Thursday, March 27, 2014

Rude Rejection Email

In 2013 I was asked to design a quilt for Primitive Quilts & Projects magazine.  I was thrilled! (That reminds me that I need to get busy and finish my instructions.) I made another reproduction quilt last fall that I thought some magazine would like to publish. I went to my go-to magazine and they,  very politely in a nice email said no. My friend Jill Reid and Susan McDermott have designed and published many quilts so they gave me the name of a few others to email.

BTW, the quilt I made last fall  is complete and sent off to Quilt It Today magazine.




Today, 3 1/2 months AFTER submitting it online to a different  magazine they sent a rude, short, impersonal rejection email. I'm sure they get a lot of submissions, but gee, how about a little class on the form letter?
Compared to my other personal responses, I was really surprised at the editor's abruptness.

How hard would it be to write "We really love your quilt but it isn't what we are looking for right now.  Thank you for your submission. "

Had to get that off my chest......







48 comments:

  1. Ouch! they have no idea what they are talking about.....!

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  2. Perhaps they need to go to charm school too. We all love what you do Lori.

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  3. You catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar. Why does the world have to be so rude?I learned very quickly how rude customers can be when I worked in the convenience store and I was there to make money so we had food on the table and the bills paid. I was called every name in the book and cussed out when I refused ID's for beer sales. As a result of my complaints a friend of mine said she started to treat clerks better. We have no idea what a life they have at home and why they are working.

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  4. I can't imagine any magazine turning down one of your quilts. You do such beautiful work and your online QAL are always have very precise directions. Hugs

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  5. Veo que algunos editores son en tu paĆ­s tan groseros como en el mio!!!!
    tenemos amigos que han sufrido estos desplantes,
    tus trabajos son maravillosos.......
    saludos

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  6. That's not cool at all! Sheesh, it doesn't take much effort to compose a polite response. Hmmph

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  7. Sorry you got hurt feelings today with a rude reject. Don't let it get to you! I've got a friend who was rejected time and time again then caught her break! I believe she's working on her 5th book as AQS loved her stle!

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  8. So sorry to hear that :( . I guess rude people have to work too. Happy to hear that Quilt it Today will publish you. Yeah :) Please let us know when it does come out because I sure don't want to miss it. We love you Lori.

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  9. I don't think they did their research before making a decision. Unless the quilt just didn't fit into their magazine, but I would think it would fit sometime during the year, they should have checked your readership on your blog before making a decision. They could have gotten a lot of attention if they put one of your lovely quilts in one of their magazines! Of course that is just my little bitty point of view on the situation....

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  10. :( Sorry! Maybe they need to be reminded it's people like you who buy their magazines and it's quilts like yours that we want to see pictures of and read about!!!

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  11. I hate to think that a quilt magazine acts that way! It's their loss.

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  12. I worked as an assistant editor for a city magazine for many, many years, and sent out my fair share of rejection letters. All letters were sent with the recipient in mind. It's very easy to say no thank you in a pleasant and friendly manner. Perhaps you should mention the name of this magazine so that we may "reject" it. Your quilts are so beautiful, don't let this stop you from submitting more quilts or patterns.

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  13. So glad you found a home for the quilt and look forward to seeing both of your projects when they are published. I love all of your designs.
    People skills are lacking in so many businesses now. It is sad.

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  14. Well it's their loss! A rude reply is so unnecessary though. You show more class than they by not revealing which magazine it was. (We're all wondering I'm sure). Your designs are wonderful and your instructions so clear and easy to follow. I'm glad Quilt It Today magazine recognized that. I'll be watching for it on the newsstand!!

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  15. I myself worry a bit about how I come off to people. I seem to come off rude at times, and other times, people just take it in a different way. I sometimes think I whine or complain or am having a bad or negative attitude. One just never knows how their writing might affect another and how they interpret it. While we don't know the exact wording of the email you received, I'm going to go with sometimes, how we see things may not always be how they really are. If they read there own email to you, they might see it as rude and correct the wording on their rejection letters. If you received a rude response, one you believe to be rude, you should take a moment and confront them with it, asking them how they'd feel if they got the same email from you. Ask them (since it's your go to magazine, I gather your subscribed to it) if you would want to renew your subscription after seeing this? That while your upset with the rejection it doesn't mean you would cancel, but a rude reply would give you pause to consider renewing. Is there readership one they can afford to lose?

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  16. Goodness! All they needed to do was cut and paste a standard reply template ... unless being rude is their standard reply! Their loss but eventually their poor readers lose out on your design :(

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  17. Clearly, they forgot to take their hemorrhoid doughnut to sit on that day !!! Tha'ts how I see it because your quilts a re very nice. :)

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  18. I think customer service is not nearly what it used to be. Companies clearly don't think it's important in the scheme of things, but I know when I get irritated with a company, I'll go anywhere but back to them. Best of luck next time! Your quilts are incredible so don't give up.:)

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  19. Good thing you got this off your chest, there is no need to be this rude. It doesn't cost anything to be polite and kind, just a few minutes of somebody's time... Love your work & blog btw!

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  20. Oh! Rudeness is always unforgivable. Your quilts are beautiful and worth being published. Best wishes for a future publication.

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  21. This is just so rude! And personally I think you are right to blog about it. I think blogging is the new 'magazine' of our time and I'm surprised that in a time when magazine subscriptions are falling, rudeness seems to be rising.

