The Daily Rejection, Vol. 2
- Thread starter Calla Lily
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I'm feeling very all over the place!
Three weeks ago I had an email from an employee at a good agency who I am taking to be a reader (no title on her email). She loved what she had read of my work so far and asked for the full. When I sent it she told me that she loved my book so much that she had already told the Main Agent Person about it and she too would be reading the full. So far so good!
I just got an email from her updating me that she had read my book and was very excited about it, and that Main Agent Person was also reading it and they hoped to get back to me next week.
Now, obviously, this is all very exciting. This is a good boutique agency and I would snap their hand off for an offer. But! I am very conscious that the woman who is emailing me is not an agent herself, and internet searches show only that she works for this agency and has previously done internships at other agencies.
So this enthusiasm from her may be premature and could very well be be the result of inexperience. The Main Agent Person might have a hundred ms she is interested in right now and might not think my book a good fit at all. So I am trying not to get my hopes up and I am telling myself that if nothing comes of it, I should take this sort of feedback as a sign that I am on the right track and should carry on. In other words, I am trying to manage my expectations so that if the answer comes back as a NO then I don't crash and burn.
But OMG this is the closet I have EVER felt to being offered representation and I realise how ready I am for it. This is the third book in ten years I have queried, and this is the first book that has got me any serious response. For so many years I never really thought it would happen. I always wanted to be an author, but I lacked confidence and the know-how, and I queried more in hope than expectation. But not this time. This time I meant it. It feels like when you're in a job and you know you've outgrown it and you're ready for your promotion? I'm tired of being where I am and I'm ready for the next level.
Does this make sense?
Three weeks ago I had an email from an employee at a good agency who I am taking to be a reader (no title on her email). She loved what she had read of my work so far and asked for the full. When I sent it she told me that she loved my book so much that she had already told the Main Agent Person about it and she too would be reading the full. So far so good!
I just got an email from her updating me that she had read my book and was very excited about it, and that Main Agent Person was also reading it and they hoped to get back to me next week.
Now, obviously, this is all very exciting. This is a good boutique agency and I would snap their hand off for an offer. But! I am very conscious that the woman who is emailing me is not an agent herself, and internet searches show only that she works for this agency and has previously done internships at other agencies.
So this enthusiasm from her may be premature and could very well be be the result of inexperience. The Main Agent Person might have a hundred ms she is interested in right now and might not think my book a good fit at all. So I am trying not to get my hopes up and I am telling myself that if nothing comes of it, I should take this sort of feedback as a sign that I am on the right track and should carry on. In other words, I am trying to manage my expectations so that if the answer comes back as a NO then I don't crash and burn.
But OMG this is the closet I have EVER felt to being offered representation and I realise how ready I am for it. This is the third book in ten years I have queried, and this is the first book that has got me any serious response. For so many years I never really thought it would happen. I always wanted to be an author, but I lacked confidence and the know-how, and I queried more in hope than expectation. But not this time. This time I meant it. It feels like when you're in a job and you know you've outgrown it and you're ready for your promotion? I'm tired of being where I am and I'm ready for the next level.
Does this make sense?
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Congrats, noranne! 
Here's hoping it sells!
Ooh, that does sound encouraging, NotForUsThanks. I'd imagine an intern would know better than to raise a writer's hopes unnecessarily. Even if the agent passes in the end, the intern may be able to give you some feedback, so I'd consider that a win. Anyway, good luck!
Here's hoping it sells!Ooh, that does sound encouraging, NotForUsThanks. I'd imagine an intern would know better than to raise a writer's hopes unnecessarily. Even if the agent passes in the end, the intern may be able to give you some feedback, so I'd consider that a win. Anyway, good luck!
NFUT -- ooh, that's so exciting but I know what you mean about managing expectations. But it sounds like if it is not this agent, it will be one soon! Good luck
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That's very encouraging, NotForUsThanks! No matter what, you know you're getting close. Hope it works out for you!
CJ
Dude that's super encouraging!!! That's still so much further than so many writers will ever get, and even if they don't want it, I think it's absolutely a sign that the MS has promise and you should continue shopping it around. No matter what happens next, this is a huge step and something worth celebrating, and we are all proud of you! Keep us updated
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NotForUsThanks - Fingers crossed for you! You're right, the reader's interest doesn't guarantee anything re: Main Agent's opinion, but it is a good sign.
