The Daily Rejection

Stiiiiiil nothin.

I feel like I've missed out on a bunch of good news, so congrats to anyone I didn't say congrats too!

Cochinay said:

I've found different definitions, but guess its clear that young adult doesn't include novels directed toward YAs as a target audience unless other factors exist such as a coming of age or quirky black sheep, or other off kilter theme.

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I had a rejection like that and it annoyed the hell outta me. She said my main character was "too mature" for YA -- which I completely disagree with. I even went and did research to prove (to myself) that it still made sense for YA. The idea of it all still bothers me though.

WendyN said:

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Who is it that's telling you what YA is and isn't? You may be interested in checking out this blog post by an awesome agent (not that I'm biased or anything) explaining the difference between Adult and YA

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I've always thought your agent is super-cool btw. I love her blog's theme! Anyway~!

I remember reading that post years ago. I tried to take it all in, but since I write in 3rd person POV it's hard to adapt. I mean, I try to make everything ego-centric but, well, you know, doubts.

Carleree said:

Her review was scathing. I mean scathing. She compared it to 50 Shades, and since there isn't any sex in it, I can only assume she meant the writing was THAT bad.

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WTH? I'd save it for when you get published you can whip it out and laugh maniacally.

I dunno. I'm weird.

QueenofLALALand said:

No guilt for me! I read all of the Twilight books, and I am not ashamed.

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Same here. Though I'll admit I feel like an anti-hipster hipster for it.

haha. He sounds like a keeper Carleree!

QueenofLALALand said:

haha. He sounds like a keeper Carleree!

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He's the best girlfriend I ever had. Bahahahahaha!

Antonin said:

Stiiiiiil nothin.

I feel like I've missed out on a bunch of good news, so congrats to anyone I didn't say congrats too!



I had a rejection like that and it annoyed the hell outta me. She said my main character was "too mature" for YA -- which I completely disagree with. I even went and did research to prove (to myself) that it still made sense for YA. The idea of it all still bothers me though.



I've always thought your agent is super-cool btw. I love her blog's theme! Anyway~!

I remember reading that post years ago. I tried to take it all in, but since I write in 3rd person POV it's hard to adapt. I mean, I try to make everything ego-centric but, well, you know, doubts.



WTH? I'd save it for when you get published you can whip it out and laugh maniacally.

I dunno. I'm weird.



Same here. Though I'll admit I feel like an anti-hipster hipster for it.

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I am definitely saving the rejection. Definitely.

And I love your line, anti-hipster hipster. Fabulous.

Great article about YA too.

krashnburn said:

I will admit, I was totally into the first one. But as they went on, it got worse for me. By the time I hit the fourth book, the eye-rolling didn't stop. I went to see the movies with friends who were ga-ga for Edward (I would be team Jacob, and now I'm rolling my eyes at myself), and I was actually pleasantly surprised by how they managed some of it.

PS Carleree, cognrats on the revenge full and that totally negates at least 10 Rs. Totally.

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Thank you I'm Team Jacob too, but only because Edward is creepy. I would be horrified if my daughter had a bf like him.

WendyN said:

Hathor - I'll admit I missed the sanctity/sanctimony thing... pretty sure my brain must have just read the word that should have been there rather than the one that actually was. Like how somehow the use of a wrong homophone made it into a very popular author's published book without anyone ever noticing (it's really been bugging me).
Or you could just keep it as is for the humor/irony

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You didn't miss a thing because this is in a scene with Hera that wasn't in the draft you read.

Since P is trying to get H's assistance, I'm not sure P would throw in a joke that might backfire.

Still, I'm tempted

Congrats, Carleree on the Full request. The first time I saw the term "revenge query" I was like YEAH, BABY! And I sent my share, believe me. The other day I shared with Wendy a Ted Talks video of Angela Lee Duckworth talking about the importance of grit. Grit is what you want, what you need, and how you'll get there. It's worth a view.

http://www.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duckworth_the_key_to_success_grit

Carleree said:

Agent who had two of my novels has rejected the first. Her review was scathing. I mean scathing. She compared it to 50 Shades, and since there isn't any sex in it, I can only assume she meant the writing was THAT bad.

She said she'd review my other novel separately. Don't know if that means she's read it and is writing another horrifying rejection, or if she hasn't got to it yet.

New super agent who wanted the monster synopsis wrote back with more directions. Sent it off at 2 this morning. Fingers crossed he doesn't think I write like E. L. James.

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Missed this yesterday--sorry about the nasty comments! I wouldn't take them too much to heart. Some people just don't like certain styles of writing. She didn't have to be biting about it, though.

ETA: Also, DragonShark, I got your PM. Good stuff! I won't reply by PM because my box is 99% full . . .

