February 17, 2005

Rejection Letter

Just got this rejection letter. I sent out a few copies of the first chapter of my novel "North of Sunset" to mix it up and see what would happen. I got this from a woman at "Night Train."

"I thoroughly enjoyed reading the first chapter of your
novel "North of Sunset". However, I didn't feel the
chapter worked as a freestanding short story enough to
consider it for Night Train. It ended very open-ended
without any kind of resolution. But it did make me
want to read more...

I have a feeling you will enjoy much success with your
book! Thanks for thinking of us."

I don’t mind rejection letters at all if they’re thoughtful and encouraging. Most aren't though. I don’t think I’ll be posting all of my rejection letters from the last round of submissions because they’re probably not going to be as nice as this and many are form letters.

7 comments:

Charlie said...

Not to jinx you, but there's always the The Rejected Quarterly.

I am, of course, joking. You won't accumulate the five rejection slips necessary for publication there. I, on the other hand, have prepared for entry into the world of submissions by committing their publication guidelines to memory.

(By the way, a copy of your first book is on its way to me now from a friendly Amazon reseller ...)

Henry Baum said...

Some people must get rejected by Rejected Quarterly, which has to be depressing. I’ll be very surprised if I don’t get 5 rejection letters.

Thanks for buying the book. I always want to warn people about it. But I won’t. Dive right in. I realize that is like a warning.

Magazine Man said...

My favorite rejection letter came from an editor who wrote "sounds like you're developing a writing style...and a promising one at that." Gee, thanks a pantload!

It's only my favorite letter because about 10 years later (after his magazine folded) the same guy queried me at the magazine where I work. So who's laughing now, huh? HUH?

Not that I'm bitter about rejection or anything...

keed said...

i have gotten a few in my time. they must be somewhere around. as a result i created my websites to showcase my work. i think you can get better responses that way.

Natalia said...

Meanwhile I wait for my rejection letter from the English Dept.'s Distinction Programme.

Or they might just not bother with it and tell the secretary to write me an e-mail telling me to fuck off.

Or they won't say ANYTHING and I'll have to ASK. Which is going to be worse.

Not that I, like, CARE about their stooopid programme. It's probably full of pretentious brats as it is. ;)

Natalia said...

By the way, Henry, I heart you. Not, like, in a sense that I'm going to leave my Boy and demand that you leave your Wife. But in the sense that I think you're a wondeful person even though you're almost a stranger, and reading this website makes life weirdly worthwhile. Rock on.

And good luck.

Henry Baum said...

Thanks, Natalia. I won't use the word "heart" because my wife might be reading, but Khaled's a lucky guy.

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