I Found Something Worse than Rejection

mbowman · Mar 29, 2013

Having 50 queries simultaneously out, 3 submissions on top of that out, opening up your browser in the morning and seeing you have 5 new emails, having that brief panic attack and preparing yourself for rejection while still having this tiny, tiny bit of hope--

And then the page loads and its just 5 emails from Twitter.

*sighs heavily*

Chris P · Mar 29, 2013

At least rejection allows us to move on and dream new dreams.

But when I saw your thread title, I figured you were either going to say "badly published" (like my novella swallowed up by PublishAmerica) or that you got three simultaneous offers on the same day (in which case I AM NOT FEELING BAD FOR YOU!

)

*sighs heavily with you*

LAgrunion · Mar 29, 2013

mbowman said:
Having 50 queries simultaneously out, 3 submissions on top of that out, opening up your browser in the morning and seeing you have 5 new emails, having that brief panic attack and preparing yourself for rejection while still having this tiny, tiny bit of hope--

And then the page loads and its just 5 emails from Twitter.

*sighs heavily*

I can relate, if not quite in the same place. I have my MS out to betas and I'm an anxious mess. When I get an email from a beta the first time, I can feel my heart pound. I don't know how I'm gonna handle querying when the time comes.

Fifty queries out simultaneously is a lot!

Good luck on your queries and submissions. I wish you the best!

:e2cheer:

mbowman · Mar 29, 2013

LAgrunion said:
Fifty queries out simultaneously is a lot!

I think I need to join a Queryholics Anonymous group. I started querying two months ago. I just sent off my 100th query today. I have 50 queries out that have not been rejected as of yet (though it may be closer to 60 or 70--I move anything that has been out over 6 weeks to the "no reply reject" category) and I figure, the more queries, the better my chances.

Pretty much, whenever I do get a rejection, I deal with it by going "Well, screw you, I'm sending off ten more queries right now."

I'm sure it will bite me in the ass the day I wake up to 10 rejections, but for now, the fact that I can apparently send 50 query letters a month makes me feel super-efficient.

amschilling · Mar 29, 2013

Ooooh, yeah. Been there. Darn spam and twitter notices...

Here's hoping for non-twitter email for you today!

Maryn · Mar 29, 2013

There is much to be said for separating one's social email account from one's professional, serious-writing one.

Maryn, who tries to do that, although they sometimes overlap

C.T. Richmond · Mar 29, 2013

Oh, I've totally been there too!

When I'm waiting for an important email, I get so tense when I see that (1) pop up in my Gmail inbox, only to find a message from J. Crew informing me of a big sale. I mean, I love sales but... Haha.

Also, yay for more DC writers! I live near Rockville.

Chris P · Mar 29, 2013

Maryn said:
There is much to be said for separating one's social email account from one's professional, serious-writing one.

What, so it can sit there for ages, reminding me daily that "I HAVE NO NEW MESSAGES"? I guess it depends on which problem I'd rather have.

mayqueen · Mar 29, 2013

I have about five or six different email accounts all filtering into one, otherwise I would maintain a separate writer account. It just seems too complicated. : (

I also have a smart phone. When I'm querying, every single time the damn thing chimes (and it chimes a lot), I get nervous. Sometimes it chimes on the train when I'm underground. I'll be able to see the subject line and sender, but not open the email. The next twenty minutes are not the best.

Myrealana · Mar 29, 2013

Maryn said:
There is much to be said for separating one's social email account from one's professional, serious-writing one.

Maryn, who tries to do that, although they sometimes overlap

Yeah, I have one boring account for writing and job hunting. Lately, all it has in it is depressing rejections on all fronts.

mbowman · Mar 29, 2013

C.T. Richmond said:
Oh, I've totally been there too!

When I'm waiting for an important email, I get so tense when I see that (1) pop up in my Gmail inbox, only to find a message from J. Crew informing me of a big sale. I mean, I love sales but... Haha.

Also, yay for more DC writers! I live near Rockville.

Well, today I got absolutely nothing in my email, so fun times.

Oh, Rockville! Only been there a few times, but it was a nice place. Currently I moved back down south a bit, near Manassas, VA to live with my mom while she's undergoing chemo, but I did love living in Fairfax right near the metro. I loved going into DC on my days off.

mbowman · Mar 29, 2013

Maryn said:
There is much to be said for separating one's social email account from one's professional, serious-writing one.