You know what? Take this as a thing to celebrate, and go celebrate it! If it doesn't work out, you can always be bummed about that later. For now, woot!
You know what? Take this as a thing to celebrate, and go celebrate it! If it doesn't work out, you can always be bummed about that later. For now, woot!
Got a personal rejection from PodCastle for my short but even though it was " very well received" and "in the final round of consideration" it just wasn't what they were looking for. I am very discouraged by this because I have no other professional fantasy markets to submit to and I thought this might be my ticket into the SFWA.
Jumping in from the next circle: NFUT, that was how my offer of rep started. Often, Big Name Agents respect/depend upon their assistants. I know that when I get feedback from my agent, sometimes it's even the assistant who emails me back or writes the edit letter. Obviously don't pin your hopes, but just to let you know that was what happened in my case
Best of luck!
Best of luck!
Noooo, that's encouragement, not discouragement! I know it doesn't feel like it now, but getting that far is a HUGE step that some writers never get to.
It also doesn't mean the story is bad. I got a rejection from flash fiction online and the editor in chief sent me two pages of notes, and essentially ended it with "I loved this, but we just bought a siren story last month". I was so through the moon that a professional market had been that engaged that it helped lessen the sting, and her notes were hella on point, so I made some tweaks and shipped it back out into the market.
Look at this way: It wasn't right for them, but in their eyes, it was professional level quality. Read the story again. See if there's anything you want to fix, and then send it back out!! What might not work for one editor could be perfect for another.
Netz, Noranne, CJSimone, Sockycat, Liz_V, Polishmuse - just wanted to thank you all for responding to my post. I don't have anyone in real life to bounce all of this off and you have all really helped, thank you.
I'll let you all know if and when I get any news. I am off on holiday next week so that makes things extra... interesting!
xx
I'll let you all know if and when I get any news. I am off on holiday next week so that makes things extra... interesting!
xx
When I hit this place I think of JK Rowling's words that nothing is ever wasted, every piece of work we write, every rejection we get, every feedback offered gets us closer to where we want to be. I know a writer can get sick of this, but I don't see any way around it. I hope the turn around in your thinking comes soon, and instead of discouragement you feel the encouragement of being able to get so close. You can clearly do this x
Thanks for the encouragement, guys! I know the story is good but I had sent the bad boring draft to the top magazines and this was my last shot with this particular one. Wish I had edited it some more before wasting all of those chances.
Oh man, I've done that before, too. It sucks to lose out on the pro markets, but go ahead and send it to the next-level ones. Getting it published will still be great.
Crap, I am behind (of course) on my planned revisions of MS7 for Pitch Wars. I still think it's good enough to submit, but I'll be bummed if I don't get to make all the changes I planned. Of course, it'll only matter if I get any full requests since they are not in the submission package portion, and I never did in my previous 2 Pitch Wars entrances so doesn't seem worth stressing over too much.
I'm on holiday in a cabin in a forest for a week with my husband and kids and three rejections have rolled into my inbox in the last two days. The first two I was ok with as they were part of an "also ran" splurge of agents that I queried after I had queried all the agents I really wanted. In fact it felt good to be entering The Zone where replies from agents can reasonably be expected. Then today I got the form R from an agent I had been coveting for over a year and now I NEED a Good News email to balance it out
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Cookies and fairy dust for you, NFUT!
I submitted to Pitch Wars and, predictably, now I feel like crap. Contests always get me down way more than the regular query/rejection process. Not sure why. Oh well, got lots to do to keep me occupied! Getting back to my MS6 R&R.
I submitted to Pitch Wars and, predictably, now I feel like crap. Contests always get me down way more than the regular query/rejection process. Not sure why. Oh well, got lots to do to keep me occupied! Getting back to my MS6 R&R.
For some reason AW has been kicking me out when I try to post, so I gave up for a while but today I'm back. Woot! Entered my MG in pitch wars because my adult was too weird so fingers crossed for everyone.
Also, THRILLED to see some good news on this thread.for everyone. xxoo
Also, THRILLED to see some good news on this thread.
for everyone. xxoo- Status