After a little time off from sending out query letters to agents, I’m getting ready for my next wave. I made a commitment to myself that I would send out at least 50 letters by April 1. I’ve got about 15 to go. But really, I’ll send out as many as it takes. Hopefully I won’t need to send out even one more, but then, maybe I’ll need 100 more. Who knows?
The first big wave of responses came in almost a month ago, but I’m still getting a few stragglers. And I’ve started to really notice some iAfter a little time off from sending out query letters to agents, I’m getting ready for my next wave. I made a commitment to myself that I would send out at least 50 letters by April 1. I’ve got about 15 to go. But really, I’ll send out as many as it takes. Hopefully I won’t need to send out even one more, but then, maybe I’ll need 100 more. Who knows?
The first big wave of responses came in almost a month ago, but I’m still getting a few stragglers. And I’ve started to really notice some interesting nuances in these rejection letters. Most of them are pretty generic, so it’s tough to get worked up about them. For example, I’ve gotten a bunch that start something like, "Dear Author," or "Dear Writer."
Yeah. I feel the love just oozing off the pages. And by the first few sentences, it’ll say, essentially, thanks but no thanks.
Okay fine.
Then there’s the letters that start with "Dear (typed) Russ (handwritten)," and the rest is a form letter. Maybe that’s a tiny bit more personalized, but still, we’re not exactly BFFs.
The next step up is when I get letter that reads, Dear Mr. Colchamiro … in which case I think, okay, at least the agent took the time to look at my name. Well, that’s something. Yet those rejection letters sting just a little bit more. It’s easier to get rejected as [i]Dear Nameless Author [/i]as opposed to [i]Hey Mr. Colchamiro, we don’t like your idea or your writing[/i].
Sometimes, although not often, but sometimes I’ll even get a letter that starts off with, "Dear Mr. Colchamiro," with the words [i]RE: Finders Keepers [/i]on the top of page. Now they know my name and the title of my book. They’re paying attention more. They actually know what this is about. Which kinda sucks more when they say no.
I got one the other day like that, and the first sentence read: Thank you for your summary and pages. It is "a tale of cosmic lunacy" as promised. So I’m liking this so far. At least the agent took the time to read my letter and took some direct language I used from my letter to him in his response back to me.
And then he went on to say that … I’m afraid that your pages just didn’t inspire the proper amount of enthusiasm …
Now this sucked the most of all the letters, because he really did know what my book was about, read the pages, read the summary and still didn’t like it. Now, I know it’s not a big deal that one person didn’t like it enough to want to represent me, but still. I’ve actually gotten a few rejection letter like this one.
[i]… your pages just didn’t inspire the proper amount of enthusiasm … [/i]
Bummer.
But then …. but then …
I got a letter the other day … a rejection letter … but one that kinda made me smile, that inspired me even. Yep. It inspired me. It was the shortest of all the rejection letters, just two sentence long. Here’s what it said:
Dear Mr. Colchamiro,
Thank you for your query for FINDERS KEEPERS, but it’s not right for me, as ambitious and strange as it sounds. But I appreciate the chance to consider it and wish you the best of luck.
[i]As ambitious and strange as it sounds[/i].
Finally! It’s about friggin’ time!
Someone gets that FINDERS KEEPERS is not your typical book! It’s [i]meant[/i] to be ambitious and strange and fun and bizarre, and someone in this nutty business finally stood up and took notice!
Sure, it was still a rejection letter, but it’s the best one I ever got. I’m hanging this baby on the wall because it gives me hope. I’m inspired. And sometimes just a little inspiration, even from the most unlikeliest of sources, is all I need to recharge.
[i]Ambitious and strange.[/i]
I like that. I like that a lot.
Post edited by: rcolchamiro, at: 2007/02/17 10:19
Post edited by: rcolchamiro, at: 2007/02/17 10:21
Post edited by: rcolchamiro, at: 2007/02/18 20:05
