24 Hour Reject

Today was a first. I received an agent rejection letter in less than 24 hours. Really, it was actually stunning. My luck with agents is nil, which is why I am putting an end to the search, but normally there is a request for more information, some sort of positive feedback. Or, if not, I will get a nice note - kind of a "not right now, but keep in touch" type of thing.

I got neither of those today.

I submitted a query to an agent who is up and coming. I researched her, read all the background articles on her accomplishments in the industry. She was apparently looking for the same genre as my manuscript. Anther good sign. I sealed up the query and sent it, figuring I wouldn't hear anything for a month or so. Enough time to steel my heart against the rejection and maybe have something else in the works.

But 24 hours?

There, in my inbox, was her response. And it was an automated, thanks but no thanks. I felt confused , somehow, stunned. Did rejection have to be so sudden and blunt. Geesh, its a pretty good manu, if I have to say so myself. And yes, I know rejection is part of the process, that's not my real gripe here. My gripe is that she read and responded within minutes. My work so resoundingly struck against anything she remotely wanted that she hit the "reject" response without even blinking. (No, I don't know any of this for a fact, but what else could it mean.)

Okay, so I am over analytical. My friend calls me hypersensitive. I call myself smartly cynical. Either way, all three of my anal tendencies slammed to an abrupt stop at the less than 24 hours response. What do you think, is it better for rejection to take a little time?