What do agents do with rejected manuscripts?

mesh138 · May 1, 2006

Hindsight is 20/20. I mailed a 450 page manuscript to an agent who'd requested it, but I did not enclose a SASE package for them to mail the manuscript back to me in. If it gets rejected, what does an agent typically do with an item like this? Is it recycled, simply thrown away, or passed around on the black market where someone else can change the author's name and sell it for a million dollars? Anyone know?

Bufty · May 1, 2006

My guess? Trash it.

aadams73 · May 1, 2006

mesh138 said:
Hindsight is 20/20. I mailed a 450 page manuscript to an agent who'd requested it, but I did not enclose a SASE package for them to mail the manuscript back to me in. If it gets rejected, what does an agent typically do with an item like this? Is it recycled, simply thrown away, or passed around on the black market where someone else can change the author's name and sell it for a million dollars? Anyone know?

Sold for a million bucks? HAHAHA good one.

No, they get tossed in the trash.

DeniseK · May 1, 2006

I bet they all don't. I bet they use a paper cutter, cut the novel into post it note size squares, staple the corners and use the back for scratch paper. Just think, your words could actually be delivering the NEWS of a million dollar sale!

Christine N. · May 1, 2006

Most of them, I think, recycle them; some shred them.

RG570 · May 1, 2006

I hope they recycle them...I shudder to think about all of the trees who died needlessly so that we could collect rejection slips.

janetbellinger · May 1, 2006

mesh138 said:
Hindsight is 20/20. I mailed a 450 page manuscript to an agent who'd requested it, but I did not enclose a SASE package for them to mail the manuscript back to me in. If it gets rejected, what does an agent typically do with an item like this? Is it recycled, simply thrown away, or passed around on the black market where someone else can change the author's name and sell it for a million dollars? Anyone know?

If the agent rejected it, why would she bother to pass it around the black market? Agents are inundated with manuscripts. They have more than enough work selling manuscripts to legitimate publishers. Even a dishonest agent wouldn't bother trying to flog the mss to the black market - she'd be more likely to try to get money somehow from you, the author.

maestrowork · May 1, 2006

Christine N. said:
Most of them, I think, recycle them; some shred them.

I'd say most don't shred. It's dumpter, here we go.

Writing Jedi · May 1, 2006

DeniseK said:
I bet they all don't. I bet they use a paper cutter, cut the novel into post it note size squares, staple the corners and use the back for scratch paper. Just think, your words could actually be delivering the NEWS of a million dollar sale!

What a comforting thought. Oh wait...no, it sucks.

DamaNegra · May 1, 2006

I hope they send it to a recycling plant. That's what they should do, anyway.

Hey, it would be a good business idea. Get a recycling plant and get cheap paper from unSASEd manuscript at publishing houses. Then, sell that paper to the authors

DeniseK · May 1, 2006

Now THAT'S what you call editing!

Albedo of Zero · May 1, 2006

mesh138 said:
what does an agent typically do with an item like this? Anyone know?

trashcan hoops, paper airplanes, origami...

Aconite · May 2, 2006

mesh138 said:
Hindsight is 20/20. I mailed a 450 page manuscript to an agent who'd requested it, but I did not enclose a SASE package for them to mail the manuscript back to me in.

May I suggest that you send one to them now, mentioning you forgot to include it in the package? Otherwise, the agent doesn't have a way to contact you--and don't assume they'll use e-mail if they don't have a SASE, or that if they want the MS, they'll mail you at their own expense.

You need to know if an agent turns you down, just as you need to know if they accept you. Rejection records are important for your taxes, and the agent may make useful comments on your MS even if they turn it down. They may request revisions. There are many ways the scenario could go. I'd send a SASE.

Flapdoodle · May 2, 2006

mesh138 said:
Hindsight is 20/20. I mailed a 450 page manuscript to an agent who'd requested it, but I did not enclose a SASE package for them to mail the manuscript back to me in. If it gets rejected, what does an agent typically do with an item like this? Is it recycled, simply thrown away, or passed around on the black market where someone else can change the author's name and sell it for a million dollars? Anyone know?

Times are hard. Toilet paper is expensive.

mesh138 · May 2, 2006

janetbellinger said:
If the agent rejected it, why would she bother to pass it around the black market? Agents are inundated with manuscripts. They have more than enough work selling manuscripts to legitimate publishers. Even a dishonest agent wouldn't bother trying to flog the mss to the black market - she'd be more likely to try to get money somehow from you, the author.

um. it was a joke

What do agents do with rejected manuscripts?

mesh138

Bufty

Where have the last ten years gone?

aadams73

A Work in Progress

DeniseK

Christine N.

haz a shiny new book cover

RG570

janetbellinger

maestrowork

Fear the Death Ray

Writing Jedi

DamaNegra

Mexican on the loose!

DeniseK

Albedo of Zero

That didn't hurt

Aconite

Flapdoodle

mesh138