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People's Friend rejection letter

edited January 2011 in - Writing Tales
Hello,

I received my first rejection letter for my first submission yesterday. I'm over it now. The world hasn't come to an end!
Anybody knows what the PF standard rejection letter says?
Mine said the story was enjoyable but they couldn't take it.
I suspect it's just their standard one because they're a friendly publisher but I'd like to know what you guys think so I decide what to do with my story next...

Thanks for your help.

Laurie

Comments

  • Hi, Laurie. Welcome to Talkback. I don't know, but I'm sure someone will.
  • Dear Laurie
    Glad you're over that first horrible hurdle. Well done for sending the story out in the first place and for 'getting over' the rejection in the second. They're not rejecting you, it's just that your story wasn't right for them. Do you read PF?Have you sent for their (very particular and picky) guidelines? You might benefit from market research - buy or borrow a few back copies and read the stories. Yes I know, some of them are not 'you'. But that is imma-bloomin'-terial. If you wanna write for them and be taken up by them, you need to know the mindset because they make NO exceptions even for established contributors. Their protagonists are good honest loyal upstanding people who believe in family values. They can have flaws - and your story can teach them to deal with their flaw if you like - but they are never divorcing/child abusing/racist/anything non PC at all! Think 'family reading' and you won't go far wrong for starters, think happy ending or at least hopeful ending and you're even further on their track. PF is not the place to get experimental with your writing. You need a firm idea of where you're going, a decent plot, not too complicated, and probably no more than maximum of 4 characters. Under 3000 works best (I do 2000-3000 for them) and any heroine or hero needs to be pro-active in sorting out the problem that besets them. Animals go down well with PF readers, as do country villages (not keen on inner city realities, in FriendLand!) and grandchildren, distant cousins coming home, think rosy spectacles and kindness, gentle humour.
    There is no standard rejection letter. DCThomson, the publishers of PF, let PF encourage new writers wherever they can and the closer you get to being 'right for them' the more likely they are to say something like 'story not strong enough' or 'character too 'thin' or unsympathetic'
    Don't give up and good luck with your next sendout.
  • [quote=ceka]There is no standard rejection letter. [/quote] That's true about PF - I should know, I've collected quite a lot of different ones. If they said it was enjoyable, then they really did think it was enjoyable. They have a range of fairly standard letters to explain a rejection, but they certainly don't all say that. They're never rude, but they'll say if they think the story is too weak, unsuitable for them etc.

    What to do next ... Send another story to PF if you have something you think they'll like - if you don't, then write one.

    Read the rejected story again. Do you still think it's good, or can you improve it? Read through other magazine guidelines and recent copies of the magazine (Ceka's right, that can help a lot) and see if you can find somewhere else to send it to.

    Don't change the story just because it was rejected - only do that if you're confident the changes will improve it, or make it more suitable for another market. What's not quite right for one market might be perfect for another.
  • I find PF to be a very helpful bunch. I have had rejections and acceptances from them, they have emailed me a couple of times as well, with good advise. If I have had any questions about what they have said I ask them about it (by email) and always get an answer. Keep trying, remember there are other magazines that might like your story, but as others have said do the research , see what they are after. Go into the Womag Link( see useful websites on here). lots of help there. Any way good luck
  • Good luck with your next submission, Laurie.
  • Thank you all. I do read PF but the story I sent was for the Children Corner this time. I also write for adults but I wanted to try the kids stuff first.
    They didn't say anything was wrong with it, just that they couldn't take it.
    I'm thinking of reworking it to turn it into a picture book. If I do that, I need to cut a lot of text to make the story 'tighter' and suitable to another format.
    I think it's pretty hard to get a picture book published when you don't have an agent and I'm not there yet. Trying to pitch to agents would use what little (and precious) writing time I have for the time being. Things might change in a couple of years, when my lil' one starts school...
  • Hi again, I sent them two childrens story`s and never heard anything , unusual for them so I am wondering if they ever got there, but I also have a childrens story being printed next month with them, so cant complain, like you I am thinking of having a go at a picture book and have broken the pages down ( this is the two with no answer back) to see how it felt. I quite liked them so will be getting the old year book out to check out publishers, I really wish you luck, but do have another try, it took me ages to get one accepted.
  • Congratulations! I'll have a look at your story when it comes out. Do you know which issue it will be?

    Thanks for the encouragement ^^
  • Good luck with the next one. I've lost count of my rejects from PF now - they don't all say the same thing.
  • Some interesting comments/advice on this thread.
    Good luck with your future submissions, Laurie.
  • laurie, have you thought of submitting your story for a comp? The Academy of Children's Writers have a comp due any time and you can find the submission guidelines online. Try it. I got short-listed last year and I'm still what I call a beginner!
  • Hi cath do you have an email address for the ACW site
  • The competition is open only to previously unpublished (for profit) writers of children’s fiction over the age of 18. This is the first line of the conditions to enter the ACW , comp, so I cant enter, but you can Laurie so good luck.
  • Laurie, I was looking up details about this AWC comp as I was considering entering, and found an interesting thread on its legitimacy. No definite conclusions are drawn but it's as well to be aware:

    http://essentialwriters.com/forum/topic/competitions-how-do-you-know-if-theyre-legit
  • edited January 2011
    I also entered that in my naive youth (about 10 years ago!) several years running ... and 'was shortlisted' each time, but by the third time I'd cottoned on that 'shortlisting' meant - 'your writing style tells us that you have talent and ...' sort of thing, same letter give or take a few verbs and adjies - and it was a direct attempt to get me to sign up for their course. So to my mind it's not worth the bother.
  • Hello, Laurie. Sorry to hear about the rejection. Don't give up though. Keep writing ;)
  • oh no! My bubble has burst big time!!!
  • Thanks for the warning ceka.
    I managed to sell a non-fiction article this week for not very much but I suppose that, technically, it makes ma a published writer.
  • it does, and congratulations! Something to put on the writing CV for the future!
    Here's hoping it's the first of many.
  • Well done Laurie, add it to your writing CV...it all adds up!
  • [quote=cath]oh no! My bubble has burst big time!!! [/quote]

    Sorry, cath! That doesn't reflect badly on you though, just on them.

    [quote=Laurie_DS]I managed to sell a non-fiction article this week[/quote]

    Brilliant! Well done!
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