Maryn, who tries to do that, although they sometimes overlap

I tried. But I thought "I should put my twitter on my writer email account so when I get published, it can be my official twitter."

WORST. IDEA. EVER.

Jamesaritchie · Mar 29, 2013

It's always a good idea to keep a separate e-mail account for writing. It's easy, and considerably less complicated than trying to sort through several accounts that merge. When you star tsell, there are even good legal reasons for doing it, so you may as well get started.

The same is true for bank accounts, paypal, etc. One for everything else, and one just for writing. And if you ever get audited, you'll not only wish you did these things, you'll also probably wish you did the same with computers.

randi.lee · Mar 29, 2013

My writing email is for my blog and my queries. While I love comments, I grow a little sad sometimes when it isn't a response from an agent.

C.T. Richmond · Mar 29, 2013

Oh, Rockville! Only been there a few times, but it was a nice place. Currently I moved back down south a bit, near Manassas, VA to live with my mom while she's undergoing chemo, but I did love living in Fairfax right near the metro. I loved going into DC on my days off.

I'm so sorry about your mom! Fingers crossed she is doing well. I'm sure she's really happy to have you so close.

My husband loves the Manassas area! He grew up in rural Indiana so he's hoping to move us out to Manassas or Warrenton at some point. Rockville is too much city for him. Haha.

mbowman · Apr 5, 2013

C.T. Richmond said:
I'm so sorry about your mom! Fingers crossed she is doing well. I'm sure she's really happy to have you so close.

My husband loves the Manassas area! He grew up in rural Indiana so he's hoping to move us out to Manassas or Warrenton at some point. Rockville is too much city for him. Haha.

Haha, my mom actually works in Warrenton. I like it better than Manassas actually--the only things I go to Manassas for are the movie theater (its right off 66 and convenient) and the train station ice skating in the winter.

Though I liked living in Fairfax, there is something to be said for not having to worry about paying rent--though taking care of my mom is enough work for now.

She is feeling better, actually--she had her surgery and the doctor says they are pretty sure they got the whole tumor out; she's going to start chemo soon and that is gonna be difficult for her, but at least the cancer is out of her at the moment.

Undercover · Apr 11, 2013

Ooh, yeah, I can totally relate. I get all excited when I have mysterious email and then I check to see what actually came in and it's Twitter or something not as exciting.

God, and when I do get an email from an agent or publisher, I play this silly game that if I wait all day to open it and pray hard enough it will be good. Once in a blue moon it works and I get a request for a full...then when I get their email back, same thing, I pray and pray and don't open it till the end of the day and well that hasn't worked for me yet. Maybe I should break out the rosary for those ones. Go to church, feed the hungry...

mbowman · Apr 11, 2013

Undercover said:
God, and when I do get an email from an agent or publisher, I play this silly game that if I wait all day to open it and pray hard enough it will be good. Once in a blue moon it works and I get a request for a full...then when I get their email back, same thing, I pray and pray and don't open it till the end of the day and well that hasn't worked for me yet. Maybe I should break out the rosary for those ones. Go to church, feed the hungry...

I have GMAIL, where it gives you a preview for the email so usually I know when its bad or good--but I open it anyway, because one time the preview was "Dear Mbowman, we regret..." and it continued on "we regret that we will only be able to reply if we are interested, but please send us the full manuscript"

Agents need to stop doing that, we are conditioned that "regret" = "rejection".

quacktaculaura · Apr 15, 2013

I get that heart pounding feeling every time my email makes that dinging sound to let me know I have a new email. It drives me crazy.

The worst part is, when I do get a response, I can't make myself read it right away. I will literally read every other new email in my inbox. It's like a game of Schrodinger's Cat. If I haven't read the email, it can still go either way.

I Found Something Worse than Rejection

mbowman

Chris P

Likes metaphors mixed, not stirred

LAgrunion

not to be taken seriously

mbowman

amschilling

Maryn

I Tried

C.T. Richmond

Sloths are awesome

Chris P

Likes metaphors mixed, not stirred

mayqueen

practical experience, FTW

Myrealana

I aim to misbehave

mbowman

mbowman

Jamesaritchie

randi.lee

Certified Non-Genius

C.T. Richmond

Sloths are awesome

mbowman

Undercover

I got it covered

mbowman

quacktaculaura