No it isn't the Bible. It's a book called Rotten Reviews and Rejections. And it's just awesome!!
It is, as one might expect, a compilation of reviews and rejections received by the likes of Jane Austen and G.B Shaw before they became the legends they are. It's just so reassuring that these demi-Gods were once victims of rejection too :-)
For example, a rejection letter (that touches close to home for me) sent to one of my all time favorite authors is:
"It (the manuscript) is very interesting and has several good points. But is isn't quite right for our list."
How bland and non committal right? I love this one for many of my own rejections sound like this. Here's one of my own from a major publishing house:
"Thank you so much for giving me the chance to read Ranjini Iyer's novel. I think Ms. Iyer is a lovely writer, and I felt very attached to Swami as I read this. That said, I felt that the story overall was a bit quiet, and not quite as vivid as I hoped it would be. Ultimately I'm afraid it's not right for my list."
Now for the best part. The rejection I cited first was received by drum roll, drum roll.....Agatha Christie for...drum roll, drum roll..., "The Mysterious Affair at Styles." the first Hercule Poirot mystery. History making series as it turned out. Legendary detective as it turned out, and one of her rejections sound so much like mine. I am thrilled beyond words.
Now my whining and spewing on about rejections might seem repetitive, tiresome and boring, even to my three loyal followers. But this note isn't a selfish one at all. Oh no. It is for everyone who has received rejections. And that would be everyone who has a pulse. For rejections come from all corners don't they--potential employers, potential dates, possible lover leads, sales leads and perchance, publishers too.
My examples are indeed skewed and taken from literature but just a look at the luminaries cited here should give us all cause for hope.
G. B Shaw wrote, "I finished my first book 76 years ago. I offered it to every publisher on the English speaking earth I had ever heard of. Their refusals were unanimous: and it did not get into print until, 50 years later, publishers would publish anything that had my name on it."
Here's a delicious one received for "The Bridge over the River Kwai,"A very bad book."
Flaubert's "Madame Bovary" got this one "You have buried your novel underneath a heap of details which are well done but utterly superfluous..."
Rudyard Kipling got this one, "I'm sorry Mr. Kipling, but you just don't know how to use the English language." Now for the best part. The rejection I cited first was received by drum roll, drum roll.....Agatha Christie for...drum roll, drum roll..., "The Mysterious Affair at Styles." the first Hercule Poirot mystery. History making series as it turned out. Legendary detective as it turned out, and one of her rejections sound so much like mine. I am thrilled beyond words.
Now my whining and spewing on about rejections might seem repetitive, tiresome and boring, even to my three loyal followers. But this note isn't a selfish one at all. Oh no. It is for everyone who has received rejections. And that would be everyone who has a pulse. For rejections come from all corners don't they--potential employers, potential dates, possible lover leads, sales leads and perchance, publishers too.
My examples are indeed skewed and taken from literature but just a look at the luminaries cited here should give us all cause for hope.
G. B Shaw wrote, "I finished my first book 76 years ago. I offered it to every publisher on the English speaking earth I had ever heard of. Their refusals were unanimous: and it did not get into print until, 50 years later, publishers would publish anything that had my name on it."
Here's a delicious one received for "The Bridge over the River Kwai,"A very bad book."
Flaubert's "Madame Bovary" got this one "You have buried your novel underneath a heap of details which are well done but utterly superfluous..."
John Le Carre got this for "The Spy who came in from the cold." "You're welcome to le carre'. he hasn't got any future." This editor must be eating his or her words even today decades after this was written.
I close with this. More than a dozen publishers rejected a book by the poet e e Cummings. So when it was finally published, it had this dedication. "No Thanks to: Farrar & Rinehart, Simon and Schuster, Coward-McCann, Limited Editions, Harcourt, Brace, Random House, Equinox press" Several other publishers are mentioned.
Finally published by whom? By e e's mother.
Ammah!!! Are you reading this?
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