Nathan Bransford - The Forums

eringayles wrote:

JustineDell wrote:So, yeah...it came. The rejection.

You can read about how it made me feel on my blog:

http://justine-dell.blogspot.com/2010/03/rejection.html

Well, at least I have one more out. I'll cross my fingers and see how that one goes.

~JD

Now, don't you get all depressed, will you? You have accomplished what so few authors ever do. AND you did it TWICE! You have to realize that with this record, it has to happen for you.
When I started writing, I made a mobile to hang in my writing nook. The dangling bits read: 'Gone With the Wind' 31 rejects. 'One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest' 13 rejects. 'Steven King wallpapered a wall with rejects.' etc. etc .

Really, I'm not depressed. I know I've come a long way already - and I'm very proud of that fact. Very proud. But it was the first rejection on a full MS. I'm disappointed because I don't know why. That's the hard part for me. There could be a million reasons. He liked the story, but it wasn't a fit for him. Or, he hated the voice. Or, he just hated the story (this is the one that's killling me). I guess I'd just wish with a rejection on a full ms, they would tell you why. I can understand why they don't tell you on query, because they get so many - but I would think the rules would be a little different when you put your entire piece of work out there. Maybe I'm just naive.

I like your dangling bits. I keep telling myself about Elvis. I may switch your method ;-)

~JD

JustineDell wrote:Really, I'm not depressed. I know I've come a long way already - and I'm very proud of that fact. Very proud. But it was the first rejection on a full MS. I'm disappointed because I don't know why. That's the hard part for me. There could be a million reasons. He liked the story, but it wasn't a fit for him. Or, he hated the voice. Or, he just hated the story (this is the one that's killling me). I guess I'd just wish with a rejection on a full ms, they would tell you why. I can understand why they don't tell you on query, because they get so many - but I would think the rules would be a little different when you put your entire piece of work out there. Maybe I'm just naive.

I like your dangling bits. I keep telling myself about Elvis. I may switch your method ;-)

~JD

I would hope you'd get a "little" feedback, at least. That's painful. Do you think it would be too much to email the agent and ask for a brief reason why it was rejected? It's not like you're one of a million queriers.
I guess that's not just a question for you, but for any responders here.

also, hehe dangling bits!

Justine,
Sorry you heard back on the full like that. I wouldn't have blathered on about my partial if I'd known what happened to you on the same day, so I'm really sorry if I seemed insensitive. Just remember that you got requests on TWO different MS's! That's phenomenal! And if you've already gotten that far on two different books, then it will happen again. You've accomplished so much more than most of us here, and we are all rooting for you. Hope the weekend helps.

EvelynEhrlich wrote:Justine,
Sorry you heard back on the full like that. I wouldn't have blathered on about my partial if I'd known what happened to you on the same day, so I'm really sorry if I seemed insensitive. Just remember that you got requests on TWO different MS's! That's phenomenal! And if you've already gotten that far on two different books, then it will happen again. You've accomplished so much more than most of us here, and we are all rooting for you. Hope the weekend helps.

Ah, yes...I weekend with wonderful weather will most certainly help. Today did (Saturday) and I'm sure tomorrow will be even better. Thanks ;-)

~JD

Oh yes....and those dangling bits! D- Totally gonna find some of my own to post on my wall.

So sorry, Justine! Getting requests for a full manuscript, though, is really great. Rejection sucks, but you'll get through it. For writers, rejections are just stepping stones in disguise. They're the first step ... or two, or three ... in a writing career. :)

As I mentioned in another thread, a published friend advised me to celebrate in stages. The request was definitely a reason to celebrate and shows the potential of your project. I find it amazing how short the "highs" last in this process. A request for a full! Five minutes of elation. Send off request. Anxiety for days-weeks....letdown. Crazy. We might as well just wake up and give ourselves a couple of uppercuts to start the day.

Ryan wrote:As I mentioned in another thread, a published friend advised me to celebrate in stages. The request was definitely a reason to celebrate and shows the potential of your project. I find it amazing how short the "highs" last in this process. A request for a full! Five minutes of elation. Send off request. Anxiety for days-weeks....letdown. Crazy. We might as well just wake up and give ourselves a couple of uppercuts to start the day.

