Declining the offer of Marketing Coordinator, Leah Fontaine to Pellham Books

Decline job offer letter, written after a verbal acceptance

A decline job offer letter says no in its first paragraph, thanks the employer and keeps the reason to one honest line. This one page letter from a marketing coordinator turns down a publisher's offer three days after saying yes on the phone, apologises for that, and confirms the contract was never signed.

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Leah Fontaine

Flat 2, 15 Mercer Walk · leah.fontaine@mailbox.example

Saturday 19 September 2026
Mr Owen Pritchard, Marketing Manager
Pellham Books, 3 Quayside Court

Your offer of the Marketing Coordinator role

Dear Owen, thank you for offering me the Marketing Coordinator role. After a great deal of thought I have decided to decline it, and I wanted you to hear that from me in writing as soon as I had made up my mind.

My current employer has offered me a broader role in the team I already work with, and I have decided to stay. That is the only reason. Nothing about the role at Pellham Books, or the way your team treated me through the process, made the decision for me.

About my verbal acceptance on 16 September

I told you on the phone on Wednesday 16 September that I would accept, and I am sorry to go back on that. I know it costs you time with the other candidates. I have not signed the employment contract you sent on 17 September, and I have deleted the copy.

I enjoyed meeting you and Grace Abernethy from the publicity team, and I would like to stay in touch with you both. I hope the role goes to someone who will give the spring list the launch it deserves.

With thanks

Name

Leah Fontaine

Section by section

What each section is for, so you can keep the ones you need and drop the rest.

Underline letterhead: The candidate's own name, address and email.
Date and addressee: The hiring manager by name, title and company.
Decision: Thanks and the decline in one opening paragraph.
Reason: One honest line, with no figures, and a sentence clearing the employer.
Verbal acceptance callout: The apology, the date of the call and confirmation the contract was not signed.
Staying in touch: The two people named and a closing wish for the role.
Sign off: The candidate's name under the signature line.

Declining after you have said yes

The hardest version of this letter is the one written after a verbal acceptance, and the order matters. Decide first, then tell the employer the same day, then write. In the letter, say no before you explain, apologise once rather than throughout, and state the paperwork position: whether a contract was sent, whether you signed it, and what you have done with it. If you did sign a contract, read its notice clause before writing, because you may need to give notice even though you have not started. Workplace advice services treat a signed contract as binding from the moment it is agreed, not from the first day of work.

Reasons phrased well and badly

Some reasons travel well. I have decided to stay in my current team reads as settled and closes the subject. I have accepted a role closer to home is personal and needs no detail. Phrases to avoid include the salary was too low, which invites a counter, they offered me more, which turns the letter into an auction, and the interview made me unsure, which is feedback the letter is the wrong place for. If you would genuinely take the job for more money, do not send a decline letter at all; send a negotiation letter instead and be open about it.

How to adapt this document

Change the names, role and dates, then decide whether you need the callout at all. If you never accepted verbally, delete it and the letter becomes four short paragraphs. If you signed a contract, rewrite the callout to give the notice the contract requires and the date your notice ends. Keep the reason to one line in your own words. If the hiring process was long, add one sentence thanking a named person for something specific, such as arranging a second interview around your current job, because a detail is more believable than general thanks.

What makes this document work

The answer is no, in the first paragraph

Thanks and the decision share the opening paragraph, so the hiring manager knows to call the next candidate before reading further. Nothing in the letter can be read as a hesitation or an invitation to raise the offer.

The reason is true and leaves out the number

One sentence says her current employer offered a broader role and she is staying. It does not quote the counter offer, which would read as a bid, and it says plainly that nothing about Pellham Books made the decision, which keeps the door open.

The verbal yes is dealt with on its own

A callout names the phone call on 16 September, apologises, and confirms the contract sent on 17 September was not signed and the copy deleted. Separating the apology from the decision keeps both short and gives the employer the one fact it needs: no contract exists.

Questions people ask

Do I have to give a reason for declining a job offer?

No, but one honest line is courteous and helps the employer understand whether anything in their process went wrong. Keep it short and avoid figures, criticism or a list of reasons. Staying with a current employer, choosing a role closer to home or accepting another offer are all fine to say in a sentence and need no defence.

Can I decline an offer after I have accepted it?

Usually yes, but the position depends on what was agreed. A verbal yes before a contract is signed is easier to withdraw than a signed contract, which may require notice under its own terms. Either way, tell the employer quickly, in writing, apologise once, and confirm what has and has not been signed. Staying silent until the start date is the worst option.

Should I call before sending a decline letter?

If you spoke to the hiring manager during the process, yes: a short call is more personal and lets them ask a question. Send the letter straight after so the decision is on record. If the call goes to voicemail, leave a brief message saying a letter is on its way, rather than giving the decision in a recording.

How quickly should I decline a job offer?

As soon as you have decided. Employers usually hold their second choice candidate while waiting for your answer, and every day of delay risks losing that person. Leah writes three days after her verbal acceptance, on the day she settles the counter offer, which is about as quick as a considered change of mind can be.

Will declining a job offer hurt my chances with the company later?

Not if it is handled well. Hiring managers remember candidates who were honest, prompt and courteous, and many reapply successfully a year or two later. Naming the people you would like to stay in touch with, as this letter does, signals the decision was about your circumstances and not about them, which is what keeps the relationship intact.

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Sources

Written and checked by the OneCraft team. Last checked 21 October 2026.