Submitted my new children’s book to agents this morning. Salespeople are taught that each no is a step closer to yes. That may be true, but no matter how they love their product they really are not selling their own. It may only be five pages and 1393 words long, but it came from inside and was massaged for months. Far too often a writer does not get a no, they get ignored. Imagine finally coxing your beloved child up onto the stage for their little part only to have the audience not even acknowledge they are there. It is much easier to accept a tepid reception.

It is very uncommon, but does happen that an agent replies only to be insulting. That of course is worse. Bad enough to have your child ignored without someone making the point of saying there are stupid and by the way you are ugly. It happens to us all that we have a dreadful day, then receive bad service and we snap at someone. That is wrong but human. But can you imagine going out of your way to be unkind? There is never an excuse for that.

So it is I find myself treasuring to my heart an agent or publisher that will reject with a kind suggestion or two that rejection is sweet and more than anyone deserves. Even a rejection with a courteous but formula answer, is a kindness. These are people that make a community, even when you never actually meet. They may not have liked your child’s performance, but they gave it a fair audience and polite applause.

I had an agent once tell me they were not rejecting just nudging me away for now. They simply did not have room in their schedule. Now that was kind. That agent is someone who appreciates how much effort went into a story before submission. I didn’t sell the story, but I have kept trying.

So here is the question for myself, have I made or destroyed someone else’s day? When I run into someone they have not been working on their day for months with edits and rewrites, but it is their day. They own the day they are having. I can smile more, and frown less, perhaps brighten their day.