A nice rejection day

Just when you start to think you might lose hope, you get something like this:

We felt that the prose was strong, and the premise was interesting, but the MC doesn’t have any firm goals he’s pursuing, which sometimes makes the story feel like it’s meandering.

English: Logo of the band Rejected Español: Lo...OK, yes, this is a rejection, and in the end the editor felt the story felt directionless in parts (which may be a really nice way of putting it), but let me point out two things real fast:

1. This wasn’t a form response. I understand 100% the need and use of form responses. If I could stamp out email replies to people with a form response that was half way sensical I probably would. I also understand that under the volume of mail most editors get, anything more than a form response simply isn’t practical. That’s actually what makes this rejection so much more meaningful to me – just a few lines, but they were written by a real person about something I wrote. Fantastic feeling.

2. “We felt the prose was strong” – let that percolate for a second. I know it shouldn’t be, but one of my biggest pet peeves when reading for review is weak or nonexistent prose. I expect published work to be held to a certain caliber. I won’t let you drag me into an argument on whether the Oxford comma is proper or not (it is, and if you disagree, you’re just wrong. End. Of. Discussion.), and I can’t even point to a proper education in grammar (long story). To be informed that the prose was strong in a story by an editor? Almost as good as being published. Ok. Maybe not quite “as good,” but still, music in the ears, folks.

You think I got excited over a rejection, wait till you see what happens after the first sale (which will be accompanied by trumpets and a pony for all my readers).

 

 

 

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