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Rejection remarks
By SonnyLong in The Write Stuff
June 19, 2009

Image Unfortunately for those of us trying to sell a book project, rejection letters are a way of life. As I continue to shop my true crime book on the triple murder in East Texas in 1992, I've certainly gotten my share of those letters.

While many offer no helpful comments, some literary agents do take a moment or two to add a personal comment although they aren't interested in pursuing the project.

Almost all of them say in some form or another that the project "isn't right for them," but to "query elsewhere" because "tastes and areas of specialization vary widely from agent to agent," or "Unfortunately, it is not right for us at this time."

Others have remarked, "Of course publishing is all about personal taste and another editor or agent may feel very differently, so I encourage you to continue searching," and "The fact that this work doesn’t fit our narrow criteria for representation does not mean it couldn’t find a home elsewhere."

Standard, rubber stamp remarks.

Here are some more samples of rejection remarks that agents took a little time to personalize:

"While there is a lot I like about this story, especially the writing. However, I didn't feel invested in the story from the beginning. I think I'd like to know a bit more about the victims sooner. "

This comment, of course, is very helpful in that it forces me to take a look at my story structure. Should I tell more about the victims sooner? Of course, saying she liked the writing made me feel good, even though she rejected the project.

"Thought the concept was interesting, but ultimately I just didn’t connect with the style of journalistic writing as much as I had hoped."

Again, another constructive comment that makes me think about the approach I am taking. I initially covered the story as a journalist and the book takes a similar approach. But is that the right way to go about it? A point worth pondering.