she said no--but!

I just got the nicest rejection of my life.


After apologizing for the delay of a *month* since I sent my full manuscript (a month is nothing. three months is industry standard.) i received the following:

Part of the reason for the delay is that this is one of the few manuscripts I've received in the past few months that I've read from start to finish. I was very impressed with the quality of the writing - it's far better than most of the material that crosses my desk. I also thought your protagonists were extremely well developed. It's tough to pull off two different point of views in first person, but you do it admirably well. It's with real regret, then, that I've got to admit that I think I'd have a tough time placing this. Basically, one of the most common comments I get these days from editors is that a book is "too quiet." This project is wonderfully written, but I"m not sure it has the needed high-concept hook or premise to be able to stand out from the crowd.

Alexe, I know that you mention in your letter that this is the first of many projects. I would love to work with you in the future, and I hope you'll keep me in mind for any new material. Also, if you're ever looking for someone to bounce ideas off of, I'm happy to help out. I do think you're a really talented writer, and I'd love to stay in touch.


That, at this stage of the game, seems downright encouraging.