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07-17-2008, 12:34 PM
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#1
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Scribe
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 89
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My first ever rejection letter!
I recently sent off a short story to Writers' Forum Magazine UK and this was the reply I got:
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"A good read, worth working on. The opening is too slow, and your pacing needs work. A rewrite might help the flow. The language was stylish but some parts could be polished. A good idea, worth a rewrite."
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Is it weird that I'm actually quite proud of this?
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07-17-2008, 12:53 PM
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#2
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Profound Writer
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: big sky country
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,439
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not at all! I keep my favorite rejection on the fridge. Plus, the reviewer obviously thought it had enough merit to warrant their time in suggesting improvments.
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Interdum feror cupidine partium magnarum europe vincendarum
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07-17-2008, 01:30 PM
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#3
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Addict
Join Date: Jul 2008
Gender: Female
Posts: 181
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Not weird at all, Chirios. The fact they thought it was worth their time to offer you advice means they thought it was good. Magazine editors don't have time to pass out idle compliments unless they mean them.
Plus, your first real rejection means you're at least trying, which is a point most people who want to write (surprisingly) never even reach. 
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Capricious Quills:
A resource for writers of fantasy and paranormal romance.
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07-18-2008, 08:15 PM
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#4
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Addict
Join Date: Jul 2007
Gender: Female
Posts: 179
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Exactly. Critique is always a good thing.
I have nineteen rejection letter that I keep pinned to a bulliton board above my bed. My friends think its depressing, but it helps keep me motivated.
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07-18-2008, 08:31 PM
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#5
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Mentor
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 6,059
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A personal response is always worth the effort.
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There Is A Policeman Inside All Our Heads: He Must Be Destroyed
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07-18-2008, 09:21 PM
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#6
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Prolific Writer
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 470
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I long for the day where I work up the motivation and exert the willpower to finish a novel, at which point I can receive my first rejection letter.
Not only should you be proud, I'm genuinely jealous.
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07-18-2008, 11:16 PM
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#7
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Addict
Join Date: Jul 2008
Gender: Female
Posts: 181
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I know I used to save all my rejection letters in a folder. Here lately, the folder has gotten so thick I can't stuff much more into it, so I've started tossing the less interesting letters out. It may sound odd, but, darn it, I worked hard to get those rejections and I feel I deserve something from the effort. Even if it's just a little scrap of paper, saying "thanks but no thanks". Lol. My eventual plan is to make a scrapbook of them. Then if I ever meet my dreams of success, maybe it'll amuse me to flip back through old rejections...
__________________
Capricious Quills:
A resource for writers of fantasy and paranormal romance.
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07-18-2008, 11:17 PM
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#8
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Best Seller
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: The Forge
Gender: Male
Posts: 729
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Girl in Story
Exactly. Critique is always a good thing.
I have nineteen rejection letter that I keep pinned to a bulliton board above my bed. My friends think its depressing, but it helps keep me motivated.
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I spy with my little eye somebody who's copying Stephen King. 
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07-18-2008, 11:37 PM
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#9
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Wordsmith
Join Date: May 2007
Location: On islands
Gender: Male
Posts: 7,993
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SLOW???????? NEEDS WORK????????????
Stalk them and kill them. Find out where their sissy kids cross the street to school.
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07-18-2008, 11:48 PM
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#10
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Best Seller
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: The Forge
Gender: Male
Posts: 729
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lin
SLOW???????? NEEDS WORK????????????
Stalk them and kill them. Find out where their sissy kids cross the street to school.
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Yeah, go all To Kill A Mockingbird on their ass. Just watch out for retarded recluses.
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07-19-2008, 09:59 AM
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#11
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Addict
Join Date: Jul 2007
Gender: Female
Posts: 179
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JHB
I spy with my little eye somebody who's copying Stephen King. |
Really? I actually didn't know that one, but hey... if you've gotta copy someone... |
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07-19-2008, 10:18 AM
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#12
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Profound Writer
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: St. Louis, Missouri
Gender: Female
Posts: 1,242
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that's funny chirios....I felt the same way when I got a "good," rejection letter.
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07-19-2008, 10:21 AM
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#13
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Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Southwestern Pennsylvania
Gender: Female
Posts: 4,961
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That is a good rejection letter, chirios, not a canned response. It's nice when your work is worth their time to suggest specific improvements...and say that it's worth the time to do them.
__________________
By trying we can easily learn to endure adversity. Another man's, I mean. ~Mark Twain
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07-19-2008, 02:08 PM
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#14
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Mentor
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Western PA. Again.
Gender: Female
Posts: 2,815
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Anything that's not just "Thank you for submitting to us. We have to pass. Please submit more of your work in the future." is a good thing.
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07-20-2008, 03:13 PM
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#15
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Scribe
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 89
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Foxee
That is a good rejection letter, chirios, not a canned response. It's nice when your work is worth their time to suggest specific improvements...and say that it's worth the time to do them.
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I will resend it, but not for a while. I'll leave it for a good, 3 or 4 months, then send it off again and see what they say. |
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