Yesterday I got the nicest
rejection I have ever gotten in twenty-five years of doing this.
This is, in part, what I found in my inbox from (agent who rejected me).
“I’ve now had a chance to read these pages, and there’s much to admire – a mix of wit and tenderness, and so many genuine, relatable laugh-out-loud moments.”
HEAD-SLAPS, SPEED-BUMPS and LIGHT-BULBS,
one woman’s WTF, oops and ah ha moments
of life
I took about forty, of
my (well over a hundred) published essays, op-eds and columns and shared why I wrote what I wrote and
what happened after. As I wrapped them all in life as it happens, I found an
arc and made a memoir. I thought it worked and now I know it does.
That agent's one line is Sunday dinner with good stuff filling my belly, leaving me satiated and smiling - except for the lima beans. I’m not thinking about the little flattened green orbs which I am choosing to leave on my plate. I'm not thinking of what I do not like.
I’m a believer again. A believer
that effort and tenacity are their own reward and that corn dripping in butter tastes a hell of a lot better than lima beans any day.
There's such a comfort in those words, right? An affirmation of the writing, even if the answer was a pass. I'm glad this agent took the time to give you this feedback. I think you deserve it.
ReplyDeleteYa know Donna, it takes seconds for an agent, anyone for that matter, to express the positive. For us creative types, a line like that is why we do what we do.
DeleteThis particular agency seemed a little different, its agents more in tune with how creative juices sometimes blend a better punch .
Even though I'm left on the cutting-room floor I will, most certainly, submit future projects to (agent who rejected me). They're not so scary after all.
That IS a nice response - and how nice to feel reinforced and ready to go.
ReplyDeleteJust enough nice for me to believe I got it right this time. Whether I REALLY got it right remains to be seen.
DeleteIt's all in what we take from things. You're taking heart - always a good option!
DeleteI've read that any bit of positive or advice thrown into a rejection is a good sign. It shows promise and ability and a reason to keep on! Congrats!
ReplyDeleteI'm likin' the good signs, yup likin' the good signs.
Delete