I could paper a room with my rejection letters.  That would be enough to discourage most normal people.  I never said I was normal.  With each rejection letter I’ve received, I’ve been lucky because for some reason the person who has written the letter has taken the time to comment on my writing.  I, in turn, have taken the time to listen to their comments and my writing has improved.

     I say I’m lucky because so many writers that I know have received the standard form letter type of rejection.  A few even got the nasty ‘don’t quit your day job’ types.  Those are enough to make a person consider murder—at least in print.  Yes, when you read a mystery where one kills an editor or agent, the person who wrote it probably got one of those letters.

     Rejection letters are a normal course for writers.  They teach us to have the skins of rhinos.  What could possibly be worse than a bad rejection letter?

     One thing, a critique that not only shreds your book, your dignity, and lacks saying anything constructive but it makes you doubt yourself.  I’ll go into that at another time.