I Have Arrived!

This is too funny. I have my first rejection. I am laughing as I said I would not try again.

What a liar, I am.

The rejection was worded very awkwardly. It said they regretted to inform me that for no particular reason they were not going to accept my proposal as it did not meet their needs at this time.

They said it might be perfect for another publisher.

I take that to mean, "we think your book stinks."
Oh well, it is out to another publlisher now.

We will see what happens.

No, Alice. It does not mean your book stinks. It means that it does not meet that particular publisher's needs. It means that another publisher might like it very much. Keep trying.

Ann

Thanks Ann,

You are so kind. I am actually glad they rejected me. I have a proposal to a publisher with a much better illustrator.

Hi Alice

Alj is absolutely right.
It is not an easy time to find a publisher and a lot of very good material is being turned away for all kinds of internal organisational reasons.
Rejection is an intense form of criticism and I have learned to learn from criticism. I have rewritten stuff to accommodate readers’ negative comments only to find that the change attract other negative comments (for example readers might say ‘too much of this’ so I change it and then other readers say ‘not enough of that’). We can’t and don’t need to please everyone but we must sell our work to two audiences the agent/commissioning editor first then the reader.
I think it is common for authors to get the pitch to the reader right but make a less than best pitch to the publisher/agent.
An obvious last thought has occurred to me and that is to before re-submitting look carefully at the website of the next publisher/agent to see that you comply with the format they wish proposals/manuscripts to follow. You may well find there the clues to a wining submission.
Best wishes

4/5/2010

Alice...

YES YOU CAN ! Keep trying, like the story
of the little train, keep plugging away....

Cheers..Joe

Hi Alice,

What's keeping you from sending it out to several publishers instead of just one at a time? Let them fight over you!

Love,
Helen

Thanks, Mike, Joe and Helen,

I sent out two query letters and it is at the first responders now.

Time will tell.

Some further thoughts. From my experience the bespoke proposal that show an understanding of the target publishers list and the direction in which it is developing is worth the extra investment of time. Also the editorial board is far more likely to invest in a new author if they are proposing a series rather than a single book. If the risk pays off and the book is a success they then get a continual payback from the series.

Good thinking, Mike I have begun a new book.

Sound advice from Mike, Alice. Go to it!

Well fooey on that publisher. But keep trying!

Malcolm

Thanks Shelagh and Malcolm!

Dear Alice,
What you have is a wonderful view looking out your eyes and an understated sense of humor. You write with that humor.

Do you remember Erma Brombeck? She wrote about her everyday life, which was the everyday life of all of her readers. She did it with the same humor you have. I think one of her books was about grass being greener over the septic tank. It is true, you know. grass is greener there.

You do not need to worry. It will happen. I know it.

Love,
Betty

Betty,

I want to read more of your childhood.

Dear Alice,
Some of that remembering is so hard. I am trying to temper it through my adult looking back eye. I will get back to it.

I was glad that Ann told me to just blurt and blab it out and worry about the cohesive part, the grammar part, later. That helped because it is not a story that flows in my mind. Here I am, damned near 70, and those old days are crystal in my hindsight. I wonder about the mind, how it can take such moments and save them with all the detail of a photograph, color and all in some little electrode of the brain and bring them out willy nilly complete with the color of the sky, the smell of the dirt just as they were then. Reveries not consciously called out of the past. Just moments. I guess that is how this memoir will come about. Thank you for asking about it.

Love,
Betty

Alice, I'm glad to see that you are trying for a publisher. Keep going.

Tory Lynn,
Nothing ventured nothing gained.
Fortunately my identity isn't tied up in a book.

Good news. It is under consideration and I have a request to see it

Great news, Alice! That was fast!

Ann