And so it began. On 22 January 2010 (was it really that long ago?), I got my first rejection letter. It was from a local (South African) publisher, whose name is not important. Okay, it was Tafelberg.
I should mention that this first rejection is probably still the least positive one of all the rejections received thus far. I should also mention they were extremely complimentary, as has every publisher been, about the illustrations. They were less complimentary about the story, and about the idea of having text in two sizes (the brilliantly unique, never-been-done-before concept referred to in a previous blog, and which you can see for yourself in the books section on this website). I recall them saying the ending was, well, unfinished. And they didn't see the point of the two-size text.Not that they were rude or unfriendly. In my experience of rejections, which is accumulating quite nicely, thank you, publishers are never rude or unfriendly. They are nice and sweet and diplomatic and try very hard not to hurt one's feelings, which I find nice and sweet and diplomatic, because those qualities are generally absent in the advertising industry, where I earn most of my money and which has supported the life to which I have been forced to become accustomed for the last fifteen or sixteen years. I suppose publishers are more sensitive to what has gone into writing a manuscript.
Maybe it has something to do with the money, or lack thereof, in writing books. At least in advertising you get paid a salary. There's no money in writing books, so it would be doubly unkind to be rude to writers.
Anyhoo, no worry. All I'm saying is I could take it. If my book really sucked. I'm used to it.
