How many rejections does it take to get the point across?

I'm not sure at what point you quit. I think it depends on the book and how happy you are with it.

With the first manuscript, I queried five times (getting a range of rejections) and then trunked it. With the current one I queried until I ran out of agents, then started looking up publishers in that field and submitted it to their slushpiles (it might put you at the bottom of the barrel as a blogger said, but at least you're in the barrel). It worked for me, and the book got picked up. Even though it is unlikely, I can't help wondering if the original one would have been published if I hadn't stopped submitting it.

If you are confident in your book, keep submitting it. There's no reason you can't write something new while it's on submission.

If you think you can make the book stronger, using someone's comments or your own evolving insights, do it. It's that simple.

My cut-off point for submissions is infinity. And beyond.*



* Pixar paid me to say that.

tirial said:

If you are confident in your book, keep submitting it. There's no reason you can't write something new while it's on submission.

Click to expand...

Exactly.

Quit submitting once you've exhausted all of your options for submitting to agents and editors and have researched to find as many options as possible. While the manuscript is making the rounds to all the many many editors and agents out there, work on the next manuscript and work on making it stronger than the one you just wrote.

Good luck!

I queried 'till I ran out of agents then I started with publishers. If you have people that love it and you think you have a shot then the answer is never.

If you're tired of it - maybe put this aside for now and write something else. You can always go back to it later. I find after 2 or 3 months - I can fix a WIP in ways I never thought of when I was going through it constantly.

Chin up!

Ahh. The age-old query quandy. You should continue to query and continue to write. If their is sometihing you think you need to change in your book, change it. If there's something specific an agent suggests you change, that's great. take a serious look at it. While you're querying, start your next project, but above all, never give up. Good luck to you.
James

I say if the bones of the book are good then keep working on it.

The hardest part of anything artistic is getting it that final 10% from good for an amateur, to fully realized professional work. If you don't learn to do that final 10% now, when are you going to learn it?

I'm just starting to query in earnest, so I have no actual experience. What seems like a reasonable course would be to collect any personalized input (if any) from the first batch of Rs, and see if there is a consensus input. If there is and it makes sense to make the changes suggested, then do so and get subbing it again.

I have a feeling I'll know when to quit. Maybe when I'm out of agents to ask, maybe when I identify a fatal flaw that simply cannot be fixed, or when seeing the book in print no longer motivates me. I can't say at this point.

Annmarie, I'd suggest leaving this one alone for a month or so, then tackling some revisions based on that feedback. If you see real merit in that feedback, then hold off on querying this project to any new places and give your brain a rest from it.

The way my brain works, I would probably brainstorm ideas for other projects, but make a commitment to myself that I would come back to the original project on a certain date. Or if I were really burned out, I'd just take a few weeks to read, live, etc.

Of course you have to figure out what works for you, but if you are getting personalized, specific comments on partials, I wouldn't give up on this project just yet. Just because you're sick of it (or just sick of editing) right now, doesn't mean there's nothing more you can do with it. And it doesn't mean you won't reach the point where you'll enjoy revising this project.

And trust me, I know all about revising, again, and again. Each time I think I just can't do it again, I find not only that I can, but that after a short break, I can enjoy trying to figure out yet another way to solve this puzzle.

You've recieved excellent advice- I will only add- If you think the stroy is worth it, then work on it- don't give up until its published! I put out over 155 queries before my book was published, I rewrote it 10 times, changed it from first to third person and made a main character out of a minor one- Yes I was sick of it, yes I almost trunked it, Yes I'm glad I perservered!

For editors my number is 19.

Just found out

Agents are different. I love querying agents. My number is ?

I haven't hit it yet

Oh yeah, if it's any help Annmarie, my final count is 255. I have a bunch of subs out but I'm not sure whether they'll make it or not. There's also probably a few dozen rejections and MAYBE one more request pending but then that's it. If I don't get relatively positive feedback from one of the subs or an invitation to re-submit after some of the problems are fixed (or, of course an offer!) then I'll see.

I still think the book concept and the overall story arc is good so I might re-write the whole thing and try again in a few months.

Ineti said:

Quit submitting once you've exhausted all of your options for submitting to agents and editors and have researched to find as many options as possible. While the manuscript is making the rounds to all the many many editors and agents out there, work on the next manuscript and work on making it stronger than the one you just wrote.

Good luck!

Click to expand...

Good comments! Thanks for giving me that extra kick!

