The timing of rejection

arcaedia asked the interesting question of whether one would prefer to receive a rejection letter right before or after the holidays.

I was a little startled at how many people–about half–said no, they wouldn’t want that news before the holidays, and would prefer that the rejecter wait to notify the rejectee until January.

I have a lot invested in my writing, emotionally. And of course I never like seeing the work I love returned. But … I also want to sell it, and the quicker I hear back, the quicker I can move on to the next market. I always appreciate it when someone responds quickly.

And this is a business. I don’t want someone to slow down my business–and, ultimately, my ability to make a living from same–because they think I wouldn’t want bad news to ruin my holidays.

And I’m a professional. If I sent something out, it was because I wanted a response, not because I wanted to be protected from the answer to a question that I was the one who’d decided to ask.

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