*Big Smile* Yeah, that's just about right.

~JD

Hey Justine,

Rejection really stinks! Stinks, I say. Worse than the blue cheese moldering in my fridge. Wait. That’s mac and cheese? Ewww.

I read your blog the other day and was stunned. You just started reading for pleasure a year ago and already produced two separate manuscripts that got requests for fulls? Good gravy. That’s amazing.

I read online somewhere that reading your work aloud is great for catching typos. I did it with my monster—all 452 pages—and they were right. I caught all sorts of crap. It takes forever, but is kind of fun, especially all the cursing. In the dialogue, I mean. If you find yourself cursing at the manuscript, you may be in trouble.

Okay, so the publishing-process horse bucked you off. Get back in the saddle, and repeat after me: I will query more agents! I will get more requests for fulls! I will stop eating bags and bags of Sweettarts! Oops. That last one was for me.

Write on,

Ghost in the Machine

Ghost in the Machine wrote: I read your blog the other day and was stunned. You just started reading for pleasure a year ago and already produced two separate manuscripts that got requests for fulls? Good gravy. That’s amazing.

I read online somewhere that reading your work aloud is great for catching typos. I did it with my monster—all 452 pages—and they were right. I caught all sorts of crap. It takes forever, but is kind of fun, especially all the cursing. In the dialogue, I mean. If you find yourself cursing at the manuscript, you may be in trouble.

Okay, so the publishing-process horse bucked you off. Get back in the saddle, and repeat after me: I will query more agents! I will get more requests for fulls! I will stop eating bags and bags of Sweettarts! Oops. That last one was for me.

Ghost! And here I thought you vanished! Good to see you back cruising around the forums ;-)

Jolly Ranchers are more my thing. Cherry. Got a ton of them on my computer desk. And gum. When it's not Jolly Ranchers, it's gum. I'm obessive with some stuff...lol.

So, as you requested - here's my repeat:

I will query more agents! I will get more requests for fulls! I will NOT stop eating bags of Jolly Ranchers and chomping on Orbit Wintermint gum!

~JD

This goes back to my theory about bad luck earned by ignoring email chain letters. Except, this time it's bad luck on the agent's part. One day he's gonna smack himself in the head and let out a big ole Homer Simpson "Doh!"

And I completely feel that agents who are going to go through the trouble of requesting, and at least beginning to read, a full manuscript should tell you where it went wrong for them. Who cares if it's a pre-printed form letter, just tell us if it's "voice", "story", "writing" or "other". At least that way, as writers, when we take one in the jaw like this we'll know why.

Okay, now pop in a Jolly Rancher and get back to work!

I think Ghosts advice is solid "READ IT OUT LOUD"

I have my wife listen to me... she likes it when I read to her!

Tycoon wrote:I think Ghosts advice is solid "READ IT OUT LOUD"

I have my wife listen to me... she likes it when I read to her!

I agree, and I will most certainly start this new habit.

~JD

Justine, don't even let it bother you. The fact that you got a full request means your query is good. The fact that your MS got rejected says absolutely nothing about it, at least not without any reasons why it does.

I think it is important to attempt to find a certain Zen in all of this. KNOW that you are a great writer. KNOW that eventually you will find a publishing professional (agent and then editor) who will realize it. KNOW that when the agent who requested doesn't offer you representation it is because they don't have the vision you do, not because there is anything wrong with your book.

Your rejection, or lack of offer really, is just another notch in your belt. There will be more. Maybe some will offer some advice. Hopefully some will provide reasons that make sense, and if you're lucky you agree with.

You've already taken and achieved the important parts. Keep at it, believe in yourself and you WILL make it.

Personally I've had 2 partial and 2 full requests for my novel. I'm lucky to have gotten one rejection with good advice, two with simple advice (CUT!) and one who never wrote back and did not reply to further emails (I hate this person because she made me print the full, double spaced, and then never replied - what was the point?) I'm very glad to know that I continue to make progress.

But this isn't about me. I would like to say congratulations on your rejection! You have joined an exclusive club. Only you can keep yourself from getting published - by giving up. Since we know you won't do that we all look forward to buying your book one day.

Respect!