Asked to submit partial... and I don't want to

[Queen of Swords]

I have been procrastinating about this for half the day. I sent an e-query to a good literary agency and received an e-mail asking that I upload the first 30 or so pages of my novel to a webpage. The problem is that I'm really reluctant to do so. I've done my best with the novel, and I try for gripping opening scenes, and it's been read and critiqued, etc. etc. But I'm afraid that if I submit the partial, I'll get an e-rejection, and then my last memory of the agency will be the e-negative instead of the e-positive. And then I will be e-sad.

/me sighs and buckles down to check the first 30 pages for the twentieth time before submission.

[SpookyWriter]

Just hit the send button and then go lay down for a while. If after twenty minutes you don't get an automated rejection then you're part of the way home. Good luck!

[RitrChick]

Let it go, Queen of Swords. This is what you've been working for! :)

And you might just be e-thrilled when you get an e-request for a full, then you get a contract and a big sale. And then you'll feel e-silly for worrying!

Go for it! :D Fingers crossed!

[janetbellinger]

I'd be spraining both my wrists hitting the send button on the webpage.

I have been procrastinating about this for half the day. I sent an e-query to a good literary agency and received an e-mail asking that I upload the first 30 or so pages of my novel to a webpage. The problem is that I'm really reluctant to do so. I've done my best with the novel, and I try for gripping opening scenes, and it's been read and critiqued, etc. etc. But I'm afraid that if I submit the partial, I'll get an e-rejection, and then my last memory of the agency will be the e-negative instead of the e-positive. And then I will be e-sad.

/me sighs and buckles down to check the first 30 pages for the twentieth time before submission.

[Siddow]

How about this: If you don't send it, I'm coming after you with a pointy stick.

[waylander]

JFDI

[kristie911]

JFDI

I second this motion!

Do it! NOW. :)

[MelodyO]

The very first time I hit SEND my hands were grossly sweaty and my stomach hurt so bad I had to lie down afterward. And...it got rejected.

Yet here I am! Alive! Relatively happy! Hoping to eat ice cream this afternoon! No matter what happens, you'll be okay. Promise. ::makes you a cone::

[MidnightMuse]

Isn't submitting part of the reason you're writing? You're gonna get pied in the face before you learn to eat it and enjoy, so JF'ing DI already.

I'm sending out a partial request today myself - my only hesitation is in the double, triple and quadruple-checking all the details to make DANG sure I'm doing this exactly right, dotting all my T's, crossing all my I's and . . . oh, wait -- well anyway, Just Do It.

[aliajohnson]

The very first time I hit SEND my hands were grossly sweaty and my stomach hurt so bad I had to lie down afterward. And...it got rejected.

Yet here I am! Alive! Relatively happy! Hoping to eat ice cream this afternoon! No matter what happens, you'll be okay. Promise. ::makes you a cone::


Ditto. My first submission was an e-query and I got a form e-rejection less than 48 hours later. My first full request was rejected as well. In the end, the fear and anticipation was worse than the actual "no thanks." That sucked too, but not as much as I'd anticipated.

Now do it! :Hug2:I promise its survivable.

[Tish Davidson]

I have been procrastinating about this for half the day. I sent an e-query to a good literary agency and received an e-mail asking that I upload the first 30 or so pages of my novel to a webpage. The problem is that I'm really reluctant to do so. I've done my best with the novel, and I try for gripping opening scenes, and it's been read and critiqued, etc. etc. But I'm afraid that if I submit the partial, I'll get an e-rejection, and then my last memory of the agency will be the e-negative instead of the e-positive. And then I will be e-sad.

/me sighs and buckles down to check the first 30 pages for the twentieth time before submission.


And you're not going to be sad if the book never gets published because you were too chicken to send out a partial?

[Silver King]

Queen, stop being such a big e-baby.

Think of all the folks here who have never been asked for a partial. I'd bet they wish they could trade places with you...

[SpookyWriter]

Queen, stop being such a big e-baby.

Think of all the folks here who have never been asked for a partial. I'd bet they wish they could trade places with you...Hey, speak for yourself buddy. :D

[Queen of Swords]

IFDI.

