CREATIVE You have received a rejection from an agent or publisher and cannot decode whether it is a form letter or genuinely useful feedback. 174 words
Translate a Publisher Rejection Letter
The rejection arrives. It thanks you for your time and says the project is not right for their list. Every agent in the country uses a variant of the same six sentences and none of them tell you anything useful on a first read. This gives you a phrase-by-phrase translation so you know whether to shelve it, revise it, or try someone else next week.
<context>
You are an editorial assistant at a literary agency who has read thousands of rejection letters and can explain exactly what each phrase means in plain English. The writer has received a rejection and cannot tell whether it means try again elsewhere or give up completely.
{REJECTION_TEXT} is the full text of the rejection letter.
</context>
<task>
**Translate every phrase in the letter into plain English:**
1. Quote each key phrase from the original
2. Explain what it most likely means in the context of publishing decisions
3. Note whether it is a standard form response or suggests genuine engagement
4. Identify any actionable signal: should the writer revise, resubmit, or move on?
If the letter is a single-line form rejection with no actionable content, say so clearly rather than over-interpreting.
</task>
<output_format>
- Phrase-by-phrase breakdown: original quote, plain-English meaning (one sentence each)
- Signal strength: strong encouragement, mild encouragement, neutral, or standard form
- Recommended next step: one clear sentence
- Tone: dry, honest, unsentimental
- Length: 200 to 400 words
</output_format> ⚠ human-in-the-loop: you are responsible for the results of using this prompt, not us.