Okay, I am utterly exhausted. Parents' Evening after a loooong half term can do that to you... I still have a pile of essays to mark! The proofs for the Challenge Series arrived this week and I need to turn them around pretty smartish... no guesses what the first part of my half term will entail.
Oh, and I had another rejection. I don't mind admitting that. I'm in good company, or so I am told. In fact, the York Notes I wrote on Journey's End tie in well with this as R.C Sherriff (the playwright) faced extreme difficulties in getting his play on stage. It was written in 1928 and was actually Sherriff's seventh play, and because it focused on WW1, people at the time thought that it would not be popular: people were sick of the war. However, the play was shown and proved to be a hit. It was made into a film and is Sherriff's most famous work, still performed and read today. I love digging out these success stories... keeps me going!
Here's the latest rejection:
'I appreciate the opportunity to consider your work. Unfortunately, I will not be pursuing representation.
I read the pages you sent, and I did not fall in love with this as much as I hoped. While I found your writing engaging, I was not enthralled with the story. As you may know, selling fiction is incredibly tough, and an agent must have passion, dedication and enthusiasm in order to represent a novel to the best of their ability.
Please know, that taste is subjective and I hope you find an agent that proves my concerns short sighted. Best of luck to you as you seek representation.'
Kind again, but a rejection nevertheless. C'est la vie.
I read an article recently about Kevin Brooks, shortlisted Carnegie Award writer. In it, he said that he had sent his manuscript off to every publisher in the UK before he was taken on by Chicken House. He was very encouraging, saying that many writers face rejection time and again. So I am definitely in good company. Sweet comfort. :-)
