The week of rejection letters

Three weeks into NaNoWriMo and my word count stands at ... 16k. Yup, just as I expected. I'm not going to make it in time.

As Chuck Wendig said,

It's harder just not to create art than it is to actually sit down or stand there and commit. It's easier to think about creating something, or to talk about creating something, than it is to actually will yourself to that act -- a very difficult, transitional, sacrificial act. It's easier to think about stories or dream stories or imagine your published stories than it is to actually carve them letter by letter across a piece of paper.

Thinking is easy; dreaming is easier. It's the doing that feels like carving out your skin inch by inch, but it's also what gives you the most satisfaction. Now, if I could just hold on to that thought...

Literary agents, however, have had a very productive week in terms of responding to emails. At this stage, any response is better than none. I'm not really a fan of the whole "We'll reply only if we're interested" policy more and more agencies are adopting these days.

This week, I've had three rejection letters. Nice ones, but crushing nonetheless. I don't think I'll ever be immune to the sting. It's nothing personal, I know. It's just ... you feel like you were soooooo close, you know? They'd already requested the full manuscript for consideration. They liked it. It JUST. WASN'T. GOOD. ENOUGH.



 



It's enough to make a writer want to give up sometimes. If your best still isn't good enough, does that mean you're just not cut out for this after all?

At least most of the agents are really kind. I've had one who called me Joshua and some who responded with just one line: not for me but thanks.


Rejection Letter #1:

Dear Joyce,

Thank you so much for submitting Until Morning to Giant Squid Books. Your novel is a fresh take on romantic YA and I have not seen many like it! However, the switching perspectives and long dream sequences did not resonate with us, so I do not think we are the right fit. I am confident that you will find a home for your novel and I wish you the best of luck.

Warmly,
Rachel 


Rejection Letter #2: 


Dear Joyce,

Thanks again for sending me UNTIL MORNING, and for your patience as I read it. I'm a big fan of Haruki Murakami, and your use of magical realism really reminded me of his work. I loved the way the characters' lives were interlaced, and how they meet inside Lexi's dreams of Sam's paintings. I thought the way you constructed their worlds was very fresh and interesting. I loved the twist of her being in a coma. Overall, I thought the concept of your book was very imaginative.

I felt like I had an immediate impression of each of their characters. Lexi seemed very free-spirited (in her dreams), while Sam has always had a lot of structure in his life and pressure from his father. I wanted to learn more about their characters, to see them develop and expand as I continued reading, and unfortunately, I didn't see that as much as I would've liked. It was interesting to learn that Lexi is much less free-spirited in real life, because it helped give more nuance and depth to the version of Lexi that appears in the dreams. However, I still didn't feel that I got to know either of their characters as deeply as I wanted to. I also felt that the way they appear to be complete opposites in the dreams, yet become close so immediately, felt a little too perfect and unrealistic. The similarities between them as well (both having a sick mother) felt a little too coincidental to be realistic.

As much as I admired the overall concept of your book, I'm afraid I didn't connect to the characters in the way I'd hoped, so I have to pass. I wish you all the best in finding the right agent and getting this published.

Best wishes,
Annie


Rejection Letter #3: 

Dear Joyce,

Thank you so much for submitting to the Collaborative. Unfortunately, while your concept is intriguing, we recently sold a project that involves a romance conducted via dreaming, and as a small company, we need to be very careful about taking on projects with too much overlap to titles already on our list. I’m sorry this wasn’t a match but I wish you the best of luck in finding the perfect home for your work!

All my best,
Annie S

Rejection Letter #4: 

Dear Joshua,

Many thanks for sending us Until Morning.
I am sorry I can’t offer to represent you at this time, but I wish you every success with your writing in the future.

Best wishes,
Gillie



  

Can I go wallow now??

NaNo-ers, power on anyway! It's a daunting task, seeing a novel through to the end without getting held back by rejection or self-doubt, and writing is a much less lonely business during NaNo. But nothing beats reaching the end, you know that.

Also, BIIIIG thanks to everyone who stopped by with an encouraging note or remark - you don't know how much it means to a writer. *kisses you fervently*