Yea, I’m one of them…
This guy writes really well:

I began by writing brief chapters on fundamental principles, such as clarity, simplicity, brevity, usage, voice, and the elimination of clutter. Then I settled into the heart of the book—longer chapters explaining how to write a lead, how to write an ending, how to conduct and construct an interview, how to write about travel and technology and sports, and and how to write other forms of nonfiction. Throughout, I supplied examples of writing I admired. My authors were widely different in personality and style, but they all wrote well. That was the premise I wanted to establish: that nonfiction is hospitable to an infinite number of voices if the writing is good.

So well that I’m going to order his book tonight!
Reading it will be another wonderful way to, you know, avoid writing.

Via Maggies Farm.

For you writers and writer wannabees here are some first hand experiences to help you through your formative submissions. For example:

Thank you for sending your essay “Catching Up.” I apologize for the long delay in responding. As much as I enjoyed it, I’m afraid I don’t have any room right now to buy a first-person essay. We are chuck-full, and turning away even pieces we like.

Yep, I like that ‘turning away even pieces we like.’
More importantly, though, is this post from Theresa Nielson-Haydon where she applies her professional experience to helping us understand the context of rejection letters:

A major portion of it is devoted to writers anonymously posting rejections they�ve received, and commenting on how it made them feel. I do understand their need to vent, and some of their lamentations made me feel genuinely sympathetic. Others didn�t have that effect.
What would I know about it? Simple. I�m one of those evil SOBs who rejects their manuscripts.

As usual she does into great and entertaining detail.
What do you think rejected ones? Or, for that matter, accepted ones?
Via Boing Boing.