some changes before moving