The Daily Rejection

You go, girl!

If anyone's looking for contests, there's one on Monday on Mother, Write, Repeat for Bridget Smith who covers Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, New Adult, Science Fiction, Women's Fiction and Young Adult. First 20 entries get in so you need to hit the message window on the dot!

Samantha, Hathor gave a really good run-down. You don't want to query agents and small presses at the same time. I think your choice also depends on what kind of business model you want to have for yourself and whether writing is a hobby that you'd like to make a little money on or something you want to be pursuing full-time.

Drachen, That's a great ratio!

I think I might go back to QLH for my query. It's not getting me a very good response rate and I'm just not happy that it represents my ms. *sigh* Not sure what to do at this point. I've gotten two QLH-approved queries for this ms out of QLH and neither is doing much for me.

c.e.lawson said:

You go, girl!

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Perhaps. The pertinent question is where?

I didn't get any responses to my query blitz in the last three days. I'm not sure if that means something good.

Good contest, DJ. I wish I could squeeze my book into one of those genres. I suppose it's too late to insert that time-traveling unicorn into my book.

MQ, I'm beginning to fear that QLH approval may not be enough. My fiction query evolved there (and even passed colors with the Query Shark) but I'm not being deluged with requests. I don't know what to suggest -- maybe step away for a few days and try to look at your query and manuscript cold?

On the bright side, the contractors are on their way to paint the grout! (inserted comment so that ams will get action in her inbox)

Put on my big girl panties and started querying the new MS today. Put 8 out there so far.

Are even-numbered days the good days?

Not in my original formulation, but you are free to develop your own psychological schedule. I figured that optimism would be odd for me, so I designated the odd-numbered days for cheery thought.

Good to start querying on any day, though

Yes! Made it into the "An Agent's Mailbox" contest. *fingers crossed* that my shiny new query and shiny new 250 words are enticing.

Oh, the nervousness.

Good luck!

You get query feedback even if she rejects it in that contest, right?

Good luck, Samantha! The agent doing it this time is fantastic, IMO.

56 day form R from Asimov's.

I'll crack it... one day.

LOL, Hathor! For not having sent queries since April, my Inbox was on fire last week. Three more fulls. And yet.....STILL no revision notes for R&R number 2. Gargh.

I think I'm just about done revising for number one at least. Just debating whether to send it to betas, or trusting that I hit the parts she wanted and send it off. Might end up flipping a coin, honestly.

Good luck, Samantha!

Amy--that's awesome!

williemeikle said:

56 day form R from Asimov's.

I'll crack it... one day.

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Good luck. I cracked Amazing Stories but never Asimov's. Analog showed no kindness either.

You will crack it.

tri

Drachen Jager said:

You get query feedback even if she rejects it in that contest, right?

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Yes, a line or two, at least.

I was going to query her anyway, so this is a bonus for me. Thanks for the tip.

I got a partial request! Yeah!
It's just a partial, but it's my first request for anything ever, so I'm going to do a little and remember this feeling--the good feeling.

krashnburn said:

I got a partial request! Yeah!
It's just a partial, but it's my first request for anything ever, so I'm going to do a little and remember this feeling--the good feeling.

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JUST a partial? Pages are never "just." Enjoy! Be excited! And resist obsessively checking your Inbox for news once you send. That way leads to carpel tunnel.

Oh, and one more time:

I have a non-response question:

I queried Jenny Bent two weeks ago. Her website says that she responds to all queries, and if a writer doesn't hear back, to send again. I figure that I will give her at least a full additional week to respond (in case she's backed up from the 4th) before querying her again. At that time, I will use my new and hopefully much-improved query letter. However, would it be better to just resend a query with no reference to the previous one, or should I mention I'd submitted before? Thanks.

Two weeks? Give it at least two months!

And you should never nudge, or send updated anything unless the agent has requested material and even then, three months is the rule of thumb for nudges. The only exception is when the agency has it clearly stated on their website that it's okay to nudge after X amount of time.

Drachen Jager said:

Two weeks? Give it at least two months!

And you should never nudge, or send updated anything unless the agent has requested material and even then, three months is the rule of thumb for nudges. The only exception is when the agency has it clearly stated on their website that it's okay to nudge after X amount of time.

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Jenny Bent's website, I believe (though I have to double check), says that she responds to all queries, so if someone hasn't heard from her in two weeks, to resend the query. I'm fine waiting for two months, but I just wanted to know the protocol.

Follow the guidelines on the page then. It says a month though, and it says you should re-send the query with a note that you're sending it again (I think it's fine to adjust the query in this case).

Normally it's polite to give them an extra week or two after the expiry on those sorts of deadlines.

Hi, my name is Brigid and I have received 75 form rejects, innumerable "no answer means no" rejects, and (after I cut my query letter down to under 150 words) 1 reject on a full.

Then I got picked up by a small trade ePublisher and will be signing a contract shortly.

You can do eet!

Brn2bwild said:

I have a non-response question:

I queried Jenny Bent two weeks ago. Her website says that she responds to all queries, and if a writer doesn't hear back, to send again. I figure that I will give her at least a full additional week to respond (in case she's backed up from the 4th) before querying her again. At that time, I will use my new and hopefully much-improved query letter. However, would it be better to just resend a query with no reference to the previous one, or should I mention I'd submitted before? Thanks.

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She rejected me right away, within hours, as a matter of fact. It's July, was recently a holiday, it's vacation time, etc. When you resubmit, keep QUERY: TITLE in the subject line. Some agents will reject just because you don't follow the guidelines.

On her submission guidelines (here: http://www.thebentagency.com/submission.php) she says to wait a month. So wait a month.

While you wait for her response, work on your query letter and start listing other agents and publishers you would like to send queries to.

krashnburn said:

I got a partial request! Yeah!
It's just a partial, but it's my first request for anything ever, so I'm going to do a little and remember this feeling--the good feeling.

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Congrats! And no matter what, you floated to the top of someone's slush pile!

Congrats, krashn!

No news here but for a form R, a new "heavied up" electrical panel, and one less tooth and a bone graft (plus some plastic thingie and annoying putty stuck in my mouth). The drugs aren't working near well enough.

Send me virtual booze. I can't have any of the real stuff.

Hathor said:

Congrats, krashn!

No news here but for a form R, a new "heavied up" electrical panel, and one less tooth and a bone graft (plus some plastic thingie and annoying putty stuck in my mouth). The drugs aren't working near well enough.

Send me virtual booze. I can't have any of the real stuff.

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Rum, whiskey, or vodka? Or all three?