tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315861630765119669.post7370387849749396249..comments2024-03-10T10:34:02.181+02:00Comments on The Alliterative Allomorph: When a rejection is not necessarily a "real" rejection.Jessica Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10889900730906728317noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315861630765119669.post-85103016761783113622012-06-27T22:54:20.167+03:002012-06-27T22:54:20.167+03:00Great post, Jess! It's always good to look at ...Great post, Jess! It's always good to look at the other side of the coin. I always consider the "rejector" and appreciate so much when they say why. Even If it's just to say it isn't right for them is better than a form. It's important for us to know when it's subjective and when it's cuz the writing or story is poor. <br />I see from the other comments that opinions vary and I find that interesting.PK HREZOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11650153097981426833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315861630765119669.post-79840914576193990242012-06-27T09:35:03.221+03:002012-06-27T09:35:03.221+03:00Hi Jess .. well put - reminding us there's alw...Hi Jess .. well put - reminding us there's always two sides to the story .. and that's excellent that submissions are so many, and their content so high .. VLLL is helping so many .. cheers HilaryHilary Melton-Butcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17596532480645510678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315861630765119669.post-89034049626068914062012-06-27T01:44:17.968+03:002012-06-27T01:44:17.968+03:00I've had enough rejections now that I don'...I've had enough rejections now that I don't worry about them anymore. Sometimes the piece just isn't the right fit. This is truly a great post.Lynda R Young as Elle Cardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09975442291393246148noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315861630765119669.post-19037674745268415302012-06-26T15:51:04.233+03:002012-06-26T15:51:04.233+03:00Great post, Jess! I have thought about that person...Great post, Jess! I have thought about that person before (b/c of my bkg, too). I know form rejections are frustrating for writers (personally), but at the same time, even worse is a quickie, snap "reason" for rejecting that is incomplete or illogical to the person not in the rejector's head. <br /><br />I've gotten those before, too, and often they're out of context, they don't make sense, and it makes me as a writer question my whole concept--LOL! :D So yes, unless you can give a thorough, reasoned response that lets me know I at least communicated *something,* I'll take a form.<br /><br />You guys are doing a good thing! Can't wait to see the next issue. :o) <3LTMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05239077455322030275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315861630765119669.post-45337338966314511272012-06-26T06:15:52.163+03:002012-06-26T06:15:52.163+03:00I don't snap my pencil. I try to see their poi...I don't snap my pencil. I try to see their point of view, sometimes to the point that I'm way overthinking things. <br /><br />Wonderful post, and how awesome that you are getting so many subs for VLLJ! Sweet!Lydia Kanghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00484415427764822386noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315861630765119669.post-71836795300858861572012-06-26T05:16:48.320+03:002012-06-26T05:16:48.320+03:00I don't get mad about rejections, but I still ...I don't get mad about rejections, but I still have to work through some of the sting with certain submissions. I appreciate your thoughts, for I hadn't given it a ton of thought. It really does make sense. <br /><br />I read somewhere recently where an author talked about bad reviews for her book. She said that she realized that her writing wasn't going to be everyone's cup of tea, and that's okay. That stuck with me regarding any of my writing, and helped a lot with rejection.Karen Langehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18177923284595298347noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315861630765119669.post-5103457316726169212012-06-26T05:05:26.904+03:002012-06-26T05:05:26.904+03:00It's nice to hear how much trouble you and Daw...It's nice to hear how much trouble you and Dawn go through for Vine Leaves. <br /><br />When I receive a rejection, I'm just disappointed in myself. No ill will for the rejectors. Though getting one on a Saturday afternoon when I was on vacation a couple of summers ago made me feel some ill will against the person who sent it.Theresa Milsteinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03477761307315565259noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315861630765119669.post-27774002768579062702012-06-25T22:25:57.866+03:002012-06-25T22:25:57.866+03:00I stopped snapping pencils the first year I subbed...I stopped snapping pencils the first year I subbed. It didn't help, but reading the rejects did. I learned a lot when the agent or editor said why they'd chosen to give me the thumbs down. Thanks for the insider thoughts. Very interesting.cleemckenziehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15456109243453726483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315861630765119669.post-36130462642149246612012-06-25T21:07:21.068+03:002012-06-25T21:07:21.068+03:00I've never taken rejections personally, but it...I've never taken rejections personally, but it's really interesting to hear it from your perspective. If you're choosing the best out of 250 submissions, you really know you've got the best, don't you?Annalisa Crawfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14943610814274794998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315861630765119669.post-82615132556828115382012-06-25T19:48:48.119+03:002012-06-25T19:48:48.119+03:00I know that there should be a reason