Positively Rejected

Sometimes we find encouragement in the strangest places.

I know that I'm just a beginner to the game, but I'm starting to piece some things together.  I've started to get rejection letters back and they have actually been quite encouraging.  I know, I know.  That makes no sense whatsoever.  But wait.

I was under the impression that the typical rejection letter would be cold, impersonal:  Dear Writer (maybe your name if you are lucky):  Thank you for submission.  We are sorry that it does not meet our needs at this time.  Good luck in your future endeavors.

So imagine my surprise when I received this (names have been changed to protect the innocent):

The first paragraph is pretty standard rejection letter.


Dear Ms. Ramstead,
Thank you for submitting your proposal to Rxxxx magazine.  We read each query we receive carefully, and take them  very seriously.  Unfortunately, due to the high volume of articles that are sent to us, we can only publish a small percentage of the pieces we receive.  After careful consideration, we do not see a place for your story in Rxxxx.

Here's where things get interesting.


We appreciate your willingness to share your expertise on executive skills (I'm an expert!?!?) with other women, and your passion for what you are writing about is clear.  You have a unique voice (I hear that a lot.  I hope it's not editor-speak for "You suck!") and make an interesting and inspiring statement about how these skills relate to and may hinder xxxxx (I'm not telling -- no vultures!).  Thank you for considering Rxxxx for your professional endeavors (heehee they think I'm professional!).  We are glad that you identify with the voice of our magazine.  We wish you the best of luck with your writing.  Please do not hesitate to write us again in the future.

So have rejection letters become more touchy-feely these days?  Or did I get lucky?  It certainly feels like they think my writing is worthwhile and I hope that's the case.  The letter makes me feel energized and ready to send out a dozen more queries, even if all I get back are nice rejection letters like this one.

I guess I'm just easy to please.

Please don't tell anyone.