Okay to call for feedback after form rejection? - Page 4 - Writers Forum

ClancyBoy · 08-29-2007, 08:57 PM

I've seen Anne Rice's meltdowns on Amazon. Way to self-promote!

Also thank you for linking to rejectioncollection. Some of these are hilarious.

wmd · 08-29-2007, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kimberly Dawn

And I want to know when was Kimberly a man's name?

He was not actually calling you a man... "c'mon man" is an expression that can be used both to women and men...

Now I think people are just trying to feed the fire by nitpicking Captain.

Kimberly Dawn · 08-29-2007, 10:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wmd

He was not actually calling you a man... "c'mon man" is an expression that can be used both to women and men...

Now I think people are just trying to feed the fire by nitpicking Captain.

It was a joke. If it's not obvious. I play that one a lot on all different sorts. If someone is clever, they'll snark back with I saw one in Westchester. He wore stockings outside of a bar. It was a high class hooker. ^_^

Mike C · 08-30-2007, 01:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lin

What they're really saying is they REJECT manuscripts based on the first few pages. You can tell immediately if the writer sucks.

So true. If the writing sucks, you'll know it on page one. If the story sucks, you may not find out til much later.

ClancyBoy · 08-30-2007, 04:04 AM

OH MY GOD

This page is a real pick me up. It's so good to know what morons some aspiring writers are.

CaptainFreedom · 08-30-2007, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ClancyBoy

OH MY GOD

Quote:

Originally Posted by ClancyBoy

This page is a real pick me up. It's so good to know what morons some aspiring writers are.

ha ha

I like the comment at the bottom. Erotica written by a virgin has got to be some pretty weird shit.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kimberly

The more time you spend complaining, the less time you do writing, so that will be one up for everyone else who doesn't and takes the novel to workshop.

But as a kind of blunt honesty, if you want to make a fuss ala Anne Rice someday--I won't mind. Less competition is fine with me. In fact the sooner the better. ^.~

I think you're confusing me griping at the schmos who pooed on me with griping about the agent. I never had a problem with the agent, they can run their business however they want, but I just figured I would ask for their opinion at the risk of wasting three minutes of their day. (if that)

There are literally hundreds of agents that represent my type of work, so one rejection is just not an issue at all. I've already gotten about thirty-five of them so what's one more.

Man, Talia just PMed me with more of the same crap – leave me alone weirdo!

CF

Talia_Brie · 08-30-2007, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaptainFreedom

Man, Talia just PMed me with more of the same crap – leave me alone weirdo!

CF

Yes, a Mentor PMing a member to try to sort out issues. I can imagine how you'd think that was crap. Who'd ever thought such a thing might happen?

CF, you just make me sad.

CaptainFreedom · 08-30-2007, 11:48 PM

Here's your first post:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Talia

She didn't call you an idiot or assume you were anything. If you're not going to give us all the information when you ask for help, you're going to get responses that are inappropriate.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Talia

If you know who read the submission, feel free to contact them directly for feedback. Be aware that these people probably do read hundreds of submissions a week, and therefore any feedback you might get is likely to be general in nature. Perhaps it won't be, but be aware that it might be.

But if you do make the call, and are actually lucky enough to get someone to speak to you who remembers your submission and is willing to talk to you about why they rejected it, consider this piece of advice:

This person is not interested in having an argument with you about their opinion. They have formed their opinion, and nothing you say to them at this point is going to get them to reconsider it. Do not winge, do not whine. Do not try to explain why you made the choices you made, because they don't care. The choices you made were not strong enough for your work to be included in their publication, that is all that matters. So, if you ever want to have a chance of being published by these people, you listen to their response, you say "Thank you very much for taking the time to speak to me," and you take on board whatever they have to say, even if, no, especially if you disagree.

I work in banking, and in that industry we have what is called "The Golden Rule" - he who has the gold makes the rules. In publishing it's the same thing. The people who make these decisions, they're the one's who count, and their opinions are the ones who count.

Just keep that in mind.

And here's the PM:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Talia

Congratulations, you've got a career as an editor ahead of you.

There was nothing in my post that I was intended to be rude or condescending. You asked for advice, and I gave it. If you don't like the manner in which professional people speak to you, that's just something you'll have to come to terms with in your own life.

You asked a question, and I gave you my answer. If you want a different answer, perhaps you should just tell us what that is, and we'll accomodate.

Good luck.

Talia.

It's not about sorting out anything. Like I said - same crap.

Here's a step by step of what you're doing:

1- write me something that's condescending and assholesque

2- when I call you on it, deny that's what you meant and say you were just trying to help or 'mentor' me - accusing me of having some kind of problem or attitude doesn't hurt your case either, right?

It's simple and transparent. Everyone (who actually reads the thread before answering) can see what you're doing.

There's nothing to work out (I don't hold grudges) and I already called the agent so the thread is kind of over.

CF

Hodge · 08-30-2007, 11:57 PM

Talia's PM wasn't condescending. Nor were any of his posts.

strangedaze · 09-03-2007, 11:03 AM

this thread made my day. especially clancyboy. he gets a cookie for saying what we're all thinking.