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Thursday, July 12, 2007My Very First Rejection LetterIt arrived a long time ago. I was eleven years old. When I was in fourth grade, my teacher decided that my collection of nine, short poems entitled The Planets would be perfect for publication in Highlights magazine. So she typed them up and mailed them off. Fourth grade ended. Then fifth grade ended. Finally, in June of 1976, I received a personalized letter from an editor at Highlights. (Things haven't changed much in the response-time department, have they?) The letter, addressed to "Miss Jill Schafer," reads: Dear Jill: We gave your creation entitled "The Planets" to our science editor. Enclosed is a copy of a letter he wrote to me. Perhaps you will want to send this work to another magazine. Here are some addresses of magazines that publish material from children: [Five children's magazines and addresses are listed here.] Sincerely, Walter B. Barbe The enclosure, a classic, carbon-copied letter typed on brittle onion skin paper, reads as follows: Dear Dr. Barbe: This is a highly creative endeavor of Jill Schafer and we should thank her teacher, Mary Frances Schmidt, for sending it to us. In thinking about publication in HIGHLIGHTS I run into some difficulties, maybe reflecting upon my own imagination. Although Jill did properly select for most planets some important feature, some are in question (life on Mars?) and in general I think we would not want to use it as a way of telling about the planets. So its merit lies in the creative endeavor of putting ideas about the planets into poetry. Unfortunately, this seems to require the whole and rather large package which would take considerable space for reproduction. In short, however much I would like to do so, I cannot see how to use this. It may be that you can suggest to Miss Schmidt some other mode of publication. Sincerely yours, Jack Myers As far as "first rejection" letters go, this one is a clear winner. It is personalized, complimentary, and offers referrals to more appropriate venues. Mr. Myers indicated his precise reasons for not including my work in his magazine, and expressed regret at not being able to do so. Amazing. Beyond amazing when one contemplates the outrageously impersonal responses that most aspiring writers receive from agents and editors these days. Perhaps life was simpler, less crowded back then. Actually, I am sure that it was. Nobody was inundated with emails and faxes and Fed-Ex packages that they didn't request. Dealing with all the "extra fluff" must make it difficult, indeed, for most agents and editors to take the time to respond to a query as though a real person had sent it -- a person with a name and a dream and a desire to broach a professional relationship. Still, there are those out there who take the time to respond personally, regardless of "slush pile overload." And most writers are grateful to read their name and the name of their manuscript while being told "it's not right for me." I never did pursue publication of The Planets with any of the magazines recommended to me. By the time the rejection letter arrived, I was most likely on to "other things," in typical little-girl fashion. And I didn't even remember the letter until I found it in a pile of "Jill things" at my parents' house a couple of weeks ago. Thank goodness for moms-who-save-things. So I guess this means that my writing career actually began thirty-one years ago. Ugh. That doesn't sound too good. I think I'll tuck this letter away with other Ancient History instead. Poems about planets aren't really my "thing" these days. And there you have it -- my first hard knock in the publishing world. It's a good thing I didn't fall to pieces and throw in the towel. I was probably too busy playing Barbies to think about it. Onward! And to all the writers who read this blog: Onward! to you as well. Labels: writing |
About Me
I am: Mother to five stunningly individualistic children... Writer of young adult fantasy... Passionate advocate for Women At Home... Madly in love with my husband... In need of Organic Gourmet Chocolate on a regular basis. I've got a Paypal account if you'd like to contribute to the cause....
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14of my readers are feeling chatty:
That IS a cool rejection letter Jill, but of course I'm really looking forward to the acceptance letter that I am SURE will be in your hands SOON.
(And I bet everyone wants to hear those poems too, although you'll have to drop the one about Pluto - LOL!)
Nothing wrong with saying you began writing 31 years ago. That just means you are experienced.
I remember one of my early works described clouds as thick as peanut butter.
What a cool story! Could you imagine having to wait that long for an agent/publisher to respond? 4th grade & 5th grade going by? Wow. I would definitely have to move on to other things if I had to wait that long. Sheesh.