I'm behind! UGH for Carleree, I agree with the others- no need to be that nasty in a rejection, and wooooo for the full request!

I have not read Twilight or any of the 50 shades books. No thanks!

Possible-agent is out of the office until tomorrow. I should hear back from her by the end of the week, I think with the final answer. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!

HoldinHolden said:

I'm behind! UGH for Carleree, I agree with the others- no need to be that nasty in a rejection, and wooooo for the full request!

I have not read Twilight or any of the 50 shades books. No thanks!

Possible-agent is out of the office until tomorrow. I should hear back from her by the end of the week, I think with the final answer. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!

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My fingers and toes are crossed for you!

I haven't been around, sorry guys, my brother's death anniversary.

I missed a lot didn't I? Darn it. Okay, congrats to all who got requests and sorry for all your rejections dears. <3

Oh, and Carleree, OMG CONGRATS FOR THE FULL REQUEST. And oh my God, that agent sounds terrible I mean, if you wanna reject and criticize, fine, but saying all those things and comparing the MS with a HORRIBLE HORRIBLE book like 50 Shades? It's disrespectful! :/

OMG I know who the agent is!!

And I read the first 50 shades book and too bad it was a PDF version (which fortunately I hadn't paid for) because I really wanted to burn it and I couldn't burn my laptop.

As for Twilight, I read the whole thing and it's just a passing forgettable entertainment with an annoying MC, and a looooot of flaws and the last book is just immoral in so many ways.

As for ME, I got another request, and a rejection from one of my favorite agents, >_<

I also got another personal very sweet rejection from an agent I admire.

Well.

Maxtina James ASB said:

I haven't been around, sorry guys, my brother's death anniversary.

I missed a lot didn't I? Darn it. Okay, congrats to all who got requests and sorry for all your rejections dears. <3

Oh, and Carleree, OMG CONGRATS FOR THE FULL REQUEST. And oh my God, that agent sounds terrible I mean, if you wanna reject and criticize, fine, but saying all those things and comparing the MS with a HORRIBLE HORRIBLE book like 50 Shades? It's disrespectful! :/

OMG I know who the agent is!!

And I read the first 50 shades book and too bad it was a PDF version (which fortunately I hadn't paid for) because I really wanted to burn it and I couldn't burn my laptop.

As for Twilight, I read the whole thing and it's just a passing forgettable entertainment with an annoying MC, and a looooot of flaws and the last book is just immoral in so many ways.

As for ME, I got another request, and a rejection from one of my favorite agents, >_<

I also got another personal very sweet rejection from an agent I admire.

Well.

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Thanks, hon. Keep your chin up and remember everyone gets rejected. Congrats on the request!!

I read Twilight and was honestly given enough hours of light entertainment that I barely even noticed the flaws. Whatevs.

In any case, a partial for my prerevolutionary-France WIP has turned into a full request, so, yay! I'm pretty pleased about that.

Still no word on the revise-and-resubmit of my Antebellum WIP #1. (Antebellum WIP #2 is being revised--slowly--and growing. It's at 103k now, but there ARE four main characters with intertwining storylines, and it ain't easy to fit all that into less than 110k.)

Which kind of begs the question (so to speak): what if one agent offers to rep one project and the other offers to rep the other? It's purely hypothetical, since I don't know that I'll get an offer an either. But, what if . . . ? I don't quite know I'd handle that situation.

angeliz2k said:

I read Twilight and was honestly given enough hours of light entertainment that I barely even noticed the flaws. Whatevs.

In any case, a partial for my prerevolutionary-France WIP has turned into a full request, so, yay! I'm pretty pleased about that.

Still no word on the revise-and-resubmit of my Antebellum WIP #1. (Antebellum WIP #2 is being revised--slowly--and growing. It's at 103k now, but there ARE four main characters with intertwining storylines, and it ain't easy to fit all that into less than 110k.)

Which kind of begs the question (so to speak): what if one agent offers to rep one project and the other offers to rep the other? It's purely hypothetical, since I don't know that I'll get an offer an either. But, what if . . . ? I don't quite know I'd handle that situation.

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My plan was to go with the book I wanted to sell the most, and hope the signing agent would look at the other MS. Congrats on the request!

Thanks, Carleree.

Also, to backtrack . . . I'm surprised folks are unfamiliar with "citius, altius, fortius" or "faster, higher, stronger". I suppose I AM more interested in the Olympics than your av-er-age bear. I can name all the summer host cities from 1968 onwards, for instance. But I thought citius, altius, fortius was common knowledge. Then, I also thought Why Don't We Do it in the Road was common knowledge, too. See what I meant, Hathor, when I said I wasn't a good gauge for what references your readers might be familiar with? Too many silly little facts stuck in this frazzled brain of mine...

