Rejection On Manuscript - Need Feedback

Well, to start off, do you think it's good the way it is?

Saying 'not engaged as much as I hoped' by anything is a pretty standard, formy thing for an agent to say, and I wouldn't consider changing your work unless you heard this more than once or had doubts about it yourself. Other writers, though, prefer to go all out and make changes based on every snippet of feedback they receive. This works for some, but it is my opinion that it's not only time consuming, but also dangerous.

I'm probably not being very helpful here, but the bottom line is: if you've only heard this the once, be honest with yourself and follow your honesty, not the agents who reject you.

Flowergirl, let me preface what I'm about to say by stating that the agent's opinion is just that--an opinion. What one agent doesn't find engaging, another may well eat up.

Unfortunately, voice is perhaps the hardest thing for a writer to correct, as it's neither right nor wrong. It simply is. Unlike plot development, pacing and characterization--things that can be tweeked into perfection by moving things around, cutting and adding--the voice of a piece is the tone and sound of the words strung together, and this isn't something that can simply be fixed. It's what the whole piece sounds like in the reader's head. Some voices grab a reader from the first sentence and draw them in immediately. Others aren't so strong, but the plot or characters may be so engrossing that voice becomes secondary.

In my opinion, voice is most important when writing in first person. If the piece doesn't sound like someone is talking to you--and talking in a manner that makes you want to listen--then something is wrong. When writing in first person, the voice of the main character must also accurately reflect that character's background, education, age, outlook on life, etc. The voice of a southern factory worker would be much different than someone working on Wallstreet.

Writing in third person is a bit different, as the voice is essentially that of the author (his writing voice as opposed to his speaking voice). And once again, some people are going to like the sound while others do not.

If you like the voice and believe in the piece, keep sending it out. You may also consider posting a bit of it on SYW for feedback.

Hi, flowergirl, and welcome to Absolute Write - hope you stick around!

Basically, I agree with Hedgetrimmer - if your manuscript is in the first person, then voice is much more critical than it is if you've written it in the third person. However saying that, it's possible to strike a 'tone' with third person perspective - e.g. to give a standard Harry Potter example, J. K. Rowling writes in the third person with a dry sense of humour that comes through in some of her descriptions and dialogue. Holly Black, by contrast, gives her prose a lyrical, almost dreamy quality when it comes to setting up a scene (that's not to say she hasn't got a sense of humour, but it's not what I automatically think of when I think of her work).

I'd recommend putting some of your work on SYW for feedback, alternatively get someone you know and trust to read it (someone who isn't going to tell you what you want to hear) and see what they say.

In any event, I wouldn't go rushing to make revisions based on one agent's opinion - it could be that the next agent you submit to loves the 'voice' of your manuscript as is and doesn't want changes. If you're nervous, then get a third party opinion before touching it.

MM

Sounds like a form rejection to me. Sorry.

Voice is a very subjective thing. If you feel pleased with what you have, then just chalk it up as not the right agent for you and query others.

I agree with Soccer Mom. Be true to yourself, and your work. The 'voice' of your story is essentially who you are, and it is what makes your writing different from anybody else's.
Good Luck!
-TL

It's probably a form reject, or very close to it.

You may want to post a bit on the Share Your Work board and ask specifically about voice. One thing you might see is that people respond very differently to voice.

Does the agent who had your manuscript represent things that you admire? How would you compare the voice with that of your story? This may not even be relevant, but if she or he seems to sell super-sarcastic stuff or super-sweet stuff and you write the opposite, that could be the issue. Or it could just be they started reading and didn't "fall in love" happens with agents and readers in bookstores every day! Good luck!