The Daily Rejection

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Drachen Jager

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Really? Mine are about 50/50. I think it's more a sign of how hungry the agent is than anything else.
 

JEQ

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Based on the three requests I received out of more than 100 queries sent [lowers head in shame], the first one was a request for a partial that came about an hour after sending out the query. Within two hours of sending the partial, I was rejected. The second was a request for a full that came about three days after I had sent out the query letter via snail mail. The third request was for a partial that came about a week after I had sent the query.

So, basically two out of three requests occurred very quickly, while the third occurred fairly quickly. Some of the query rejections I received, meanwhile, did not come until well over a month after I had sent them. I don't believe, however, that there exists a 48-hour rule. I am hopeful that at least one of the outstanding queries I have floating out there will net another request.

If not, well, hopefully the agent with the revised full or the agent with the partial will soon make offers. The waiting is killing me.
 

Windcutter

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Hmm, it's interesting but all my requests also came pretty fast. Maybe not within 48 hours but surely within a week.

Also, quite a lot of success stories look like: well, I sent out fifteen queries, I had three full requests in two days and two offers in two weeks. I'm dramatizing a bit, but still... I'm starting to get an impression that most success stories either happen very fast or very slowly (like that author who had a partial with a superstar agent for 10 months and it ended with an offer). And the slow ones are rare.
 

Drachen Jager

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I had a request on my last novel that arrived almost a year after the query.
 

Windcutter

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I'm curious how that happens, it's hard to believe people don't clean their mailbox (=email) for a year.

Dammit, new R today. I want to send a revenge query but I'm running out of agents. Maybe I need to research more up and coming agents and stop dreaming about the PM top dealmakers. XD

I realized a sad thing about Rs today. It's that they undermine the hopes. You think "there are lots of people who aren't interested, so those who requested stuff must be regretting those requests by now!"
 

Hathor

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Nah, I don't think you can read rejections like that. Every agent has particular tastes and desires at any point. Just because one particular agent isn't interested doesn't mean another won't be. Even if an agent lists, say, "mystery," doesn't mean that he's looking for mysteries to represent at all times or likes all the different subgenres of mystery.

I try to look at it like this. If I go into a book store, it is full of far more well-written books than I can buy and read. The fact that I don't pick up a particular book doesn't mean that the book isn't any good or no one else will buy it.

Someone posted the results of an informal survey of a group of represented writers. The average number of queries before finding an agent was round about 70. From what I've read, the usual experience is that finding representation can take months and even years.

We've had people on this thread who've found agents after queries well into three digits.
 

Windcutter

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Oh my, where do they find so many agents? :) Though I know, it depends on the kind of book you have. I queried only the agents who are interested in both fantasy and YA, because while the book isn't YA, I now have several YA projects and it would make no sense to have an agent who isn't into that.
If I add the ones who are pretty new (but with respectable agencies) and have maybe one sale on PM, then the list will grow, but even then it won't go over 50.
 

Hathor

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Two genres are tougher. You may need to worry about one work at a time. Even if your first agent wouldn't handle the second book, he or she could recommend you to someone else.

Also, I've found that search sites don't list everyone. And sometimes those sites aren't consistent with each other or what an agency's website says.

For me, it came down to looking through P&E for agencies with sales. If I hadn't looked into them before, I did so to see if there was anyone I logically might query. And if I received a reject from someone at an agency, I look at the other agents there to see if there is someone else.
 

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I must say the problem so far is more of the opposite kind :) there is a lot of cool agents who represent YA fantasy/paranormal, but not all of them want adult stuff. And I'm starting to think: if ultimately all my top choice agents reject this, maybe it's better to trunk it and go for YA, dealing not only with my current list but also my dream YA-only list. I mean, rather than trying to get a "smaller" agent who works both genres. Because I don't really see myself writing lots of adult stuff in the next five years, I'm passionate about so many YA projects. On the other hand, I want to use my chances.

I started with making a list of those agents who represent similar books, but it brought me a list of maybe 10 big name agents. Half of which have already rejected me, heh. So I went and bought a subscription to Publisher's Marketplace to research my expanded list.
 

pollymilton

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I guess what helps me (sometimes) Is thinking of the query letter like an audition. The Casting Director looks at you and says yes or no, often times for reasons that make no sense to you. You're not right for the part? Maybe, maybe not. Maybe they're looking for brunettes today. Just today.

Maybe you'll be just right for someone else.

I'm basically talking to myself right now. Oh well. In that case, the book is fun, fine and will find a home. Hang in there.
 

Oblivion_Rain

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Received one today. I think I'm just immune to it by now--it no longer affects me at all. You need a thick skin in this business. My advice is to not take it personally, given that opinions are so widely subjective. What one agent may not me interested in, another will absolutely love. You just need that single yes to, I quote Jim Morrison, "break on through".
 

