Not for the faint of heart

I got an agent rejection letter yesterday that said my work was "not strong enough for the market", though this is "just my opinion".

I'm quite sure it's a form letter - I can't imagine an agent sitting, typing, and mailing something individual for a query letter/first chapter cold submission. But damn, it has a bit of a sting to it, doesn't it? What happened to "not right for me at this time"? I got one that said "I am not the right agent for this work", and another that said "Our current roster is full". Those went down a bit easier.

The boyfriend read the letter and said two things: "Ouch", and "I think they don't want you writing back to ask why." Cut 'em off at the knees - effective tactic. Though I'm sure there are still nimnods out there who ask why it isn't strong enough, and where it can be fixed.

Then again, maybe it isn't a form letter, and the agent was so moved by the not-strongness of my writing that she had to warn me before I embarrassed myself further. Could you guys please put "FORM LETTER" on the tops of these things so we know it isn't just us?

Children - if you think you want to be a writer, think again. Go be a fireman! A rocket scientist! Cure cancer or something! Get into television and contribute to the creation of junk for the rest of your life. Writing is awful! Stay away!

Only one good thing - the more rejections you get, the less they bother you. Good, right? Good.