dim sum diaries

My agent just forwarded a rejection note from one of the publishers who looked at A Close Shave. This was a great rejection note. It drove home a point that I often tell beginning writers. Just because someone rejects your work, doesn't mean your work is bad. It just means that your work isn't the right fit for the company, and you have to keep looking until you find the right company. The one caveat to all this is if everyone says no, then you might have to think about revisiting your manuscript.

Anyway, here's the note from the publisher:

"I was drawn into the plot, and I very much enjoyed the characters—particularly Barnabus. I’m sorry to have to say, then, that I don’t see a place for this project here. I just didn’t find myself as emotionally engaged in the story as I’d hoped. It’s heaps of fun, but a bit too plot-driven for my particular list."

Now I know that when I develop a more character-driven story, I will send it to this publisher, because I have foot in the door, and I know better how to tailor the next manuscript. Just like notes, if you treat a rejection as an opportunity, you'll find a way to make things happen.