Here's what one misguided editor said in a rejection of Robert Graves' Greek Gods and Heroes*: "Graves has climbed on his hobby horse and ridden off on it. The hobby horse is anger at the Freudian and Jungian interpretation of the myths....[which] will arouse controversy." I always wonder what these editors think about their judgment when hindsight proves them to be so utterly wrong about a writer. What will they think when you become wildly successful?
*from Andre Bernard Rotten Rejections (Pushcart Press, 1990)
6 comments:
Ooooh, I loved Graves's I, Claudius. It was masterful!
That's why NO agents/editors EVER do this anymore. They soften the blow with a platitude or two or give a form, but NONE of these people dole out those kind of rejections that say 'you have no talent' or 'this is utter rubbish.' It's all subjective now, nobody takes a stand for nothin. That's why their magazines all suck and the books are not far behind.
Oh, I think once in a while an editor gets inspired to make a bold rejecting statement. We have a few on this blog.
It would be really fun to get some editors and agents to write in with thoughts about bold rejections, including whether or not they've ever sent them out.
I worked at a magazine once that said something along the lines of, "Not only do we reject this, we reject everything you might send us in the future, so please don't bother."
Ah! The delicious thrill of burning bridges!
What magazine was this? I've never seen such a thing now.
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