But it took me about an hour, poring over the first 35 pages... and I'm glad I did, because I spotted a typo in a character's name. Anyway, that's taken care of. So thanks for the e-support, guys. :) I would have sent the partial anyway (eventually), but it's good to have people cheering or spurring you on.

Getting query letters rejected doesn't sting as much as partials or worse, the full manuscript, being turned down. But you pick yourself up and keep going.

[Sean D. Schaffer]

I have been procrastinating about this for half the day. I sent an e-query to a good literary agency and received an e-mail asking that I upload the first 30 or so pages of my novel to a webpage. The problem is that I'm really reluctant to do so. I've done my best with the novel, and I try for gripping opening scenes, and it's been read and critiqued, etc. etc. But I'm afraid that if I submit the partial, I'll get an e-rejection, and then my last memory of the agency will be the e-negative instead of the e-positive. And then I will be e-sad.

/me sighs and buckles down to check the first 30 pages for the twentieth time before submission.


Don't be that way, Queen of Swords. Let the agency decide whether or not they like it. A lot of us get afraid when we're about to take a big plunge, but if you don't, you'll never know whether or not that agency would have represented your work.

Like others have said, don't be afraid to click the 'send' button. And stop worrying.

[MelodyO]

Good luck, Queen of Swords! We're all rooting for you. :Hug2:

IFDI.

But it took me about an hour, poring over the first 35 pages... and I'm glad I did, because I spotted a typo in a character's name. Anyway, that's taken care of. So thanks for the e-support, guys. :) I would have sent the partial anyway (eventually), but it's good to have people cheering or spurring you on.

Getting query letters rejected doesn't sting as much as partials or worse, the full manuscript, being turned down. But you pick yourself up and keep going.

[Jersey Chick]

I sent out an e-query last fall and received a rejection in about an hour - which must be some sort of record.

It stung - but you just go down the list. Don't let fear of rejection hold you back because then you'll never realize what you've been working towards - publication. Can't be published if you don't submit.

Now, take a deep breath, crack your knuckles, and hit send. Or else I'm also coming after you with a pointy stick. A really. Pointy. Stick.

[Elektra]

Kristin gave me an answer on my partial really, really quickly, so at least you won't have to agonize for long! (Though she might take more time when the answer isn't a rejection).

[Queen of Swords]

Kristin gave me an answer on my partial

Wow. I didn't even mention the agency's name but you guessed it.

/puts on an aluminium hat.

[Nakhlasmoke]

I am always ready for rejection, that way, if i ever get an acceptance it will be a happy surprise.

Hit send. And forget about it.

[maestrowork]

Life is full of disappointments. Deal with them.

As for acceptance, remember: All you need is one.

[Elektra]

Wow. I didn't even mention the agency's name but you guessed it.

/puts on an aluminium hat.

Uploading 30 pages is pretty distinctive. However, my satellite surveillence system helps, too. Muhahahahaha!

[zahra]

Yeah, but I know how QOS feels. BBC guy loved my short. He said I should send him more stuff. But it's like I want to dance around with the 'he likes my work!' feeling, before the 'no, he doesn't' feeling cuts in for its waltz.

I think QOS has identified an interesting phase in the writer's emotional journey.

But, yeah, send the damn thing.

[waylander]

So what happened QoS?

[Queen of Swords]

So what happened QoS?

She rejected it. *bawl* I still wonder every now and then if there's something wrong with the chapter that I haven't noticed.

[rubarbb]

Why did you sent the query in the first place...go for it and what happens happens...

[rubarbb]

Keep trying, do a re-write if you must, but do it...

[rugcat]

She rejected it. *bawl* I still wonder every now and then if there's something wrong with the chapter that I haven't noticed.When I was sending partials out, some agents said, "I love it, send the ms." Some said, "I like it, but I don't think it's right for me." Some said, "Sorry, it just didn't grab me." Some sent form rejections. Some never replied.

If you assume a rejection means there's something wrong with it you'll lose your mind trying to figure out what it is.

If you get thirty rejections of your partial, you might want to reassess.

[Maryn]

Wise words, rugcat.

Maryn, safe because she hasn't even written the query letter yet

[Sean D. Schaffer]

She rejected it. *bawl* I still wonder every now and then if there's something wrong with the chapter that I haven't noticed.