for every rej...I know that there should be a reason for every rejection and that I should think like that once the first rejections come in. But damn. I just know that my first rejections will be harsh.Misha Gerrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06364173848456424521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315861630765119669.post-56163335090592675482012-06-25T19:25:54.362+03:002012-06-25T19:25:54.362+03:00I got a rejection on a partial with no feedback- I...I got a rejection on a partial with no feedback- I wish I would have known WHY she didn't like it. I just have to hope it just "wasn't for her" and the writing and all that was fine. But it's still reassuring to hear this from you first hand of what it's like to actually reject someone...Thanks Jessica :) (and awesome on the amount of subs you are getting!!)Abby Minardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11963640263845561309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315861630765119669.post-84907585432361698932012-06-25T19:17:10.821+03:002012-06-25T19:17:10.821+03:00I try not to think too much about my rejections be...I try not to think too much about my rejections because I realize they can come for so many different reasons. Just try to put them in a box and keep moving forward.Johanna Garthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15515478890074610814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315861630765119669.post-28275737743670756162012-06-25T19:13:44.912+03:002012-06-25T19:13:44.912+03:00Glad Vines is doing so well! Very cool.Glad Vines is doing so well! Very cool.Karen Jones Gowenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01153821980625034810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315861630765119669.post-73717367087218297632012-06-25T18:32:22.424+03:002012-06-25T18:32:22.424+03:00I used to edit a literary journal (The Windsor Rev...I used to edit a literary journal (The Windsor Review), and it was definitely helpful to see behind the wizard's curtain. The process is subjective, strange, political, and then some. It definitely helps to demystify the process.Bryan Russellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09555071335245492790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315861630765119669.post-29215550136955400812012-06-25T18:30:22.606+03:002012-06-25T18:30:22.606+03:00It's good to hear all this from somebody on th...It's good to hear all this from somebody on the other end--Rejections are definitely hard to take.Hart Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17599570189253229318noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315861630765119669.post-37132652837416753532012-06-25T16:30:02.515+03:002012-06-25T16:30:02.515+03:00I'm pretty good at rolling with the punches. L...I'm pretty good at rolling with the punches. Like Matt said, a full or partial R hurts a bit more, but everything else just kind of rolls off me.<br />The best way to handle a rejection is to submit again, right away!Sarah Ahiershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02795455714801965956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315861630765119669.post-35533098422158956202012-06-25T16:16:38.550+03:002012-06-25T16:16:38.550+03:00When I first started submitting poems to magazines...When I first started submitting poems to magazines there was no Internet. So all my rejections were either pre-printed slips or actual letters. I will be forever grateful to those editors who did take the time to share a few thoughts with me because I was very much alone at the time and continued to be until I did go online some twenty years later. They gave me confidence that I was heading in the right direction. I have no idea how many submissions they were getting but with the ease of the Internet I can only imagine how many most magazines get. My wife ran a couple of webzines that morphed into print magazines and although I was never involved with them in any way—this was when I was working myself into the ground and was devoting all my time to that—but she used to tell me about them. It was obvious that many submitted blindly and really had no idea what her magazines were about. And there were others who simply wouldn’t take no for an answer. You can admire their dogged determination if you like but some people should know when to take a hint. <br /><br />Carrie wasn’t beyond offering feedback but it does become a burden and you might find that too in time. It’s not your job to teach people how to write poetry or what the correct protocols are for submitting but there will always be a special case that deserves some attention. I never bat an eye these days if my stuff is rejected. I sometimes get frustrated by which poems they pick: why is it always the one you stuck in to make up the numbers?<br /><br />In the old days with the saes you always got a reply. Nowadays even though all they have to do is reply to an e-mail you don’t. If anything really gets to me these days it’s that. I don’t do simultaneous submissions and so that can mean tying a perfectly good poem up for three or more months before sending it elsewhere. <br /><br>Jim Murdochhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12786388638146471193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315861630765119669.post-78587209990332539062012-06-25T15:44:03.414+03:002012-06-25T15:44:03.414+03:00I take the view that success and talent are not sy...I take the view that success and talent are not synonymous and never were. Fate and destiny are also at work as to whether one is rejected or not, as is fashion, circumstance and astrological energies.