    Your quilts are beautiful and you deserved to be treated better and with more courtesy than this. It really IS their loss.

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  22. Sometimes I wonder if we Brits seems stuffy, but "manners cost nothing" my old Nan always said.

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  23. Sorry you were treated with such unnecessary rudeness. I agree that you should name the magazine ! It is the only way that we, the customers, can express our disappointment with a product - we "reject" it and tell them why.

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  24. Maybe you caught the person on a bad day.......month........year.......regardless they need to be more tactful. Your faithful followers here know and admire your awesome work. Their loss.

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  25. Sorry to hear that you were victim to such rudeness.
    However, very excited for you that someone loved it enough to find a home for it in their magazine. Looking forward to seeing it.

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  26. Their loss! You design fabulous quilts! When will your quilt be in Primitive Quilts? I just renewed my subscription.

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  27. Forget about them - obviously everyone loves your quilts and PQP is an awesome magazine. Whichever one declined your quilt...it is definitely their loss. Poor customer service really rubs me the wrong way, and you are 100% right - it is not hard to be kind.

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  28. Rudeness speaks volumes about that person...absolutely no excuse to be so hurtful. I love your blog and I love your quilts. So happy that your quilt will be in Primitive Quilts-can't wait to see it. ((Hugs))

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  29. I have to agree with previous comments. There is no reason to be rude. Keep trying, cause your quilts are beautiful! Hugs

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  30. Well, personally, I think you are VERY brave to submit your work to begin with. It is such a vulnerable place to be in. Unless those sending the reject letters have ever been in your shoes they have NO idea what it's like or how personal ones work is, especially when you submit it to total strangers for approval. You know that saying "be gentle with me", well, I feel that is a note you should attach to your next submissions…..OR a phrase that should be taught to the ones doing the reject notices. I understand the 'sting' you must be feeling, I've been there too. It doesn't feel very good and at times is hard to get over. I admire you and your work and I know this nasty rebuff will not keep you down. Go Get 'Em Girl!!!

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  31. I have seen it work both ways both the Public and the Service I have learned no matter what to treat everyone how I would like to be treated, if I get a bad apple don't take it personally but try to brighten up their mood but repricating in a friendly manner no matter what the retaliation might be there is going to be retribution in the long run and it won't be from me.

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  32. Don't they realize what a small world quilting is!

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  33. I think that is sometimes what happens when you mix people that have a passion for something, with someone that has a "job" to do. I'd write to the magazine publisher and let them know rudeness is not necessary to get their point across!

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  34. So sorry for the unprofessional letter. I have received one or two like that for my cross-stitch designs also. Thankfully most of those I have received have at least been encouraging.

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  35. Rudeness is never called for, and these magazines need to remember that their publications would be nothing without all the work we quilts submit. Let us know if you care to share the name of the rag and we'll be sure to cross it of our list :0).
    I think your work is fantastic BTW as you know I am a Lori wannabe.

    Happy Sewing and don't let the turkeys get you down.

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  36. Having a second look at the picture of the magazines, I think I understand who sent this rude answer to you, and it's not surprising for me as I experienced myself their rudeness!

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  37. I find more inspiration online now than in magazines anyway.
    The heck with that person : )

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  38. I am sorry about your bad experience Lori. But I can't wait to see your work published on a better place. Keep up the good work.

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  39. Just when i thought about submitting a quilt to a magazine. I guess the rejection is all part of the process, but geez, be gentle about it! One never knows where someone will be in 5 years!

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  40. That is so rude! And foolish because we'd all LOVE to buy their magazine with your quilt design in it. But wonderful news about your other published projects, can't wait to see them.

    lizzy at gone to the beach

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  41. Yes, I often marvel at the rudeness of people. Why? does it make them feel like a better person? I don't think so!

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  42. I wrote to a magazine once to ask where to find a link they were referring to on their website. I received a rude reply back and wrote them about the rude reply. Turns out their customer service is outsourced to a third party and there was a translation issue. You may have encountered the same thing.

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  43. Really? A rude rejection letter? Y am I not surprised? I've had proposals completely ignored and even worse a rejection with a standard form letter. How do I know? Nothing in the letter was true!
    Contacted the publisher on that one and told him I was highly insulted. They (the book publishers) expect an awful lot for their proposals to be treaed like that, the least they could do is take a few extra minutes to tell you why they dont want it. Their loss. better luck next time

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  44. I don't get it. Most of the magazines are so bad anymore,I don't subscribe. I also don't submit much because I don't get what they want. oy.
    you are so right, they should at least be a little professional in their response

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  45. Seriously, with some of the projects I see submitted, I would think any magazine would be thrilled to have your work submitted. Don't they know what a blogging star you are? The fools! I have had my share of rejections, but always with courtesy. It's not too much to expect.

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  46. Hard to believe any magazine would reject one of your designs! Definitely their loss and if the magazines can't/don't appreciate your work maybe it's time to move up to a book proposal? You've definitely got the experience, published work portfolio and huge following that I would have thought any publisher would covet.

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  47. That's pretty harsh to receive. Your response would have been a much more professional and encouraging reply for the magazine to give. I love all of your quilts!

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  48. I agree with you completely. I don't think I would ever buy that magazine ever again. You know you are a better person that the writer of that letter, though. Now all of us have had another lesson in the need for better manners and more compassion for those who have feelings--all of us!

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