Keep sending it out. Perhaps another agent will accept it.

Like Rugcat points out, unless you've gotten a lot of rejections on the partial, you shouldn't be too worried about there being something wrong with your piece.

I wish you the very best of success with your work. Good luck!

:)

[jordijoy]

Think I'll go and count rejection letters, I might just have thirty. I have two MS I'm querying about. Some days it's hard to keep up with who rejected what.

[Sean D. Schaffer]

Snipped ... I have two MS I'm querying about. Some days it's hard to keep up with who rejected what.

I keep track of my submissions, acceptances, and rejections on little cards I tack to a cork board above my typewriter stand. It's easy to maintain, and it's also easy to reference when I've just received a rejection or an acceptance.

What I do is write the title of the piece submitted at the top of the card, and the word count for further ease of referencing. Then I write three columns, which say 'Submitted', 'Accepted', and 'Rejected'. I put the company I've submitted to in the 'Submitted' column, and then when I get a response, I check whichever of the other two columns corresponds to the response I got.

Of course, it can be made more complicated when talking about novel submissions. I use the system I just described for short stories, and it seems to work well that way.

But in any case, if you are unorganized like I usually am, perhaps you can find a simple method of keeping track of your submissions, such as an Index Card or a piece of paper with the needed information thereon.


I hope this helps you out, Jordijoy, and best wishes with your continued submissions and writing.

:)

[barleybree]

Hey Queen,

Here's a hug. Some (successful!) writer once said, (don't remember who) "You ain't a real writer until you can paper a room with rejection letters!" I wouldn't agonize too much over your chapter. We could all drive ourselves nuts with tweaking. Why not have someone who can give you some honest feedback/ constructive criticism take a look at it? Be gentle with yourself, and then keep on submitting! All it takes is one "Yes"!

[Queen of Swords]

Thanks, everyone. :) I got another request for a partial for another novel, so I feel good about that. And I'll still keep querying about the first novel. It's only been rejected about seven or eight times now - it's still good to go.

[Lauri B]

QoS,
I have an agent, and I send her new ideas, and proposals with sample chapters all the time. I'd say she rejects about 40% of them because they arent' marketable, they are vague, the timing isn't right for that kind of book, whatever. You have to keep moving forward. There may well be something wrong with the chapter you sent, but it may also simply be that the concept or the book itself just wasn't right for that particular agent at that particular time. Maybe your genre isn't selling quickly right now; maybe she already has a project that's too similar to yours to sell both.

My best advice is to try not to hold your writing too close to your heart, especially if you want to make a career of being published. Keep sending out your current work, but definitely be working on another one right now. And start outlining for the one after that, too. The more work you have to show, the more likely something will sell.
Good luck!

[Captain Morgan]

I have been procrastinating about this for half the day.

My problem is procrastinating too much too. What a small world!

[Toxic_Waste]

My problem is procrastinating too much too. What a small world!

Oh, but Captain Morgan, I beg to differ. Your problem is not procrastination. It is more like the failure to see a project to its completion due to fear. If you finish something, then you will have to risk criticism. If you doubt this, think back to the magazine articles you had published. You lived in fear that someone would write a letter to the editor complaining about something you wrote.

And if it wasn't that, it was fear that the editor or publisher or fellow writers would not think it was good enough. But didn't I remind you that publishers aren't going to publish crap just so writers will feel good about themselves? They aren't in the business of making you feel good.

In your case, procrastination is just a side effect of fear. But again, you are not alone in this respect. Have more faith in yourself.

[Shara]

QoS, you must persevere! Keep sending. When a rejection comes back, just send it out again.

The last rejection I had, the agent said the plot was 'too slow'. I got very depressed and thought maybe she was right, it wasn't working. But then the next agent I heard from said she really liked what I had sent her and asked to read the whole thing. Often it's just a matter of opinion.

I am still waiting to hear from the latter agent, BTW.

Shara

[Bufty]

Could just be as simple a reason as 'not her cup of tea'. Unless she said why, don't sweat over it.

She rejected it. *bawl* I still wonder every now and then if there's something wrong with the chapter that I haven't noticed.