Rejection

... and I feel... pretty good actually.

You know the agency I submitted a query to last week and said I could easily forget about because they only respond if they're interested? Clue: The Veltre Company.

Well, they responded yesterday afternoon... to tell me they're not interested.

Before everyone pours on the pity feed (please don't, by the by), I'm really quite fine with it. Actually, I feel pretty good about it. The editor at Veltre who emailed me to tell me that they won't be representing my work was really quite sweet, and to be honest I'm really grateful that they took the time to respond at all, since it was noted in their 'acknowledgement of receipt' email that they generally don't.

For those who are curious, here is what the letter said:

Thank you very much for sending us your query, which we have now reviewed.

Congratulations on the progress you’ve made with your work. Unfortunately we don’t believe it is right for us at this time. As you know, this is a business of opinions and ours is but one, so please don’t take this note as a disappointment. We do very much appreciate you thinking of us, and wish you the best of luck finding the right representation elsewhere.

Regards,

The Veltre Company

And here is what I responded with:

Thank-you very much for taking the time to respond. I know there often isn't time, and I do appreciate it.

Have a lovely Easter,
S.M. Carrière

'Cause let's face it, they responded and were, on the whole (apart from the 'no' bit), quite encouraging.

Now, while I am disappointed to be unrepresented at this point, I am still hopeful and will soldier on - onward and upward!

Now, I am aware that some advice people out there are dead set on recording or announcing rejections to the world, as it might make acquisition editors and agents everywhere think twice about representing your work. Frankly, I don't care.

I believe in my story, I believe in my ability and simply because it is not right for one agent, doesn't mean it isn't right for another. As the kind person at Veltre said, this is a business of opinions.

I meant for this blog to be a chronicle of an unknown author struggling to get published, and that's precisely what this blog shall be. That includes all the waiting (the long, long, long periods of waiting), and the editing, and the rewriting, and the terrible business of writing a synopsis (ugh!). It also includes the rejections.

If there are any other struggling authors out there, it might be something for them to know that they aren't struggling alone, that someone else has had the rejections, the disappointments and the frustrations that are a natural part of the writing business.

So, I shall note the rejections, and I shall let you know every time I get one, because I believe that no matter what, one day, I will be published.

Right, have a wondrous Thursday everyone. I'm going to daydream.