You wait and wait, and wait some more…. You lose all hope, and then comes this sweet letter. I am a bit wary about putting it here so publicly, but I have said it before and will say it again, this is all about the thought process of a writer, and I will be honest about my struggle, my failures and achievements in equal measure. So here it is, the dumb mail that arrived in my inbox a few days ago:
Dear John
Thank you for submitting your novel, and apologies in such a delayed response.
After much discussion in the Literary Department (Really? Thanks!), we have concluded that, unfortunately, your novel is not quite right for us.
While you write in fantastic detail with a great passion, sadly it is not a project we feel we can take forward. The publishing business is fiercely competitive (as if I don’t know it already); we all have to be one hundred percent convinced by a writer’s work (mister, you don’t pass muster), in order to represent it effectively.
We are very sorry to write to you with this disappointing response. This is always a personal decision, we're sure others will feel differently (Oh, would they?).
Wishing you the best of luck in seeking representation at another agency (“This is the end, beautiful friend (novel),” as Jim Morison sang).
Signed
Another rejection letter. And after years of waiting, years of editing, years of re-writing, years of waiting for something to happen to your pet project – your novel – your heart sinks. Remember, we are reading this on a busy suburban railway platform and a tear forms in the eye and lingers on around the edges. The man sitting beside you, a casual acquaintance, wonders why I haven’t smiled and nodded at him and avoided the usual pleasantries.
I have spent a lot of my time, sleepless nights, years, in fact, on this novel, which has been rejected. Now I think I should abandon it and not waste more time on it. Instead there is this new novel I am working on which seems promising, nay, full of the bitter after taste of rejection.
Hi John, just passed through your blog. Dude, like many great writers, same things are happening to you aswell. you can cross check.. like being rejected for publications, trying harder, another failure,then sarcastic humour and maturity and then another attempt...... good going...... writers mostly are successfull at around 40... Dude, believe in the " magic of life " we try and fail, we try again and fail, we try someother way, someother time. still fail, we try astro, still fail, after a million attempts we loose hope , then one fine day, all our dreams come true........remember 1 year of a writers life is equal to 50 years of a engineer/manager......
ReplyDeletebest wishes and good going, someday we hope for a nobel in literature.....( its not the super successful who make the biggest hits, but ordinary people with extra ordinary determination.. read Sippys gave Sholay not the Chopras.. what do you say????
Hi Dayanand,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind words.
((wiping away tears and smiling))
J