THE DONALD MAAS AGENCY REJECTION

I sent a submission package to the Donald Maas Literary Agency and, in the cover letter, told them how much I enjoyed Maas' book Writing the Breakout Novel. I just received their response--a rejection, yes--but it was an official business letter personally addressed to me on the Maas Agency letterhead and signed in pen by subagent Jennifer Jackson. She said, in part, "While your credits are certainly notable, I'm just not enthusiastic enough about the premise. . .to feel that I'd be the right agent for the project." I like the part about my credits being "notable," because I was debating taking out the credit about You're A Teacher. . .So Act Like One!, since so many publishers/agents turn off at the idea of Print-On-Demand. I don't know what she was referring to exactly, but after her letter, I'm inclined to keep my teaching book in the cover letter for awhile longer. I figure that even if an agent is against POD, at least he/she knows I'm able to write a book length manuscript.
Michael Steven Gregory, organizer of the Southern California Writers Conference, likes to say at the conference that, "Writing is the only profession where you're judged by the quality of your rejections."
And he's right.