<br />I did spend a few years getting frustrated about it all but soon realised that 'success' of any kind was ephemeral and meant very little. What matters is writing. When you get a rejection letter just remember it ISN'T PERSONAL and remind yourself that most if not all of the great writers were rejected dozens if not hundreds of times and some in fact were only appreciated after their death. Now that is fate and destiny. So enjoy the writing and take the rejections and the successes with a pinch of salt. At the end of your life your success or lack of it as a writer will not be pre-eminent in your mind.Roslyn Rosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15700960108357035957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315861630765119669.post-19198367685126979182012-06-25T14:54:01.106+03:002012-06-25T14:54:01.106+03:00I ALWAYS think about the person behind the screen ...I ALWAYS think about the person behind the screen who's sending me the rejection. But not in a bad way. I think I've got a pretty decent picture of the gazillions of submissions they get, and I'm uber thrilled when I get a personalized rejection because I know it might be the ONLY personalized one out of several hundred or even several thousand that the agent has looked at in the last days/weeks.<br /><br />However. For me, a personalized rejection is THE HARDEST thing to deal with. Because it smacks of the 'you're a cute girl, but it's not like I'd date you' sensation. I know it isn't the same, and I know that personal interactions with agents are an awesome thing, But if I get a 'no thanks' blank rejection, I think 'Okay, obviously no connection was made between them and my writing, no big deal.' Whereas if I get a rejection that compliments my writing (or in several cases one that says they think it's totally marketable and would sell, but isn't quite right for them and they're super busy so they're passing) then I have trouble not obsessing over what I might have done that would have made them go 'Dang it, I just CAN'T reject this.' Because if they liked it enough to send feedback THAT detailed and nice, I know I just missed them by the barest hair. And I always blame myself for that, even if it isn't so. I just look around, and the agents are super busy and swamped and just doing what they have to do, so there isn't anyone else to blame except myself.Artemis Greyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10849091563671031929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315861630765119669.post-14632020045370244062012-06-25T14:49:23.992+03:002012-06-25T14:49:23.992+03:00I'm sure it's hard to reject when someone ...I'm sure it's hard to reject when someone is so close. I think that's what small publishers or ezine publishers can offer - a bit more personal rejection. I don't get mad at the people rejecting my work, I try and move on or see how I can make my work better.Laura Paulinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06503090226508079501noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315861630765119669.post-3620822080075733852012-06-25T13:58:45.091+03:002012-06-25T13:58:45.091+03:00I try not to obsess over rejections, but I don'...I try not to obsess over rejections, but I don't submit a lot of short fiction, so the rejections I get tend to be a bigger deal. I mean I'm not really bothered by query rejections any more, but getting rejected on a full or even a partial can be pretty depressing.Matthew MacNishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03264738483763244969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315861630765119669.post-43009959772193888962012-06-25T13:44:12.669+03:002012-06-25T13:44:12.669+03:00No, I always figured they received hundreds of sub...No, I always figured they received hundreds of submissions. Who has time to send a personalized letter with each one? I'm sure you and Dawn have both learned a lot from this experience.Alex J. Cavanaughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09770065693345181702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315861630765119669.post-51957826454688829462012-06-25T13:39:50.419+03:002012-06-25T13:39:50.419+03:00I don't get mad; I just don't take it pers...I don't get mad; I just don't take it personally. It's not meant personally, and in the end, no = no (unless it's an R&R), so I never thought much about it beyond that. Cumulatively, as they added up and it looked like I might not get an agent with a project, or that my book might not get published, THAT was sort of upsetting. But most individual rejections were not. I never thought too much about the person doing the rejecting, because it didn't matter at that point. I just moved on.<br /><br />I think your philosophy of giving feedback is perfect--there's nothing worse than generic or cryptic feedback where you can't tell if it's truly aimed at YOUR story or if they just put it in there so they could say something, but a small amount of specific feedback that's clearly talking about YOUR book can do a world of good for a receptive writer.Sarahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06636585111057799728noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315861630765119669.post-13533913615363116542012-06-25T13:35:15.466+03:002012-06-25T13:35:15.466+03:00Yeah, I think about the person doing the rejecting...Yeah, I think about the person doing the rejecting, at least a little bit. They make me feel like there is almost no one in the world with tastes similar to mine!Ted Crosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09022309459554237650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315861630765119669.post-58306419605704705382012-06-25T13:24:56.097+03:002012-06-25T13:24:56.097+03:00I always feel like I'm getting cryptograms. Li...I always feel like I'm getting cryptograms. Like the one recently that said I had a fine writing style and sense of story, but that I needed an editor and then she suggested one. I was thrilled, but then some writer friends said if an agent loves a story, they'd pitch it to a publisher and then THEY would hire an editor. So? I don't know what to think.Karen Baldwinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01522178275164058849noreply@blogger.com