Even so, I think there are plenty of folks my age with a similar knowledge base. I work with some of them (they rock). I believe the vulgar (read: common) term is "nerd".

I'm glad some get some of my references. I did take out the one to Queen for a Day because I don't think a single beta got it. My husband thought the reference was funny, anyway.

Doing it in the road also bit the dust.

My read-through today disclosed a plot discontinuity. Ack! P swears on the Styx she will act a certain way, which she does... except when she was talking to Medea. It took me an inordinate amount of time to come up with a fix that wasn't lame.

That's the sort of thing that happens when you're a pantser. It scares me I never noticed this problem before, though. Makes me wonder what else needs reworking that I don't realize yet.

Congrats to those with new requests!

Good luck, HH!

Thanks, angeliz! And good luck on the new full request.

Sorry about the Rs Maxtina, but a big wahoo! for you request.



Also, for your brother

I'm hearing the cricket song on five major mag articles and about eight novel subs. Agent should be by with a monthly report. But it's been kind of quiet, which is okay. Gives me a chance to meet strict deadlines with freelance science articles.

tri

I finally finished the first draft of WIP!!! I'm starting to feel pretty good about it. It needs a ton of clean up, but I think it's fun. The one thing I'm worried about is that it came in just shy of 40k and I know I'll edit out at least 5k, and 35k for upper MG seems on the low side. Maybe the plot muse will smack me over the head with something clever that can add another 5-10k.

Had a bunch of short story replies roll in yesterday - I think I ended up with one form R, two personalized Rs (one made it to the final round, another the editor loved but it didn't fit with the other stories they were publishing -- so close!) and one which basically pans out to being a R&R (which I've never gotten for a short story before).


Hathor - I feel better knowing I didn't actually miss that reference

Maxtina - Congrats on the request!

Liz - I'd treat it as if you'd had two offers of rep on the same book... go with the agent you feel would be a better fit, which one is more enthusiastic about your career as a whole.

krash - WOooooo! Yay for finishing up your first draft! Awesome!

krashnburn said:

I finally finished the first draft of WIP!!! I'm starting to feel pretty good about it. It needs a ton of clean up, but I think it's fun. The one thing I'm worried about is that it came in just shy of 40k and I know I'll edit out at least 5k, and 35k for upper MG seems on the low side. Maybe the plot muse will smack me over the head with something clever that can add another 5-10k.

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That's a great feeling, isn't it?

I'd be happy to send my muse, but she just points out discontinuities. Then there is my husband, whose answer to any need for additional words is, "Add space aliens... or dinosaurs." I suppose for MG I can't suggest "sex here, sex there," can I?

When I went from draft 1 to draft 2 for my WIP, I added a lot of words in response to betas saying I needed to explain this, that, and the other. Maybe that will happen to you

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Still looking for betas for draft 3. If none of you are available, can you suggest where I might go?

Now I'm trying to avoid the impulse to go through it one more time. My last time I was hit in the head with a major discontinuity and a few minor things. I always like to have a clean run-through before I ask anyone to read.

What I should do is draft a letter to the hospital billing department explaining how they apparently messed up. Then call the phone company and tell them that they haven't corrected the bill that they promised to correct last week. Fun stuff.

Hathor said:

Then there is my husband, whose answer to any need for additional words is, "Add space aliens... or dinosaurs."

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This is why I can't ask my husband for plotting help, either. Oh, well.

Another request today, but I've been crying for hours and even this doesn't make me feel better.

How WONDERFUL that people get arrested in Iran for making a video for Pharrell Williams's Happy. No, I'm not kidding. I'm serious.

God, please kill me faster. THE FASTER, THE BETTER.

Hathor said:

I'd be happy to send my muse, but she just points out discontinuities. Then there is my husband, whose answer to any need for additional words is, "Add space aliens... or dinosaurs." I suppose for MG I can't suggest "sex here, sex there," can I?

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LMAO

My husband is also not a help when it comes to writing. He hasn't even read anything I've written (except the shorts for the kidlit contests), let alone make suggestions. That would be like me telling him what kind of bait to use on the south shore for an incoming tide.

Now my son...he's another story. He helped me add another 4k this week when he told me something that his teacher told him happened at school once. I was drilling him last night for more, but he got annoyed with me and started to give me one word answers (he's also said to me, "Writing is your thing Mom, not mine."). I'm going to try again tonight. He's got a great imagination (he's a very good liar) and I think he would be an awesome writing partner--if he weren't 7 and more interested in watching TMNT than helping me.


Wendy--As far as rejections go, those are the good kind!

Maxtina--I don't even know what to say. All I can do is offer you