The Best Rejection I've Ever Received

This is not a tongue-in-cheek post. My sincere thanks to Uwe Stender of TriadaUS, a literary agency located in Pittsburgh, PA, for giving me the best rejection I've ever received.

I sent an e-query to Dr. Stender regarding my suspense thriller, Face Blind, on April 22, 2009. That same day, Dr. Stender asked me to send a hard copy of the full manuscript. Very excited, I sent it via regular mail the next day, April 23, 2009.

I opened the mail yesterday, May 1st, and sadly found one of those self-addressed stamped envelopes we writers are all too familiar with. Dr. Stender had returned my cover letter, but had also actually taken the time to write a personal note explaining why he'd rejected the story.

That Dr. Stender was able to respond so quickly while taking the time to explain his rationale is mind-boggling. Most agencies or publishers take weeks, usually months, to respond, and even when they do, it's in the guise of a form letter with no feedback whatsoever.

So, my sincerest thanks to Dr. Stender, a true professional. I hope perhaps someday we can work together, assuming I don't land a different agent before then.
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I'd also like to thank Debbie Carter of Muse Literary--she too rejected my last two manuscripts, but she did so very quickly and even gave me some feedback on why she was passing.

Just Signed With Lyrical Press, Inc.

I'm excited to announce that I've just signed a publishing contract with Lyrical Press, Inc. (www.lyricalpress.com) for my paranormal thriller, The Unearthed. Lyrical is an independent publisher that offers stories electronically and in print. Check out Lyrical's site when you get a chance--there's a lot of good stuff there. At this point, you'll see mainly Romance and Erotica titles there.

I will be sure to keep you updated on The Unearthed, so check back regularly. I've got another novel in the works right now, tentatively entitled Face Blind, but that's for another post. Also, I am an avid reader and movie-goer, so I might occasionally post short blogs on what I've seen or read.

Now it's time for a cross-promotional plug. My friend, Nick Hughes, and I do a podcast called Four Stories. We look at television, film, literature, and music from a storytelling perspective. We're currently on hiatus, but if you want, check out our older episodes at www.fourstoriespodcast.blogspot.com. You can also download our episodes on iTunes. Nick and I are considering doing some minisodes in the near future, so check the Four Stories site regularly as well if you're interested.

Finally, I wanted to thank my family and friends for their support throughout the writing process. Special thanks to my wife, Jenna, for putting up with me while I spent inordinate amounts of free time on the computer, writing a story that had no guarantee of selling. Special thanks also to Nate Green, a fellow novelist (and a great writer!), who read not one but two drafts of The Unearthed and provided me with a lot of great feedback. And a special thanks to my Dad for his help with line editing and his eternally useful reminder: follow the KISS method.

Brian

www.brianorourke.blogspot.com
www.fourstoriespodcast.blogspot.com
www.lyricalpress.com