And the Most Unique Rejection Prize Goes to...by Yu-Han Chao

Print rejections generally fall within three types, ranging from least desirable to most desirable—Form A Rejection: “Thanks, but no thanks”; Form B Rejection: “Sorry we couldn’t use it but please consider us again,” and the Form C Rejection: a typed, handwritten, or scribbled note saying something encouraging or constructive about the piece.

About one year ago I received one of my favorite rejections ever. It arrived in a large, white U.S. Postal Office envelope that was clear in the front—I don’t know how they managed to get such a big envelope mailed with my meager first-class postage showing through the clear plastic—there were no extra stamps anywhere. What was even better was what was inside, once I shook the contents out eagerly, praying for an acceptance.

Underneath my pristine, self-addressed, stamped envelope was a manila folder. Inside the folder was my manuscript, a short story, with scribbled notes from two different editors.

Editor A: [Written on an orange sticky note] I find the language rather interesting, let’s ask Jenn* about this, she has more experience with prose.

Editor B: [Scrawled underneath on a smaller, yellow sticky note] I find it rather repulsive, actually, but we can mention it.

I don’t think Jenn liked it in the end. In fact, Jenn was probably the one who told an intern to send the manuscript back to me, forgetting to tell him or her that maybe s/he could just give me a Form A Rejection or Form B Rejection rather than send the entire folder back to me. So what I received in the mail was nothing short of a mini art-installation.

When I was a baby first-year in my MFA program, I used to collect all rejections. Then the sheer number of them became depressing so I only collected Form B or Form C Rejections. Eventually I threw them all out, sometimes muttering something impolite towards the journal as I crossed out their name on my submission log.

This particular rejection, however, gets the Most Unique Rejection Prize. I will keep it forever in my acceptances folder along with my three-and-a-half-year-old book contract and cherished first acceptances. Occasionally I will take it out and marvel at the multi-colored sticky notes with different handwriting, and my manuscript with a crease through the middle, and my unused SASE, all showing through the clear front of a U.S. Postal Office envelope.

*Name has been changed



Yu-Han Chao is co-blog manager and poetry editor at the Rose & Thorn. She has a poetry book out and a short story collection forthcoming. Visit her writing and artwork at her Web site.