RSVP…French: Repondez, s’il vous plait. (Excuse the missing accents)  Translation: Please respond.

Sadly, many people do not extend common courtesy to the person who has issued the invitation and reply. RSVP does not mean: “I don’t need to call, I’m not going,” or “It doesn’t matter if I call.”  RSVP means you are to call the person issuing the invitation and say, ” Yes I am attending, or “Thank you for inviting me, but I can’t attend.”

I’m a black or white kind of person. I want answers. Yes or No.  People who tell me,  We’ll see,” “I’ll let you know later,” or “Maybe,” drive me nuts. Aaarrgh. I can accept NO, but not this wishy-washy no answer stuff.

So, why am I spouting off about the lack of manners? Because, this seems to be the trend of far too many literary agents. In fact, they even have the nerve to explain their rudeness on their website.  “No response means NO.” This is why you should  ignore their request of “no simultaneous submissions.” Phooey! If they never plan to respond, what am I supposed to do? Sit around and wait before submitting to another agent.

The “No response means NO” behavior upsets me. Today, most agents want submissions by email.  I ask you, how difficult is it to hit reply, and type “no thanks”? I know that some agency receive more than a 1000 query letters a month, but even so, a response would be nice.

Thanks be to God. When we ask Him for an RSVP, he always answers. He never leaves us hanging, letting us wonder if HE will help us.  Like agents, his answer may be “no,” but HE always answers you.

If you are suffering with the curse of rejections, having trouble finishing an article or manuscript, wonder if you should even waste your time writing, let these verse encourage and inspire you.

Jeremiah 33:3 Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great unsearchable things.

Zechariah 13:9b They will call on my name and I will answer them: I will say they are my people, and they will say,”the Lord is our God.”

Psalms 34:4  I sought the Lord and he answered me. He delivered me from all of my fears.

Psalms 145: 18 The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all to call on him in truth