The Only Time It Matters What A Rejection Letter Says
One day, something happened at my editorial meeting at Penguin that I haven’t seen since.
Each week, we would go around the room and report the submissions we had received. If enough of us loved it, we acquired it. If we didn’t, we would reject it. The rejected submissions would never become published books.
This is how it happened every week. Except once.
One time, an author submitted a novel, it got rejected, and then, months later, it was acquired as the debut work of an author. What made this one case the exception?
Rejections are a common part of the traditional publishing model. But just as consistently as these rejections are the various things the rejections said. One editor says it’s too much like another book. Another says it’s “too heady” for their list. A third says the book “wasn’t really the sort of story that resonates with readers.”
In each of these examples, they provide a reason why they don’t want the book. And, of course, the recipient of the letter must take these words to heart and re-consider how they’ve executed the story, right?
Actually, no.
They should definitely not do this.
At least, not based on rejection letters like those.
The truth is, if it wasn’t totally rude, book editors would just send back materials to agents or authors with a big, red R on the cover letter for “reject.” They might write a reason for why they’re not acquiring the book in the letter, but that’s only to show professional courtesy.
However, there was still that instance of an initially-rejected novel eventually getting a book deal. My colleague had really liked the novel’s humorous way of telling a superhero story, but didn’t ultimately feel like the author had followed through on the invented rules of the main character’s abilities. When she wrote the rejection, she didn’t just say something like “I don’t see it resonating with readers.” She actually spoke to the need for following through on those super-heroic abilities in the story arc.
In other words, she provided constructive feedback.
Months after she mentioned the novel at the editorial meeting, she brought it up again. The author had revised it, and this made it a much more satisfying read. They acquired the book.
Every time a publishing professional gives a reason for not wanting it — too similar, too heady, doesn’t resonate — the true reason is far simpler: they just didn’t connect with the material.
The work is to find the professional who does.
There is only one time that the contents of a rejection letter should in any way inform your material — when a publishing professional suggests how to change it. If you receive that kind of feedback in a rejection letter and they suggest that they would like to see it again, then you may very well have struck gold.
Because when this happens, they have connected with it. And that’s the purpose of sending it to them in the first place.
Neil Gordon is a former editor at Dutton, a division of Penguin Random House, where he edited New York Times bestselling authors. He has ghostwritten several books that have been published by publishers such as HarperCollins and Hay House, been featured on national media like Ellen and Dr. Oz, and have been published in multiple languages internationally. His book proposals have secured multiple six-figure deals on behalf of his clients. Visit him at neilcanhelp.com.
And if agent rejections still got you down, then check out Neil’s free cheat sheet on writing a query letter here.
Originally published on Neil Gordon’s site, but edited for The Dock.
