The Daily Rejection

Erin · Nov 10, 2010

It's been a thankfully quiet week so far!

On the subject of NaNo and January submissions....do you think agents might possibly look at all January subs as "NaNo" submission month and have a bias toward other submissions? I've been wondering this. It takes me a year to write, revise & edit a full length novel (90K words). I plan to start querying my current WIP in January. It never occured to me that I might get lumped into the NaNo crowd.

ETA: I'm not saying that all NaNo subs are bad, but I'm sure there are a lot of bad ones, more so than good ones.

mkcbunny · Nov 10, 2010

Well, after a couple of cricket days, I got a form reject that just makes me sigh.

Not from a "dream agent," in that the person isn't someone I've been A-listing and obsessed with targeting, but someone who fit al the criteria for at least asking for a sample.

It's frustrating. I know it isn't the writing because this was a submission without a sample. And I'm confident that the query pitch itself is good; it's been through query letter hell and received strong agent comments already. The personalization was simple, not fawning, but a mention of a recent book he repped that I liked, one that has a related theme to mine.

So I'm down to three possibilities. (1) The comps I used should have worked for him, but maybe I picked someone he just doesn't like or who is too literary (despite that being what he reps). (2) Maybe he just didn't like the story idea; can't change that if it's not something he'd be into. (3) Maybe he just doesn't think he can sell it; that could be an offshoot of the first option.

I've been pretty good with being excited about hearing from agents even with rejections (vs. the crickets), but I have to admit that this one kind of has me down.

I think I should try a few queries without the comps, especially when there are sample pages that can get the feel across without that. And see if that gets any bites.

Meanwhile, I still have about a half dozen new queries out there, some of which say they take weeks to reply.

Drachen Jager · Nov 10, 2010

mkcbunny said:
So I'm down to three possibilities. (1) The comps I used should have worked for him, but maybe I picked someone he just doesn't like or who is too literary (despite that being what he reps). (2) Maybe he just didn't like the story idea; can't change that if it's not something he'd be into. (3) Maybe he just doesn't think he can sell it; that could be an offshoot of the first option.

(4) He hadn't had his morning coffee yet and was still grumpy. (5) He's not really looking for anything new right now, but if something blows him away he'd still take it on. (6) His wife didn't put out last night so he was auto-rejecting all queries from female authors. (7) He wasn't even the one who rejected it, it was a pimple faced intern who doesn't have the experience to consistently recognize a good thing. (8) The agent is a figment of your imagination, try querying Tyler Durden, I hear he reps your kind of material.

Erin said:
I plan to start querying my current WIP in January. It never occured to me that I might get lumped into the NaNo crowd.

I don't think they assume all January subs are NaNos. I do think many agents are probably less patient in January. Because they have such a pile-up of queries they'd likely be faster on the reject button and give you less time to impress them.

Carleree · Nov 10, 2010

Drachen Jager said:
(4) He hadn't had his morning coffee yet and was still grumpy. (5) He's not really looking for anything new right now, but if something blows him away he'd still take it on. (6) His wife didn't put out last night so he was auto-rejecting all queries from female authors. (7) He wasn't even the one who rejected it, it was a pimple faced intern who doesn't have the experience to consistently recognize a good thing. (8) The agent is a figment of your imagination, try querying Tyler Durden, I hear he reps your kind of material.
QUOTE]

I so needed that this morning. Thanks, DJ! Number 8 had me on the floor.

Phaeal · Nov 10, 2010

I happen to know that Tyler's stable is full at the moment, so don't bother querying him. Unless it's for a soap-making how-to. He can't get enough of those.

I actually got a full rejection with a looong personalized paragraph of market analysis! That's a first, and very generous and thought-provoking. Plus a revise and resub invite at the end. So a bittersweet rejection overall.

At the same time, I got a form that the agent uses for requested material rejections, even though I had just asked whether I could resub a much modified script the agent had seen before. I take that as a pre-emptive strike no.

Carleree · Nov 10, 2010

Phaeal said:
I happen to know that Tyler's stable is full at the moment, so don't bother querying him. Unless it's for a soap-making how-to. He can't get enough of those.

I actually got a full rejection with a looong personalized paragraph of market analysis! That's a first, and very generous and thought-provoking. Plus a revise and resub invite at the end. So a bittersweet rejection overall.

At the same time, I got a form that the agent uses for requested material rejections, even though I had just asked whether I could resub a much modified script the agent had seen before. I take that as a pre-emptive strike no.

Could be worse. At least you're able to resub in the future if you're up to that rewrite.

No one's paying attention to me, but I haven't got anything from my dream agent yet. Maybe tomorrow since it's a holiday.

Newyorkknicks07 · Nov 10, 2010

Did not get into my college of choice. Rejection. :-(

Phaeal · Nov 11, 2010

Newyorkknicks07 said:
Did not get into my college of choice. Rejection. :-(

That's a big one.

Now's not the time for you to hear it, I know, but take it from one who's been there (more than once): bring the right stuff, and you'll do fine wherever you go.

