It is hard to tell.. They only say "it is not a good fit" or "we cannot use this" and then that's it. The few that has been published are not much different than the pieces that haven't so I'm not sure what it can be.
I got a good one recently; that the idea was really great and interesting and very now except the actual writing they didn't like. Oh. I can live with someone telling me my ideas are too far out there, that there's stuff in them that they just don't want to touch. That's just what it is. But hearing it's an awesome idea with really poor execution is a bit... Well, that sucks.
I don't think I've gotten one quite like that, though there was one that thought the climax and resolution were weak. In the end, I changed it since I'd been rather iffy on that part myself. That novelette hasn't gotten published, and may never be, but I do think it's better than it was.
Things like that are at least things you can act on which even if it isn't what you'd like to hear gives you some way to improve going forward. It's a somewhat new experience to me to have, in so many words, this conversation: "It's a great idea, it's fresh, it's interesting, it's really currant, we think that people would really love reading that story." "Oh great, would you like to see the whole manuscript?" "Oh god no." "But I thought you said..." "We love everything about it except your writing." "Is there anything I could do to improve it?" "You could have someone else write it."
It may suck at first, but it gives you something to work with. Have you given your writing to betas? Have you scrutinised it carefully yourself, after leaving it alone for enough time so it's fresh when you re-read it? What do you think you can improve? I'd rather get a rejection like this, than something vague and polite but not ultimately helpful ...not a good fit, etc. This rejection, while it came as a personally hurtful 'truth,' told you what they thought was wrong. So see what you can do about it. Are you making actual grammatical mistakes/punctuation errors/ spelling mistakes? Do you need to develop your characters more, so they engage the reader? Is your wording clumsy? Are your transitions confusing? Have you got plot holes that need plugging? Are you doing infodumps? Are you moving too quickly through the story? See if you can get feedback from readers on what they think of the writing. That'll give you something to go on.
I could use some beta readers because I'm getting quite a lot of rejections myself. Do you have a LinkedIn account? I do have some documents there.
No, I don't have a LinkedIn account, and no desire to get one. In fact, I got pestered by LinkedIn when I contacted somebody in it a few years ago. I'm not keen to get sucked into that again.
Don't get me wrong here, I'm not upset or even looking for feedback at this point, it just stands out as being quite so totally contrary to everything else I've ever heard about my writing; that the writing is good and the ideas are too far over the horizon. Everyone else who's read that books says the writing is strong, believable, compelling even. Whatever they think about the core conceit they like how I write the main character, including a couple of agents who are reading the whole manuscript. It's that kind of outlier that really stands out because it's so far divorced from what everyone else says.
Well, obviously, like any other response to your writing, if you feel honestly that their response was wrong, then ignore it. If other agents are willing to consider your writing as it is, just forget that one isolated response and move on. Twelve agents rejected Harry Potter before somebody took it on! Agents are not always right about the eventual success of a book.
Then I'd probably ignore it. You're always going to have some people that just don't like your style. Unless the complaints about the writing were consistent across the board, this is likely an example of that rather than a real problem with your work.
Oh no, that`s pretty rude really. I guess you could use to spur you on but it`s a tad harsh. You only need one agent/publisher to like your work.
My rejections are due at the end of this month. I entered three competitions in November 2014 and the announcements are litery days away. I am excited for my future and ain't coming here again. Get a big avatar, just my face, find a new writer lounge where they appreciate prizewinners. Won't see me on a losers' thread.
There is a reason so many people get rejected... Because it is a nice job. Go and do a medium-bad job- go and do some engineering or surveying... do you get rejected? of course not. Why? Because there are not a bunch of self-obsessed social media morons wanting to make their name. This world has to end soon, surely.
Why do you think that's the way it is? Why do you think they are trying to make a name for themselves?
Why do you think the special little snow flake mentality is a positive? Why do you think average people should be elevated beyond their talent? It is called the age of decadence, that time before an empire collapses. Part of it is the mistaken empowerment of the individual. It has happened so many times in history.
Not really sure if its worth diving into this, you seem to have an axe to grind @Pinkymcfiddle, but I'll give it a shot. People don't get rejected because its a 'nice job', there isn't some publisher kicking back works because of the jobs value, its because the writing either isn't up to standard, or marketable. That standard isn't unique to writing, tons of people don't make it through engineering because their math isn't up to speed. Don't get me going on surveying, that business is so entrenched in licensing that you almost have to be born into it. Other than those specific examples, I think the idea you're going for is that connecting your job to a social aspect devalues... something? Not sure if you mean the job, but you feel people shouldn't bring attention to their job, and do it unobserved? This type of argument really gets to me. All alex asked was for some introspection into your thoughts. Why do you feel the way you do? Why do you think people are acting the way they are? Your answer deflected these questions entirely by creating and burning a strawman. Alex never said the 'snow flake' mentality was a positive. He didn't say individuals should be elevated beyond their talent. It's easy to say all hope is lost, the world will surly end, its all happened before. Only what's happening right now has never happened before. We've never been this connected, technology has never improved at this rate. The value of the average individual is increasing. There are things I can do now, that kings couldn't hope to, things I know that entire civilizations couldn't figure out. The average I.Q. is 30 points higher now than it was 100 years ago. Imagine what that would translate to the roman empire. ETA: What I'm trying to say, in a very convoluted and confusing way, I understand hating a system and wanting it to end, but try and be a bit more deliberate and open minded about your thoughts and how you respond to questions.
I'll handle each in turn. A corporate publisher wants to earn profit for its shareholders... thanks for clarifying, would never have guessed. It is also very easy to dismiss the lessons of history because "things are different now". It never worked before.
Well this thread has taken a rather dark tone, or should I say descended. Personally I think it`s in our DNA to reach out and better ourselves, or push further into the void, or grasp for the unattainable. We`re human, it`s what we do. Just because we get rejected doesn`t mean we should just give up and go home, just ask the guy who invented the light bulb (or is it guys, there`s some doubt). We encounter rejection in every part of our lives not just as writers. You take that rejection and push forward just a little bit more. Just a little bit further into the void.
