Bricks Quote by Jerry Spinelli
“It's a shame publishers send rejection slips. Writers should get something more substantial than a slip that amounts to a pile of confetti. Publishers should send something heavier. Editors should send out rejection bricks, so at the end of a lot of years, you would have something to show besides a wheelbarrow of rejection slips. Instead you could have enough bricks to build a house.”
About This Quote
Writers often receive trivial rejections, leaving them with nothing tangible to mark their effort.
In simple terms: Rejection notes feel insubstantial and unhelpful.
Key Takeaway
Seek meaningful feedback instead of empty refusals.
Themes
creativity
resilience
feedback
Mood
frustrated
hopeful
Type
advice
motivational
When to use this quote
- author submissions
- career development
- personal growth
- literary workshops
Key Concepts
validation
psychology
motivation
Questions to Reflect On
- How could constructive criticism be delivered more constructively?
- What tangible support would help writers persist?
A Different Perspective
A brick metaphor may oversimplify complex editorial decisions.
![“Leave a cavity behind the [wall] facings, and on the inside build walls two feet thick, made of red dimension stone or burnt brick or lava in courses, and then bind them to the fronts by means of iron clamps and lead. The beds and builds, all settling equally and bonded at the joints, will not let…” quote by Marcus Vitruvius Pollio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d76/marcus-vitruvius-pollio-7498_bed_leave-a-cavity-behind-the-wall-facings-a_5922.jpg)
