1st Rejection

gurnie · Apr 17, 2007

Well I have only submitted to 4 agents (all via email), and today I got my first rejections from Ms. Rosemary Stimola

"thanks, my name, but not quite for me at present."

Polite, simple, quick.

Should i really be chasing after publishers, not agents as a newb?

Provrb1810meggy · Apr 17, 2007

I'd be going after agents, if I were you, because they could get you in the door at a bigger publisher, negotiate a better contract, etc. If you can't get an agent, then I'd go on to publishers that accept submissions.

Still, don't give up now! This is only one rejection!

gurnie · Apr 17, 2007

Oh I'll keep at it

Shady Lane · Apr 17, 2007

First one's the hardest.

I got a rejection yesterday too!

Toothpaste · Apr 17, 2007

For anything above a picture book, yes totally go for agents! As a newb, yes totally go for agents!

Congrats on your first rejection! Now you have been officially initiated into the club!

Azure Skye · Apr 17, 2007

Congrats on the first rejection. I'm still waiting for my first. Should by any day now.

Aprylwriter · Apr 17, 2007

Hi, Gurnie,

I'm sorry you were rejected-I've gotten lots of rejection slips like that myself.

I would try both literary agents AND publishers, because there are many good publishers who accept unagented novels (like Zebra Books, for example, or Avalon).

Good luck!

Apryl

Rolling Thunder · Apr 17, 2007

Yep, go for the agents. Keep at it. It's a tough slog but don't give up.

Soccer Mom · Apr 17, 2007

Yup, you're one of us now!

Dancre · Apr 17, 2007

Gurnie, open a bottle of wine and toast yourself. You're officially a writer!! I'd say go with an agent. I say this as I plan on sending my to a publisher. sigh. Do what I say, not as I do. ANd just to make you feel better, when I was sending out my submissions to publishers/agents, I got 30 rejections.

gurnie said:
Well I have only submitted to 4 agents (all via email), and today I got my first rejections from Ms. Rosemary Stimola

"thanks, my name, but not quite for me at present."

Polite, simple, quick.

Should i really be chasing after publishers, not agents as a newb?

birdfeeder · Apr 17, 2007

Aprylwriter said:
Hi, Gurnie,

I'm sorry you were rejected-I've gotten lots of rejection slips like that myself.

I would try both literary agents AND publishers, because there are many good publishers who accept unagented novels (like Zebra Books, for example, or Avalon).

Good luck!

Apryl

Hi Gurnie,

Not only have I received a few rejection slips, I've also received that exact same one. (Though I did appreciate my name appearing in it--made it go down easier.)

gurnie · Apr 18, 2007

thank you all for your kind remarks. I wanted to get this rejection out of the way. I dunno, I wasn't really phased to be honest. Kinda like "darn" *snaps fingers*

writerterri · Apr 18, 2007

After I got tired of agent chasing I opted for small press chasing.

It's the hard nock life.

Keep pressing forward.

wyntermoon · Apr 18, 2007

Congratulations and welcome to the fold! I printed my first one off (it was email, short and sweet but kind) so I can look fondly back at it when I'm published. Heck, I'll make it into a bookmark...

Saundra Mitchell · Apr 18, 2007

Keep going, and keep writing! I never landed an agent with my first book, but I did manage to make some connections. The agents that ask you to submit again are priceless finds, and it's SO great when you do eventually have something they love and want to represent. I plowed through about 90 agent queries on my first book, but got an agent within 6 queries on the second. Keep at it!

Azure Skye · Apr 18, 2007

gurnie said:
thank you all for your kind remarks. I wanted to get this rejection out of the way. I dunno, I wasn't really phased to be honest. Kinda like "darn" *snaps fingers*

I just got my first one today and I had the same reaction. Meh. Next!

Now, if I get 10 more of those, I'm sure I won't be snapping my fingers.

Shady Lane · Apr 18, 2007

I got another one yesterday! Kind of sad--I was really into this agent.

Ah well.

