How not to get published in one easy step!

[agilebrit]

Send an agent a long screed berating them for their polite (form) rejection, comparing yourself to Spielberg and Poe. Yeah, that'll do it. Especially when you didn't send them a writing sample, as outlined in their submission guidelines.

And this guy is obviously different from that other guy. This one can actually spell, and permutations of the word "ass" are conspicuously absent. ETA (after reading it again): Whoops, the word is there, but in a different context, and the letter is spelled properly, so I'm still going with my impression that it's a different guy.

So, hey, all you writers that take rejection personally, and feel the need to write to editors and agents telling them how butthurt you are? Y'all just keep on doing that. Because it'll make people like me, who don't feel the need to whine about rejections except in our personal blog under f-lock, stand out as someone they actually want to deal with.

Remember, it's a buyer's market out there.

(Seen via Scalzi.)

Comments

[baron-waste.livejournal.com]

Yah, I can't see that. I might ask “why,” because I genuinely want to know - you're the editor; what am I doing wrong? But to blast the guy for DARING to refuse ME - No.

[agilebrit.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes, I always love to know why, which is why I like subbing to Clarkesworld--they usually have comments on why they rejected you. I added a line to the BeeFic based on something Nick said, to make the point of the story stronger, and it sold a few markets later.

Editor crit is GOLD. It's not always right, but I do a little dance when I get it. And I never ever write back disagreeing.

[neo-prodigy.livejournal.com]

WOW!

I saw this a few days ago and I swore I would read and comment the second I got an opportunity.

I remember when I first began writing and submitting I would receive rejection letters. I would usually send a reply stating: I understand and I appreciate your feedback. Thanks again for your time and I look forward to submitting to you again soon. I never questioned or disputed or anything like that. I tried to keep it classy.

Said letter would vary but it was something to the spirit of that. The few times I did receive a pissy letter from a bad market, I would simply ignore it and decide not to submit there again.

But even then i would've never sent a rude response.

This guy.....who is he trying to convvince the agent or himself?

And let's be clear, he doesn't send a sample of his work with his query and he's pissed that his query got rejected? Love the self-accountability.

[agilebrit.livejournal.com]

I know! And everytime I see something like this, I ask: Who does that?. And I wonder if the thought that they're shooting themselves in the foot ever crosses their minds. I hear that there's "no blacklist" among editors, but I also know that editors talk to each other, and word of that sort of behavior has to get around, right?

Writers are supposed to be smarter than the average bear. And sometimes I think that some of us just ... aren't.