Darkshore

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I think I should have posted it this thread first hehe. I received my first rejection ever today. I'm kinda pumped though because it was a personal rejection, which I'm taking to mean that my short story stood out enough from the slush pile to be read in full and deserved to be commented on :D. They basically said that they found my idea, world, and characters intriguing (even the part about having no memories, which I thought would be seen as cliche) but they wanted my mc to be less powerful and in more danger. I didn't show them enough of what was at stake if the mc failed as they would have liked. So I'm taking it as proof that I might just maybe possibly have a chance at doing this for real. :D
 

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I like the audition idea, but I wish one could write a book in the amount of time it takes to get ready for a new audition. :)

Darkshore
This is my source of optimism, too--if there are personalized letters and requests, it must mean I'm getting closer.
 

A.P.M.

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Do most people receive no replies at all to their queries, or is it just me? I feel like 70% of my queries go unanswered. Is that a sign that I'm doing something wrong?
 

Hathor

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Do most people receive no replies at all to their queries, or is it just me? I feel like 70% of my queries go unanswered. Is that a sign that I'm doing something wrong?

I've had a significant nonresponse rate, but not 70%. (How many queries are you talking about here? How long do you wait before you are assuming no reply?)

Some agents are simply nonresponders -- or frequently are. Have you looked at querytracker? I usually do that before I query in order to see if the agent involved responds and how quickly. (Sometimes agents' websites will also tell you that no response within a particular timeframe means "no.")

Also check out the AW threads for each agency. They might give you an idea of what is usual for a particular agent.

I suspect that as the number of queries have increased, the lack of answers have also. (Then, too, there are the people who write back arguing about the generic rejections they've received, leading some agents to become more nonresponsive.)

Try to hang in there. Then you can complain about the agents that ask for submissions and then do not respond :)

Anyway, if the agents that aren't responding to you usually do respond, it is time to see what might be wrong. You aren't addressing things to "dear agent" I assume or any of the other major no-no's? There's a place on AW where folks will critique your query.

It sounds obvious, but be sure to include a SASE for written queries and contact information in the body of any emailed queries. The last isn't intuitively necessary, but I've read of forwarded emails that lose the originating email address.

Don't take an agent's word that he or she always responds BTW. I've had a few folks who say they respond to everyone -- but they haven't to me. Maybe I'm special ;)
 

Windcutter

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Do most people receive no replies at all to their queries, or is it just me? I feel like 70% of my queries go unanswered. Is that a sign that I'm doing something wrong?

I think it depends on how much time passed. I'm told I'm being impatient with no replies after about 7 weeks of querying this new project, but since my last bout of querying happened several years ago (when a lot of queries still went via snail mail), the practice of no replies is somewhat new to me. I guess I haven't developed a habit yet.

However, I'd say about a half of my queries received no reply, but the statistics are shaky, because all those queries were sent at different times, some of them left the mailbox just a few days ago.
 

Hathor

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I know it's hard to be patient -- but I guess we don't have any choice, do we ? :)

Most of my replies came within a few weeks, but I've had some (even positive ones) come after months. :Shrug:
 

Windcutter

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My own experience works against my patience :) all requests for all projects happened pretty fast. In fact, I've never received any kind of reply later than about three months after a submission, not even a form rejection.
 

Drachen Jager

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You will. Years from now you'll still be fielding rejection letters, whether you're published by then or not.
 

Beckstah

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Got a partial rejection this morning, but I can't be too upset about it. My story is fantasy with a dash of horror, and the agent wanted it to be the other way around, which I totally understand. And she complimented the premise and writing, which is all I can ask for, really! At least I've still got a few fulls out there.

On a scarier note, the agent who requested the full after reading the partial said she'd try to get back to me by July 1st. Which, as it turns out, is FRIDAY. Gulp.
 

Hathor

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I'll keep my fingers crossed for you, Beckstah. At least you'll hear soon (or, rather, you should).

Your R sounds like one of those "rave rejections." She complimented you when she could have sent a form letter -- or nothing at all. Specific feedback when agents are so busy means you are doing something right.
 

Beckstah

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Thank you so much, Hathor! I've got my fingers crossed for you too!
 

Drachen Jager

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Don't count too much on hearing by July 1. I have heard dozens of stories where the agent gives a solid timeframe but that time keeps slipping by. Give her 'till August 1 then nudge if you haven't heard. One of our ex-Rejection&Dejection members went that way with her dream agent, he took a long time to get back but did finally offer rep.
 

Beckstah

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Yeah, I'm not counting on it as a sure thing. I mean, she initially said she'd respond to my partial by May 1st, and I got the full request in early June. She's transitioning to another agency, so I'm definitely going to give her some time - I'm sure her mind isn't really on slush at the moment!
 
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