If the letter also gives reasons as to why you should avoid such a career, then -- sure -- while a bit discouraging, such criticism can be quite valuable. A writing career is rife with rejection. Get used to it. Just don't let it get you down. No, really. Opinions on writing are extremely subjective. Many of the top selling books were rejected numerous times before a publisher ran with it.

If it's your passion to become a writer, then no. Nothing should discourage you from becoming what you want to be and to do what you love. If you want it bad enough, then take it. The power of will is a very powerful thing. I say it should only inspire you and if you rejected once or twice, so what. That's just more fuel for the fire. Fall seven times, rise eight times. Some of the greatest people in world's history are what they are because they did what people said they couldn't do.

By no means, a rejection letter is one opinion. My sister is a published poet and she went to over 10 publishing companies until her work was published. All it takes is a little hard work and persistence...

No. if you have a talent for writing, never give up. one day, you will sit behind your typewriter and magic words will flow from your head to your fingertips. never give up on a dream.

L. Frank Baum, was rejected 36 times & possibly more, for The Wizard of Oz before it was published and became the written classic that truthfully is, not only my favorite movie, a story loved by millions all over the world for about 100 years now. Imagine what we would have all lost & never experienced if he didn't believe in the value of his gift and have faith in his talent that came when the time was right. Hopefully one of his links, from the Library of Congress, & his life, quotes, & value to literature will help you keep up the hard fight too. Good Luck as you are creating our next classic. http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/oz/ozsect1.html

Absolutely not. Some of the most famous writers in history suffered the pangs of rejection letters before they produced their timeless and classic literary contributions. If anything, rejection letters should be helpful encouragement. When one gets a rejection slip, it doesn't mean the story or article lacks merit. It simply means that it doesn't quite fit the criteria of the publication to which it is sent. The most important thing a writer has to know, is how to slant his or her material to the publication. The best way to do this is to read some of the published works to get a "feel" for what those particular editors are looking for, and the style of writing they prefer; i.e., narrative, folksy, historical, newsy, etc. Another reason for a rejection slip is simply due to the fact the publication is over supplied with the particular topic that has been submitted. For example, how many articles on fishing can a sports magazine use at one time? This doesn't mean you can't go on to submit the article to another similar magazine. Even the most prolific writers will tell you that they've received enough rejection slips to paper their walls -- it just goes with the territory. So take heart! Consider a rejection slip as a mere stepping stone to the path of writing success.

Not necessarily. A lot of publishers will reject your work not because it isn't any good, but because the subject matter isn't suitable for their usual target audience, because they believe that it isn't the kind of work they can sell well at the moment, or because they have published something which they consider to be very similar recently. If you are sending unsolicited manuscripts (sending work out of the blue, rather than checking with the publisher first to see if they are happy for you to send it) or presenting your work incorrectly this can also have a bearing- many publishers receive far too many manuscripts to actually read all of them- if your presentation is bad, your title unappealing, your first paragraph boring, or you don't send a synopsis of the book with the work then chances are your work will be returned without being read. Remember publishers have concerns that go far beyond the actual quality of your work- it may be that you chose the wrong publisher, or the wrong time, to submit your work. Sometimes the rejection letter will explain what the problems were, but if not, it can sometimes be worth making a phone call to try and find out where you're going wrong. Its amazing how many people don't read their rejection letters properly - if the letter says "We do not normally accept unsolicited manuscripts from unpublished writers", then you have your reason! There are many books on the market with advice on presenting and submitting work to publishers, and you may find there are some very small factors you can change in order to increase your chances of success. I also suggest you increase the amount of research you do before sending work to publishers- check that the publisher you are submitting to actually publishes the kind of fiction that you write. No use submitting a science fiction trilogy to a company that only publishes romance novels. Finally: if you are serious about getting published, accept that you may have to change elements of your work that you personally like. You may feel like you are "selling out", but remember that ultimately publishing is a business- what sells: matters. You don't have to abandon your original idea, or betray your artistic vision, but you may have to accept that your lengthy explanation of existentialist philosophy is of limited appeal to the general public. Treat your rejections as an education, indicating the changes you need to make in order to become a better writer.

No, they should encourage!

My first rejection letter is framed. It was the greatest compliment because it compared me to one of the GREAT writers. The publisher just didn't like that writer and said so in the letter. A rejection letter means that at least they read your work. So many manuscripts sit on a shelf for years without ever being read. A rejection letter means you are getting somewhere :) Never let anyone or any letter discourage you from writing.

That depends. If you've been hacking away for twenty years or so, have 50 plus completed manuscripts that have been repeatedly shopped and rejected, and you are working at McDonald's to support yourself, you might want to face facts and admit that you just don't have what it takes. It's all well and good to follow your dream. Just don't follow it off the cliff when you realize you can't fly.

life has no boundaries and you should never be discouraged from pursuing your dreams unless it interferes with your reality

Sooner or later, the rejection letters should ring a bell. When one door closes, another one opens.

no it should not discourage you in anyway. learn to take criticism and move on to a different publisher. one person's unwanted manuscript has become top sellers with another not so well known publisher. never give up. keep writing.