The agent might not be asking for it to fit the agency. To me, that sounds like the agent is concerned that it won't get placed without those edits, though I don't know the whole story. I know querying is the fun part, but you got to get through the muck before you can get an agent, and if you think those edits will help, well, then suck it up and do them. And make sure, if you decide not to edit further, that it's really the best thing for your manuscript and not just you saying, "Meh, I don't feel like working on it anymore." I say this from experience. I might have had a book published by now if I'd been willing to edit the hell out of one of my older manuscripts.

I know. It's harsh. And for all we know, the book may be done and that just might not have been the right agent. But you gotta do what's best for your manuscript, otherwise you're never going to get what you want.

when you don't feel passionate enough
about your novel to keep pursuing it any longer.
when the fire is dimmed, then let go and
move on. it takes a lot to pursue this, so
you must Want It with all your heart.

/bootay shake! and good luck!

Weirdly, and I am telling the truth when I say this, but I've completely rewritten my manuscript several times before ever attempting to finding an agent. (The reason I haven't rewritten the manuscript now, for the 8th time D:, is because I feel that it is finally publish-worthy. And guess what? I was still rejected XD
So rejection is normal. They're going to reject you whether you like it or not. It's not that they don't like your work, it's just that they're not "looking" for what you've written at that time.

So far, my rejection count is at 2. The ones that I really really want, still haven't replied yet, so my hopes are still high.

best of luck to you and I hope that you do find someone who takes in the heart and soul that you've created.

I've received probably 175 already, and I'm about to throw in the towel on that one. Not so much because I've given up hope on it. I think it's a great story, and publishable, and I've got people telling me that it is all the time and encouraging me. Mostly I'm just almost out of people on my list, and the ones left are left because they aren't likely to be a good fit. I'm not anticipating any more requests, but I'll probably keep sending stuff out just to finish off at least most of them. I've also put in a lot of rewrites myself, and I really do think it's good. I guess it's just not as good as it needs to be.

I'm already writing my next story, though. I started before I even started querying the last. I plan to start sending it out as soon as humanly possible. Hopefully this one stands a bit more of a chance.

I just keep going and going and going and going. But every once in a while I have this thought:

'Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.' ~Albert Einstein

Click to expand...

That keeps me wondering if I'm doing the right thing by believing in my manuscript. But still...I keep trying.

KTC, I think there's a fine line between insanity and perseverance, and it's hard to know if we've stumbled onto the wrong side of that line. Personally I'd rather be a little crazy than wonder if I gave up too soon.

Annmarie09 said:

How many rejections does it take to get the point across?

Click to expand...

For me, 64.

Annmarie09 said:

Ah, so, me again. I was wondering though, how many rejections do you think it takes until you should just give up and move onto writing your next book? Is there a certain number, when you've run out of agents, or is it something more philosophical?

I've had a full and a partial out, and I just got the partial back today. It was a personalised rejection which made me smile, and she suggested that I need to 'develop more emotion throughout' and 'elaborate on my prose' and 'further relationship development'. I understand what these phrases mean of course, but trying to bend my story until it fits them is another matter. I honestly have no idea how to do it. I've gone through it and edited it so many times already I probably know most of it off by heart. And honestly, I'm just sick of editing now.

So, what should I do? Just keep sending out queries, have one more attempt at fixing it, or just give up and move on and leave it alone to collect cyber dust in my computer?

Click to expand...

You should move on to writing your next book the moment your previous book is finished.

And you shouldn't pay too much attention to agent requests for rewrites. If an agent gives you a suggestion that you completely agree with, and definitely know how to implement, you do it. If you don't completely agree, or simply have no clue how to implement it, you move on to the next agent. When you run out of agents, you start with editors. But you never give up on submitting the book.

The main thing, however, is that nothing should stop you from beginning your next book, and from making serious progress on it day in and day out.

One of the biggest mistakes new writers make is spending too much time on a book that's already written. Keep submitting it, yes, but do NOT keep rewriting and tinkering with it unless you're absolutely certain the changes will help, and that you know how to implement them.

Seriously, stop messing with the old book. Either it's good enough or it isn't. Get started on a new one, and the moment it's finished, start a third. Rinse and repeat as often as possible.

Jamesaritchie said:

You should move on to writing your next book the moment your previous book is finished.

Click to expand...

Definitely.

If being published is your goal, then what is the point of giving up? You never know when just around the corner might be that acceptance. It might not be THIS book or the next one, but don't give up until the dream you have fades away willingly and something else rises up to take its place.

What are we if not our dreams? Never give up, never give in.