Rejection Letters

Image via WikipediaAccording to wikipedia, there are exactly four types of rejection letters: literary, job, college, and romantic. Under the banner of literary rejection, there are four versions that are as follows:

1. The Non-Existant Rejection--this rejection offers no proof of life, but it's still very real. Haven't heard from an agency 10 years after sending them your query? Yep, you've got a case of the "Non-Existant Rejection."

2. The Personalized Rejection--while this rejection has a bit of flair; they might have called out some of the best parts of your submission, encouraged you to keep trying, or suggested helpful alterations, it is still rejection none-the-less. It might sting a little, but at least you've got those little comments to ease the burn.

3. The Mass Printed Letter--this rejection will have zero reference to you or your particular submission other than the fact that it's just not right for the agency or publisher. Instead of your name, words like "writer" will be thrown around willy nilly.

4. The Standard Form Letter--now this little gem I have personal experience with. Yesterday I received my first rejection letter, and while I was expecting it, I can't say that I was pleased. This letter is clearly used on a daily basis by the agency, but they did have the decency to cut and paste my name into the salutation.

Now here's the evidence of my indoctrination into the world of the struggling author. I've provided it for you all to see in the hopes that it will prepare you as well as encourage you, because although I have been rejected...sigh, I haven't given up hope. Hey, at least it isn't a "Romantic" rejection letter...I hear those are brutal :)

All right, here she is, the first rejection for The Other Side of the Glass. It's short, sweet, to the point, and currently resides on my fridge:

Dear Jacey,


Thank you so much for writing to me about your project. I read and


consider each query carefully and while yours is not exactly what I am


looking for, I would certainly encourage you to keep trying.