Yeah, My Rejection letter is here

[Orius]

I was very impressed by Wizards' rejection letter. It was crisp, to the point, polite, and PRINTED ON GORGEOUS HIGH-QUALITY PAPER. That there's suitable for framing, folks; I know of no other publisher who sends form letters with anything better than copy paper.

Bah.

No wonder the books are so damn expensive!

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

My all-time classic inconsiderate rejection letter was a block of form text very poorly photocopied onto a legal pad-sized scrap of paper, with a "declined" stamp crudely and innacurately applied in the upper-left corner. It just screamed derision.

Heh, it could be worse. I submitted a story to a Famous Fantasy Author's magazine in the mid-1990s. The #2 editor wanted to run the story. The Famous Fantasy Author objected to the modern day setting (it was a story that centered on a dragon that lived atop a skyscraper, prior to that sort of conceit showing up in a number of RPGs). They argued about it ON the manuscript -- apparently one would write a note on it, chuck it into the other's in-box, the other would scribble a reply, and so on, back and forth.

While it might seem great that I came THIS close to getting that story published, the Famous Fantasy Author was ... not kind. And, frankly, given the tone of some of the notes, I suspected the author and the editor parted ways soon thereafter.

 

[Pants]

My SASE for the War-Torn novel search arrived in my mailbox today.

Hey, so did mine. My first rejection letter... ummm... w00t?!

The most useful part was at the end. "In most cases, we prefer the EBERRON novels to be written in third person, past tense. Always concentrate on The Three Cs: conflict, character, and climax."

Considering I wrote my submission in the 1st person, this actually applied to me

 

[tarchon]

While it might seem great that I came THIS close to getting that story published, the Famous Fantasy Author was ... not kind. And, frankly, given the tone of some of the notes, I suspected the author and the editor parted ways soon thereafter.

I suspect that would be that one who's now a Late Famous Fantasy Author. She seemed prickly as an editor, but I did respect her clear thinking on the nature of literary taste. I recall reading their guidelines and thinking, "nah, not even worth the stamp." If I'd known they marked up the MSS, I would have sent one in though.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Heh, a friend of mine calls sending submissions out 'wallpapering', because he has gotten enough of them to paper his office. (Admittedly more of a closet with a computer and a printer, but still...) Most are forms, one or two were downright rude, and the one he cherishes most was the one that accidently accompanied his first submission to be accepted - it came with the check. After more than 10 years he still gets more rejections than acceptances, he gets back the rejection letter and then he sends the ms. out to another publisher or magazine, so each attempt may engender multiple letters.

Knowing authors can be odd, I saw one acquaintance's book show up briefly on the best seller list and went, 'Hey, that's the guy who used to cadge empty bottles off of me at the game store!' Strange, strange feeling. (Matt Ruff - Gas, Sewer & Electric if anybody wants to know, very strange book, but fun.)

The Auld Grump

 

[MerricB]

Heh. I wish someone would tell me what makes Eberron novels so different from the other D&D novels.

Eberron is billed as Pulp/Noir, but most D&D novels I've read use pulp conventions anyway. Taking away first person perspective does for one of the key Noir traits...

Cheers!

 

[Shadowdancer]

Eberron is billed as Pulp/Noir, but most D&D novels I've read use pulp conventions anyway. Taking away first person perspective does for one of the key Noir traits

I found that odd, too, when I received my letter. I wrote mine in third person, however.

Maybe I should have tried to be really different and gone for second person.

 

[RangerWickett]

I found that odd, too, when I received my letter. I wrote mine in third person, however.

Maybe I should have tried to be really different and gone for second person.

You would do that, if you weren't so pulpy and film-noiry. When your teacher was showing the rest of the class how to write in first person, you'd already started using third, but later you realized that it's easier to get across that "I'm so tired with life I just want to smoke and drink until color movies are invented" feeling in first person. That's why you didn't use second person; because you knew second place is the first loser.

Third place, though, appears to be the second winner.

 

[Estlor]

You would do that, if you weren't so pulpy and film-noiry. When your teacher was showing the rest of the class how to write in first person, you'd already started using third, but later you realized that it's easier to get across that "I'm so tired with life I just want to smoke and drink until color movies are invented" feeling in first person. That's why you didn't use second person; because you knew second place is the first loser.

Third place, though, appears to be the second winner.

Thanks, now my brain hurts!

Boy, I hope I get a spiffy rejection letter. The ones I've gotten before have all been poor photocopies of rejection letters. I'm collecting them!

 

[MarkAHart]

Received my rejection letter yesterday. I was pleased that they sent out the letters to those who participated...