another rejection to paper my walls with

[cornerofmadness]

Power to Endure didn't sell but then again I'm NOT shocked. For one, it was written quickly and frankly it spooled out in such a way it really feels like the first half of a novel and not a complete novella. HOWEVER, Loose ID (online publisher) sent me a very good rejection letter.


We know that you have loved and labored over your manuscript for months, even years. We’re thrilled that, in looking for a home for Power to Endure, you thought of Loose Id. Thank you for trusting us with your creation.

An editor and one member of our management team have reviewed Power to Endure. A very good and entertaining romp in space! It's always interesting to watch a man's passion and convictions turn from those of evil to that of good, from a family business of gun running to a business of supplying medicine to help humanity.

Regretfully, we don’t feel your story is right for us at this time. You have done an amazing job; completing a manuscript is an incredible feat, in and of itself. Your manuscript, however, has too much telling and not enough showing. Also, Loose Id readers have come to expect a certain level of eroticism in their novels, which correlates into a lot more—and more explicit—sex than Power to Endure currently has.

We hope that you will continue to work on Power to Endure to delve deeper into POV and into the character's motivations. Since this is erotic romance, we'd also love to see more of Sotaria's POV. Just because we aren’t interested in acquiring your manuscript right now doesn’t mean we never will be, or that your work lacks merit.

We wish you the very best of luck in finding a home for Power to Endure and hope you will keep us in mind for future works.


So why am I showing you this? Those of us who have written and been rejected know one thing, it sucks to get that form rejection. This letter tells me WHY they didn't want it. The show not tell...i swear I'm not sure i'm that guilty of it but maybe. I KNEW they would want it from the female's pov. I guess you STILL can't write a romance from the man's pov. I also figured I might get dinged on the sex. Frankly even in erotica I don't want TONS of the sex. I'd rather get a story with one or two sex scenes. In my novella there was 2 and half scenes in 25K. But letters like this are helpful. I'll go look at the show and not tell thing (no one on the original fic filter called me on that). But really I think this might get shelved until I can novelize it.


ETA so darn close to 10K -

9985 / 50000 words. 20% done!

Comments

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

That's a very nice rejection letter.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

i figure you learn from your mistakes

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Very good point.

[tehlobster.livejournal.com]

I suppose sometime in '10 I'll get used to seeing rejection letters.

Still, that one was wonderful, as far as a rejection letter can be wonderful.

Good luck!

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

oh you'll get good at getting rejected but yes, this was a good letter. Next time I try them I'll know to make sure the female is the main pov character and to cram in moar sex

[mjules.livejournal.com]

That's a damn good rejection letter. I'll consider them for future submissions, possibly.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

It is. I would definitely submit to them but since we were talking the other day about not having as much sex in our stories as other authors, you might want to keep that not enough sex comment in m ind

[geri.livejournal.com]

Sorry to hear about that, But what is it with everyone on this damn sex tip why can't a story sell itself on originality and entertainment with just enough sex to whet the appetite. Why must it always be straight sex? What age range are they reaching for anyway? I love to read stories told from a man's perspective sometimes too! Doesn't that count for anything.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

Acutally it's an erotica publisher which is why I got dinged. It wasn't erotic enough. They do all kinds of sex, gay straight poly. I chose to do het but yeah I would like to see romance from a male pov but that is really still a no-no to romance publishers

[elfbiter.livejournal.com]

Personalized rejection usually means that it at least attracted interest. It is a good sign.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

I agree

[0-mother-0.livejournal.com]

As rejection letters go, that one is really nice - encouraging even.

And clicks for your babies :)

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

thanks

and yeah really it sounds like they would look at a rewrite. that IS as encouraging as it gets

[winters-queen.livejournal.com]

It's always a good rejection letter when they spend the time on the response back. It doesn't help you if it had just been a form letter that someone stamped a signature on.

Kudos to them.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

yes it is. Now i know what this publisher wants for future submissions and that they might even be willing to look at a rewrite of this one.

[a2zmom.livejournal.com]

A comment like this means that they definitely would like to see more of your work. Which is nice. Obviously, they see potential.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

it's very nice indeed. I wish they took more than just novella/novels since i don't have many of those but at least it is something.

[ozma914.livejournal.com]

This may seem like a backhanded compliment, but that was one of the best rejection letters I've ever seen! You came way closer than most of their submissions did, despite their problems with it.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

yep that is my take on it. My various writers gruops too. That's why i shared it. I think this publisher actually cares about its writers

[ozma914.livejournal.com]

It's too bad I haven't written stories of that type ....

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

i dont have many myself

[ozma914.livejournal.com]

It's odd, though -- sex is one of my favorite subjects, yet I rarely tackle writing sex. I have no explanation.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

it's actually harder than you'd think it is too

[ozma914.livejournal.com]

I have tried a few times, including some not too explicit scenes in the romances I'm shopping around. I suppose the reason I've avoided doing them is because they're easy to do badly, but hard to do well.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

they're easy to do badly, but hard to do well.
Amen