Rejection - But, with a personal note

In November of last year, I sent a PB manuscript to a publishing company. I had submitted to them before and knew I would get notified in a timely manner, (usually before 3 months), if they wanted my manuscript or not. I had also researched what they published and my manuscript fit them to a T!

Since then I have been waiting patiently (if that is what you call crossing my fingers when the phone rang and constantly watching my emails). I was that sure my manuscript had a chance.

I even did a no-no. I did a follow-up email after waiting around four months. But, it wasn't so bad. They promptly got back with me and said it had been sent to the owners for a decision. So, I continued to wait.

One day, during the course of my waiting, I checked out my stats on my author blog, I saw where someone from the publishing company had visited my site. (My heart and hopes soared) They are checking me out, I thought.

Saturday, after arriving back from our family reunion, I checked the mailbox. There was my SASE waiting for me. That was not what I had hoped to see.

But, on the bright side, it was a personal rejection signed by the Editor in Chief.

She thanked me for my patience during their evaluation (9 1/2 months), they had given it their thorough consideration, but were afraid they decided to pass due to limited publishing slots available each year. Again, saying she was sorry and apologizing for their delays.

Sigh

Oh, well. I'll do more research and send it off to another publisher.

 Also, I have another PB manuscript out there that I sent to another publisher after careful research. This one also fits them to a T.

 Keeping my fingers crossed.

What is new with your writing and submitting?





 

WORD FOR THE WEEK

PERSEVERANCE: steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.

QUOTES:

“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” Thomas Edison

“Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.” Babe Ruth

“Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.” A. A. Milne

“Ninety-nine percent of all failures come from people who have a habit of making excuses.” George Washington Carver

PEOPLE:

Thomas Edison was told in his early years that he was “too stupid to learn anything.” He made over 1000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb. 

Jack London received six hundred rejection slips in his early years.

Dr. Seuss’s first book, To Think That I Saw it on Mulberry Street, was rejected 27 times.

The next time you think about quitting, in your writing or some other endeavor, think of my word for the week: PERSEVERANCE

Another little tidbit of information about perseverance:  It took 40 attempts to get the water displacing formula for WD40 worked out. Hence the name, WD40. And just like duct tape, what would we do without WD40?

Maybe some day someone will say, "What would we do without the writings of (fill in your name)?"

 In the eyes of some, even rejects are beautiful!

Posted by Janet Smart  on Creative Writing in the Blackberry Patch.

 

Just Wondering

A few questions about the mailbox.

Should we take it off it's pedestal?

Should we take away it's star status?

We sit and wait patiently for the mail each day.
We hope to receive good news from our submissions out their in the publisher's slush pile.

But, regarding my stories, the only news I have received in the mail box is bad news.

To put it bluntly . . . REJECTIONS!

How about you? Have you ever received good news in the mail box?

I received the good news about my story that's being published in September via e-mail!

So, I have a question for my readers.

If you have had a story published, did you receive the news in your snail mail box or in your in box of the computer. Or did you receive the good news via your telephone?

Even if you haven't been published yet, tell us your opinion.

Should we be checking our in box more often than our mail box?

Inquiring minds want to know. Is it good news when our mail box is empty?

I Am Not Alone

I just posted about my latest rejection letter.

Well, I am not alone. After a little internet research, I found out the following:

Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach received 18 rejections.

Chicken Soup for the Soul received a total of 140 rejections.

Dubliners by James Joyce received 22 rejections.

Carrie by Stephen King received 30 rejections.
He then threw it in the trash.
His wife, Tabitha, fished it out.
He sent his story around again and it was eventually published.

Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell received 38 rejections.

A Wrinkle In Time received 29 rejections.

Dr Seuss books received 15 rejections.

Looks like I'm in pretty good company, so I think I'll keep mailing my stories out.

Another Rejection

Oh, well.

Another rejection to add to my collection.

Run, Betty, Run does not meet Pelican Publishing's needs at this time.

It was a very quick turn around, it makes you wonder if they even looked at it.

We put hours and hours into writing a story and spend hours and hours trying to find the right publisher to send it to, only to get rejected. . . again.

So why do we continue to write, you ask.

I continue to write because I love it and hope some day to get the right story to the right publisher. I love putting words down on paper and creating stories.

Why do you write?