(This is good news. Always good to hear from an editor with more positive editorial comment. I submitted “Lena’s Trip Home” to this publication.)
Dear John,
With regret I must inform you that we’re going to pass on your story. Your work was very close and passed through the first round of the acceptance process, making it a near miss. We strongly encourage you to submit to us again after September 1.
Best,
Timothy Gager
(The good thing about sighing up with a website that helps you distribute your manuscripts is that you get rejections from more diverse places. I will reproduce the text here because I am too lazy to take a picture of it this morning:)
August 11, 2009
Dear John Paul,
Thank you so much for allowing us the opportunity to consider Little Lolo Stories. You’re clearly a talented writer and have an intriguing premise for your novel. Unfortunately, we’re not convinced we’d be the right agency for this; we’re just not connecting enough with the material to take it on.
Thank you, again, for sending it our way, and we wish you the best of luck securing representation.
Sincerely,
The Gernert Company
(It seems part comlimentary and part rejecting so it is hard to take. “We’re just not connecting with the material” can mean so much; is it the Spanglish or the setting/content?
In positve news, Jennifer S. Davis has tentatively agreed to help edit my manuscripts as long as the CN staff does not see a conflict. )
(Here is my attempt to make sense of the Monte Stories chapters I’ve been free writing/drafting lately. I think I might have them in some kind of order now.)
1. Carlos Stories-forward ahead to Bruna and Lena talking to Manito about Carlos
2. Intro/Background-Monte and San Luis Valley
3. Carlos and Pifanio Work in South Fork-intro to Carlo’s work
3.4 Stampede
3.5 Felipa
3.55 Felipa and Carlo on babies
3.6 Pifanio
4. Carlos and Felipa-back in time Felipa regrets marrying Carlos
5. Delores-relationships before meets Pifanio
6. Carlos-walks in sleep
6.5 Carlos sees UFO
7. Pifanio’s Wife-Delores leaves him again and again
8. Pifanio and Felipa-forward in time after Pifanio sleeps with Felipa
8.5. Carlos at Doctor
8.6 Felipa and Carlos and Pifanio Clash over Baby
9. Phone Call to Lena-Carlos calls Lena asking her to take Felipa’s baby
10. Lena’s Trip Home-Lena picks up baby and Felipa flips out
11. Felipa to Huerfano and Haunts Lena and Bruna
12. Felipa and Pifanio Get Together