The Daily Rejection

narmowen said:

I got a full MS request today, followed by two rejections! All in all, not too bad, since I just started requerying yesterday!

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Welcome to the party, Narmowen. Congrats on the full request and good luck with the requerying!

Remember dream agent number who rejected my book with a form? Yeah, another agent at that agency that starts with a letter T just asked for a partial to see if my writing fits her list BAM!!!

Excellent news, Carleree! Wow, this thread is on fire!

Just got a full request from chapters for my YA SF distopian, The Girl They Sold to the Moon. This one is really taking off for some reason. It just took the grand first prize in a novel contest, and near-missed a another pub house. And that's the first three subs I made. I still have four more out there.

Kind of dumb-founded.

tri

Excellent, Tri! Loving all this good news....

Thanks, Chelsea

I've decided to pull all my subs to work on a quick rewrite to fix a plot problem an agent pointed out to me. I'll be back in the game soon.

Tri. I have no better words to give you other than...

Congratulations!!!!

Really exciting to get all this good news! We were overdue, I think.

We were definitely over due.

My mentor is currently freaking out about my thought to pull my subs. Guess I won't now. Wouldn't want her to have a coronary.

Don't pull your subs, Carleree. You might end up a June bride married to a contract. Just saying...

tri

I hear you, Tri. But the book needs a tweak.

Carleree, wait on pulling it. Either you'll get more requests, or you'll get Rs on the ones that actually reply, and of the Rs, you can then say, "Hey, I actually did ___ changes, so would you be interested in seeing a new version?" Otherwise, just send the new version for requests.

Yay Tri!

Excellent advice, Kim. Thanks.

When I thought changes were needed, I made them. Then I informed those who had submissions, asking if they wanted the new version. They all said yes...well, to getting the new version, that is.

I'm wondering if I should do this for those agents who never bothered responding to my submissions, now that I'm rewriting yet again. On the one hand, it can't hurt. On the other, would I want to be represented by someone who asks for a proposal or a full and never is heard from again, even when I nudge?

Congratulations, Carleree and Tri! That's awesome news.

Thanks Quickbread

Hathor: Sounds like you're on the right track. I'm happy the previously interested agents have got a clue and asked to see your new version. Fingers crossed for you

Congrats to those w/ recent requests!


For no particular reason, I'm having a harder-than-usual time with the *waiting* today. Some days, I try and forget about the queries/submissions/requests, and I feel less anxious. But today? I wanna know. right. now. Tired of refreshing that inbox and getting nada.

Even if it's a rejection, it's better than these crickets! Argh.

I feel your pain. I think the longest I went without any news was 4 months. Some days are harder than others. Start writing something else to keep your mind distracted

I can sympathize with the long waits. This year has been kind of tepid, until just recently. Now it's harder because I know something is about to bust wide open. But I don't know which book.

tri

Carleree said:

Thanks Quickbread

Hathor: Sounds like you're on the right track. I'm happy the previously interested agents have got a clue and asked to see your new version. Fingers crossed for you

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Your congrats are early. I got requests for a previous rewrite. This go-round has yet to start. I'm still polishing the latest version. I got distracted by my garden and the Nats.

Three rejections today. So far. This is just depressing.

Narmowen, I am handing you a drink. That is rough.

Hang in there, Narmowen. Keep going. If you're feeling bitter, take a few pot shots at my query, fresh up in QLH:
http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=247176 .

I've revised it 8,000 times and I'm sending it out to all my top tier targets now. Suddenly a thought occurred to me. "What if my query totally sucks, and I have no idea how terrible it is?"

...awaiting the sharks...

I think too many people obsess over the query letter. If the book is good, and the query letter is merely a competent illustration of what lies in the book you'll be fine. It doesn't have to be brilliant.

I think first pages are far more important. They do have to be brilliant.

You can always paste five pages in the body of the email. They might cringe at the query, but they could also be hooked by a page or two.

tri