LBW66 · Apr 22, 2007

1st rejection

How long did it take Rosemary Stimola to respond to your query? I sent her an email around the end of March.
Laura

infinitus_kaze · Apr 22, 2007

I've read many different sources that have said not to use an agent if you are a new author because they really can't help you that much, but I don't believe that in the least. Looking through the 2007 Writers Market showed that having an agent is a necessity. about 90% of the publishers in the book say that they don't accept unsolicited manuscripts. I assumed, and I think I assumed correctly, that that meant they won't accept manuscripts unless it comes through an agent.

Having an agent can greatly increase the available market for anyone, so I would keep trying to get an agent.

moondance · Apr 23, 2007

infinitus_kaze said:
about 90% of the publishers in the book say that they don't accept unsolicited manuscripts. I assumed, and I think I assumed correctly, that that meant they won't accept manuscripts unless it comes through an agent.

Not quite. These publishers will often accept queries - where you send them a one page letter describing your book. Then if they are interested, they will request a 'partial' (usually first three chapters) - and at that point the submission becomes 'solicited'.

However, you are right in thinking that having an agent is a definite advantage and opens lots of doors for you.

gurnie · Apr 23, 2007

Laura Webber said:
How long did it take Rosemary Stimola to respond to your query? I sent her an email around the end of March.
Laura

Two hours. I suggest sending off an email to see if she received your query.

Julie Worth · Apr 23, 2007

gurnie said:
Two hours. I suggest sending off an email to see if she received your query.

I wouldn't do that. She probably just erased it and promptly forgot about it. Querying her about a query would just be annoying.

My advice: When you use up all the possible agents, retitle your book, rewrite your query, and send it out again to all those non-responders. On several occasions I've gotten partial or full requests the second time around (and once on the third time!).

gurnie · Apr 23, 2007

Julie Worth said:
I wouldn't do that. She probably just erased it and promptly forgot about it. Querying her about a query would just be annoying.

My advice: When you use up all the possible agents, retitle your book, rewrite your query, and send it out again to all those non-responders. On several occasions I've gotten partial or full requests the second time around (and once on the third time!).

I've read on several forums that she has a spam filter. A few times queries were placed into the spam folder. She had no problems with a person emailing her to see if the query had landed in her box. If it went to the spam folder, she would ask the person to resubmit the query.

Considering this particular agent has a record of responding to queries within 24-48 hrs (and in most cases, much faster) it wouldn't be unreasonable to shoot an email over and just ask.

Your risking more by not asking, at least with this agent. This person isn't pestering, just inquiring. Any other agent I'd agree 100%.

Just mail her and see if she received your query. Make it a brief email.

Julie Worth said:
My advice: When you use up all the possible agents, retitle your book, rewrite your query, and send it out again to all those non-responders. On several occasions I've gotten partial or full requests the second time around (and once on the third time!).

Julie did you re-query the person that rejected your query as well (under different book title)

Julie Worth · Apr 23, 2007

gurnie said:
Julie did you re-query the person that rejected your query as well (under different book title)

That's true! And that's when you really need to make it different!

Edit: I thought you were saying I did, and yes, I did requery a few that had rejected me the first time around (with form rejections). And yes, one asked for the full. I would never try that with a personalized rejection, however, unless they invited me to resubmit.

gurnie · Apr 23, 2007

ah, that's interesting. I thought that was a no-no, but when you think of it, if you're new at the whole query letter process your 1st query letter might suck (even though you edited it 80-bajillion times). What are they going to say, no?

Baw-hahahahaha!

1st Rejection

gurnie

Provrb1810meggy

gurnie

Shady Lane

my name is hannah

Toothpaste

THE RECKLESS RESCUE is out now!

Azure Skye

Huh?

Aprylwriter

i am dragon. roar.

Rolling Thunder

Soccer Mom

Crypto-fascist

Dancre

Just have fun.

birdfeeder

gurnie

writerterri

It's a dorky day!

wyntermoon

Saundra Mitchell

Azure Skye

Huh?

Shady Lane

my name is hannah

LBW66

infinitus_kaze

Brutally honest...to a fault

moondance

gurnie

Julie Worth

What? I have a title?

gurnie

Julie Worth

What? I have a title?

gurnie