Collected Rejection Letters Book?

Julie Gray

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Hello, everybody! I am new to Absolute Write so forgive me if someone has already asked this question. I read a review in The New Yorker of a book of collected rejection letters written to very famous writers but this was some time ago - maybe five years? And I have looked high and low for that book or one like it to no avail. Has anybody seen anything like this?

I remember two rejections particularly - one written to Gertrude Stein in the odd, disjointed way that SHE wrote - it was SO funny. And the other to Nabokov telling him that Lolita should be "buried under a rock for a thousand years".
 

Julie Gray

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Jenna, thank you! How did you DO that? Geez I feel silly; I've been pining for this book for a long time. Some of those rejections give you a chuckle just when you need it and makes you feel as if maybe - just maybe - the various publishers, agents and editors who have rejected your work just don't see your genius - yet!
 

JennaGlatzer

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Totally. I always liked hearing the stories about how many times Dr. Seuss's stuff was rejected (before a friend finally offered to publish his work), the Chicken Soup for the Soul books, etc. It's tough for editors to be the first to invest in someone's work-- it's a leap of faith for them to say, "I think tens or hundreds of thousands of people will be interested enough to pay money for this author's book." But I also like to think that excellent work eventually finds its home, provided the author is persistent!

I just Googled for a few key words-- I think I did:
rejection letters book Lolita

Glad to have been able to help!