To cheer myself up, while I wait to hear from the publishing company (they've been sitting on my novel for seven @#$%ing months! A month ago they told me they'd let me know in a couple of weeks....), I've been reading rejection letters that were sent to famous writers. Here are a few of my favs.
Received by:
Emily Dickinson for a poetry collection - "Queer - the rhymes were all wrong."
Collette for "Claudine in School" - "I wouldn't be able to sell 10 copies."
Marcel Proust for "Swan's Way" - "My dear fellow, I may be dead from the neck up, but rack my brains as I may I can't see why a chap should need thirty pages to describe how he turns over in bed before going to sleep."
Tony Hillerman for "The Blessing Way" - "If you insist on rewriting this, get rid of all that Indian stuff."
Dr. Seuss for "To think That I Saw it on Mulberry Street" - "Too different from other juveniles on the market to warrant its selling."
"The Diary of Ann Frank" - "The girl doesn't, it seems to me, have a special perception or feeling which would lift it above the "curiosity" level."
and finally the best/worst rejection ever (though not for a writer I care deeply about)
Harry Crews for a short story collection - "Burn it, son, burn it. Fire is a great refiner."
Anyway, it's good at least to know that, if it doesn't get accepted, I'll be in not only good company, but the best company. But it does wear a girl down.
8 comments:
Hang in there, kiddo!
Those publishers have no idea what they are doing...they must be republican.
Hope you are doing well other then waiting on the republican publishers.
Dang- some of them are just mean. Miss J got one once that said, "Have you EVER bothered to read our publication?"
A thick skin helps some, Miss Elizabeth. But only some. Here's fingers crossed and all hopes for acceptance for Miss E.
Thombeau - So nice to see you and your lovely icon! I've been keeping up with Fabulon but not feeling terribly witty lately. And thanks, I'm hanging!
Sage - Yeah! Let's blame everything on the Republicans while we still can! Once Obama gets elected (Can I get a ":Yes we can!), we'll have to take some responsibility for things.....
Miss J - Sadly, I have a very thin skin when it comes to rejections. I'd really love to hand it over to an agent, but they're as hard to get, these days, as publishers. But I have to keep on keepin' on. It's either that or give up on my book, which is not an option.
think positive..they are probably arguing about how big your signing bonus will be..
fingers and toes crossed!
Granny - In my dreams, anyway!
Jason - Thanks!
It must be unbearably gruelling. What a bunch of dills those editors were! I really believe that you will find the publisher right for you. Please don't give up on your book, darling!!
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