Our time is coming!
Dear Jill Schaffer Boehme:
All of us at Highlights for Children enjoyed reading your blog entry about the passage of your verse, The Planets, through our editorial office in the 1970s. Your observations about Dr. Jack Myers's response have had an added impact because we are still dealing with his death last December at the age of 93. The letter you quoted was characteristic of Dr. Myers's (we called him "Uncle Jack") thoughtfulness, decency, and natural tendency to treat every person as an individual--traits he no doubt acquired from his parents, Dr. Garry Cleveland Myers and Caroline Clark Myers, who founded Highlights in the 1940s. His approach, exemplified in the letter he wrote to you, represents a tradition that many of us strive to maintain.
We still send a personal reply to every letter we receive from a child, just as Dr. and Mrs. Myers did, whether that child is a Highlights subscriber or not. Our responses to adult authors, unfortunately, cannot always be so helpful. (I can tell you from personal experience that the thoughtful letter that an editor writes to one author postpones the responses to several others.) In both cases--letters from kids and submissions from authors--we are glad to say that our response time has improved.
Sincerely,
Andy Boyles
Science Editor
Highlights for Children
i had miss schmidt too, she still looks the same (the last i saw her anyway, about a year ago)..the previous comment from highlights amazes me...i didnt realize your blog was so "famous"...my kids never really got into highlights, even though i subcribed for a couple of years
Mr. Boyles,
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment. I'm delighted that my story has reached your editorial offices, and I'm grateful to know that this thoughtful, eloquent man, who was so obviously a joy to those who knew him, also touched my life in some small way.
It's encouraging to know that you still send personal responses to every child who submits to Highlights. Rejection is a hard thing to learn when one is young (well, it's a hard thing to learn at any age, really). I adored Highlights as a child and am still known to thumb through it at my dentist's office.
Should my 13-year-old daughter, who is an aspiring writer, decide that she'd like to submit some of her work for publication, I know where to turn first.
Thanks to all at Highlights who have spent a few minutes here on my blog today. It's brought the discovery of this "ancient" rejection letter full circle.
I read Jack's rejection letter just weeks ago. My wife shared it with me after all these years. We were on vacation and I had just met the teacher that inspired Jill to pursue her natural talent.
This was like walking through the past and the present. Mr. Boyle's response to this post is equally as touching. We are all so busy, yet Mr. Boyles continues to demonstrate the level excellence that Jack Myers represented.
I did not know Jack Myers name until a few weeks ago, yet I am joining the staff at "Highlights for Children" in recognizing the exceptional gift that he shared with so many aspiring young writers.
The rejection from Uncle Jack did not put out the fire for my wife. No, 30 years later, it ignites even more passion for her to pursue her dream and realize her talent.
Mr. Boyles, you follow in your Uncle's footsteps.
It is hard to find such excellence in a culture of mediocrity.
Eric Boehme
Jill's husband
My four year old has just discovered Highlights. While we get the traditional magazine, she is in love with the on-line version. She could spend hours on the hidden pictures page.
I was a fan before, now I am even more of a fan. What a nice comment from the magazine. No wonder they have been around since the ‘40’s. Good people.
Oh my goodness. This made me cry!
Oh wow. The story behind this post and how everything came full circle... cool! :) And I really admire your positive attitude, Jill!
Amazing story!!
That is a great rejection letter. Mr. Myers probably saw that you had talent, and he wanted to encourage you.
Jack Myers was my father. He left an amazing legacy of positive impacts on family; Highlights staff, readers and authors; university students; and those in the scientific community. When he responded to children's letters, he always tried to leave a door open to further inquiry, which is the scientific process. His letter to you seems to have done that.
He would have loved to hear your story.
Linda Myers Anderson
Linda,
Thank you so much for your comment! Please allow me to offer my sympathy at the passing of your father, who has obviously left a wonderful legacy behind him. I am so delighted to hear from those who knew and loved this man, and have been grateful for the opportunity to share my own, positive experience with your father's sensitive and affirming words. This is no small thing!
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