Three days before Christmas, a delivery man turned in our driveway, honked the horn, and requested my signature. Then he presented me with a certified letter, calling out “Merry Christmas” as he drove away.
A certified letter? This wasn’t something I received every day. Or ever.
The return address was stamped with the name of a publishing house where I had submitted a work of fiction. My knees wobbled and for a moment I forgot I was standing outside in 30-degree weather without a coat or shoes. My heart beating double-time, I flew into the house and stood staring at the envelope.
Could it be? After all this time? This was shaping up to be the best Christmas ever!
Heart still skipping, palms slightly moist, I began to read:
“Thank you for your submission. Our staff has looked over your manuscript, but we have decided not to pursue publication at this time.”
Wait, what?
Confused, I studied the envelope. But it came by certified mail.
Certified. Mail.
Some writers call them no-thank-you notes. But let’s call them what they are—rejection letters. Whatever we have attempted to submit for publication has been returned with the carefully pre-penned words: Thank you for your submission, but…
It’s the “but” that gets me every time.
The words following that but tend to blur into garbled script—it doesn’t meet our needs at this time…we have decided not to pursue publication…it doesn’t fit our editorial calendar…
I thought about finding a job writing the infamous rejection letters. Let’s see…I so appreciate your courage and hard work…and believe me, this is not personal…and, um, I don’t want you to give up your dreams of publication…but…
Oh well. I guess straight-and-to-the-point is best.
My certified rejection was unique, but there have been other no-thank-you notes containing glimpses of hope, and if I hadn’t been blinded by my poor attitude, I might have recognized what they offered.
Flipping through my rejection file, I paused to read a note from several years ago. It began typically enough…Thank you for your recent submission. Unfortunately…
And several years ago, that’s where I stopped reading.
But now, I continued: Unfortunately, it is too long for our children’s book format. If you would like to rework it and resubmit we would be happy to review it again.
Wait, what? Rework it and resubmit…?
Shame washed over me as I realized what my attitude may have cost me. This publisher had given me a touch of direction, an offer to review it again.
And I had thrown away the opportunity.
I am so thankful we serve a God who redeems our mess-ups and uses them for His glory. Romans 8:28 is a verse I tend to shy away from, but its power is unmistakable. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Some of the good from my mistakes and no-thank-you notes center on the Holy Spirit’s work in my heart. Through my faltering steps, God has worked to refine me and call me into a place of deeper trust and reliance on Him. Keeping my hand in His gives me the courage to keep those submissions out there, trusting the results to His purposes.
A writer’s life is a jumble of joy and despair, elation and misery. But everything in the life of a Christian writer can be used for the glory of God.
Even a certified no-thank-you.
What is the most unique no-thank-you you have received and how can you use it to encourage other writers?
Thankful we serve a God who redeems our mess-ups and uses them for His glory. @lthomaswrites #amwriting Click To Tweet What can we learn from rejection? @lthomaswrites #amwriting Click To Tweet
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2 Comments
Leigh, Wow, Certified letter, that is something new. Congrats on your book being published in March. Thank you for sharing your story. I like your for a rejection letters better.
Thanks, Cherrilynn! The certified rejection was rather shocking at the time, but now it has a place of honor in my no-thank-you file. Ha! Merry Christmas and happy writing!