Rejection 4 for my novel, received last night from Curtis Brown, one of the world’s leading literary agencies, is a great one…
‘Dear Jane, Thank you for sending us Cailleach and for giving us the opportunity to consider your work. While we enjoyed reading your submission, which stood out from the many we receive, we couldn’t find a place for it on our list and therefore we are afraid we are not able to offer you representation for this project. It’s an intriguing premise, with a great cast of characters, but, ultimately, I’m afraid that we didn’t feel we could take it further at this time. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to consider your material and we wish you every success with your writing. Best wishes’
To better explain how I feel about these things I often turn to a moment from Grey’s Anatomy which sums it up so well. It’s Derek’s reaction to a senior colleagues brain tumour. As the patient said, and I’m paraphrasing here. ‘I want you to do it.’ And when Derek asked why the patient told him because he had shown the x-rays to, I don’t know how many brain surgeons, who were all defeated by it but, ‘You were inspired, and I could tell.’
I think my soul leapt visibly into the room.
Do you remember that episode? And then he wrote his plan on the bedroom wall!!! And this isn’t even like that. Except for the one all important fact. I’m like that.
Plus I believe, I know what I have. And nothing can turn me from that. Plus grit, work ethic, you know yourself. Especially in a game where top agents receive up on 200 queries a week and no response is a response. You can see why I’m unfazed/happy.
Onwards…
Ps I want everyone I deal with to be an artist. Doctor, carpenter, hairdresser, dentist. The artist finds a way, the artist does it better. Nurture an artist today.
Well said Jane – you just have to wait for the perfect publisher, for you, to turn up!
With love xx
Exactly. Thanks Bernadette. It’s all good, I can wait 🙂
That’s a fantastic analogy and I hope you find your inspired agent soon.
Thank you Karen 🙂
It’s all good fun isn’t it? I have an agent now and my works are out on submission. Well done – there were lots of compliments in that rejection. It wasn’t right for them but will be for someone else.
Thank you Lorna, and sorry I’m so long in replying to you. Congratulations on finding your agent and best of luck with your submissions. I look forward to the day 🙂
Lovely reading Jane, keep on going!
Thank you Margaret, you can count on it 🙂
Such a wonderfully positive attitude , I hope it is now paying off with other publishers xx