Hathor · Nov 11, 2010

I don't know if it helps to hear it right now, but neither of my children were accepted by their early decision schools. But they ended up perfectly happy where they did go and their lives turned out just fine.

Some colleges are very hard to get into, even with what seem to be perfect credentials.

Be sure to apply somewhere you are sure to get in; that can take a lot of the pressure off as you wait to hear about your regular decision applications.

There is always trying to transfer somewhere else after a year or two if you end up at your safety school and don't like it.

Erin · Nov 11, 2010

Newyorkknicks07 said:
Did not get into my college of choice. Rejection. :-(

Sorry to hear that. I hope you get into your 2nd choice. :Hug2:

joeyc · Nov 11, 2010

I've been checking my email every five minutes now.

Hell, I'm leaving Gmail open at this point.

Going those few months without querying (while probably a good idea) have absolutely killed me with the patience.

(Three queries sent out since Sunday, 2 of them supposedly fast responders, still nothing. Not to mention three outstanding from way back in March/April.)

Erin · Nov 11, 2010

svart1ngr said:
I've been checking my email every five minutes now.

Hell, I'm leaving Gmail open at this point.

Going those few months without querying (while probably a good idea) have absolutely killed me with the patience.

(Three queries sent out since Sunday, 2 of them supposedly fast responders, still nothing. Not to mention three outstanding from way back in March/April.)

I've had a requested full out since last December and it's still under consideration according to my last status check. That has taught me a world of patience!

cmi0616 · Nov 11, 2010

I hooked up with a girl last week, and so I called her today. She wants it to stay "a one time thing". Rejection!

EagerReader · Nov 11, 2010

Erin, I love your new avatar and excuse me, but LAST DECEMBER! That's criminal. I suppose I can't complain. But, I probably will.

Crickets today.

Drachen Jager · Nov 11, 2010

cmi0616 said:
I hooked up with a girl last week, and so I called her today. She wants it to stay "a one time thing". Rejection!

At least she requested a partial. Or was it a full?

Erin · Nov 11, 2010

EagerReader said:
Erin, I love your new avatar and excuse me, but LAST DECEMBER! That's criminal. I suppose I can't complain. But, I probably will.

Crickets today.

Thanks!

I know, December is ridiculous, and I've already sort of trunked that book since I haven't gotten any agent love. I can't even query that agent on the book I'm querying now!

Crickets for me today, too.

Phaeal · Nov 12, 2010

cmi0616 said:
I hooked up with a girl last week, and so I called her today. She wants it to stay "a one time thing". Rejection!

I wonder if she has form letters:

Dear Hook-Up:

Thanks for thinking of me. However, your services are not what I'm looking for at this time. The meat market is very competitive at the moment, and I can only date those about whose work I feel passionate.

Hooking up is a highly subjective process, and some other girl may feel differently.

Wishing you the best of luck, etc.

Duchessmary · Nov 12, 2010

Just a preview of my day.

Hathor · Nov 12, 2010

Three straight days of crickets. Still a huge number of queries out as well as a bunch of proposals and one full.

I did work out a tricky dialogue section in my WIP though so it wasn't a wasted day. (Or I think I worked it out. I'm refusing to reread anything until I reach The End.)

In my inexperience, I realized I have plotted a novela rather than a novel. I'm getting through my outline too quickly. So I'm throwing more plot into the mix and winging it. I know where I want to end up but ... :Shrug:

I may need to bring some space aliens into my cozy mystery before I finish. I guess they can use some mind probes and figure out who is guilty of what. :roll:

Have a fun weekend everyone.

Drachen Jager · Nov 12, 2010

Good news!

A whole week without responses.

Wait... No news is still good news right?

Carleree · Nov 12, 2010

I certianly hope so, DJ, because my dream agent is still holding out. I'm wondering how long I can wait before turning into a pumpkin. Stick a fork in me, dream agent, I'm done!

Carleree · Nov 12, 2010

Okay. I'm an idiot. I freely admit that now. It turns out I had the dates wrong in my head. Just checked my list and it's NEXT week I'm supposed to hear back. I guess I can stop panicking. I have a few days before I'm supposed to be feeling like this.

SarahP · Nov 12, 2010

*plonk*

That's the sound of another rejection hitting the can.

joeyc · Nov 12, 2010

Crickets for me.

I'm getting paranoid, especially when "fast responders" don't seem to be as fast as everyone says. (You know, like a day or two.)

plaidearthworm · Nov 12, 2010

Sent three queries this week, received the second rejection today. From the agent's assistant. Joy. I think this is why desks have enough room for whiskey bottles in the bottom drawer.

The Daily Rejection

Listening to my other selves

Bufflehead

Professor of applied misanthropy

Queen of Catastrophes

Whatever I did, I didn't do it.

Queen of Catastrophes

It's open to interpretation

Whatever I did, I didn't do it.

Goddess of Rationalization

Listening to my other selves

Listening to my other selves

commaholic and adverb junkie

Professor of applied misanthropy

Listening to my other selves

Whatever I did, I didn't do it.

Where I want to be

Goddess of Rationalization

Professor of applied misanthropy

Queen of Catastrophes

Queen of Catastrophes

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