The Daily Rejection

I've always had trouble with query letters. Until now. My mentor sent out 3 queries for her book. All three requested the full and offered rep. I had her help me with this one and I really think it's good. So for the first time I'll be sending something I really believe can work.

I've prepared a list of 45 agents, but I'm thinking twenty to start is the way to go. My dream agent is specifically looking for a book like mine, so here's hoping she sees what I think is there.

I wanted to send out a batch, not just one or two, but a chunk of letters from my list. The problem is that most of them want a month to respond and I'm impatient. I guess I'll go with 20 to start and as rejections/requests come in I'll send out a few more to keep my numbers around 20.

And then I'm moving so I won't be able to check my email. That won't make me a difficult houseowner at all. Right?

Thank you so much for answering Ayjay. I appreciate it.

Hey Carleree, Happy New Year!

Can I make a suggestion? If you send out 20 and get any feedback that causes you to revise the novel from those who request a partial or full, you may not be able to go back to that 20 with revisions. 20 is a lot. Querytracker can give you an idea of who responds most quickly on your A-list. If this is a really great query letter, you may be surprised at how many responses you get. I made the mistake of sending out too many at once and and it really slowed me down. Go get 'em, girl!

Peggy Blair said:

Hey Carleree, Happy New Year!

Can I make a suggestion? If you send out 20 and get any feedback that causes you to revise the novel from those who request a partial or full, you may not be able to go back to that 20 with revisions. 20 is a lot. Querytracker can give you an idea of who responds most quickly on your A-list. If this is a really great query letter, you may be surprised at how many responses you get. I made the mistake of sending out too many at once and and it really slowed me down. Go get 'em, girl!

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Happy New Year, Peggy! *hug*

Okay, if I limit it to just ten to start with, I can live with that. I'm lucky that in this genre there are hundreds of agents to query so I wasn't to worried about going through twenty off the bat. But, I trust your judgement completely and I'll start with less. The problem is that most of the agent on my A list take at least a month to respond. And I'm not a patient girl. Ha!

If you want to see the QL, I can send it to you. Let me know.

And I promise to post my results as they come in. Someone has to keep this thread alive.

Happy New Year, Daily Rejectees! I will rejoin your ranks soon enough. I'll be putting the finishing touches on my R&R in the next couple of weeks and sending it back to the agent. Scream. ;;

Carleree,

Not that I'm an expert, but fewer seems better -- at least, to begin with. (I sent out a bunch due to impatience, which didn't work. So I figure doing the opposite of what I did has to be right. )

A month isn't that long to wait. Heck, I've been paralyzed for months with trying to figure out what to do now that I've tapped out all conceivable agents for my nonfiction. (Try small publishers or rewrite as some agents have suggested? Or just epublish and move on...)

So I haven't been trying to ignore all my friends on this thread. I simply figured everyone would be tired of my updates ("still don't know what to do -- day 75").

I finally got beta feedback on the polished rewrite of book one of my fiction trilogy. Half the time, I think it is ready to query now. The other half of the time, I wonder if I should get my reader to go through the other two books also, in case I decide to change something in them and need to set that up in book one. However, it took three months for him to read what he has.

I suppose I should get more beta feedback, too, but I'm not quite sure how to do that or if it would be marginally useful. Now I have my betas disagreeing about the main characters, and I disagree with them. But as I told one, "I'm the author. I outrank you." (Yes, a line from the first version of "The Producers.")

Sigh. Before I started this writing stuff, I used to be such a decisive person.

Good luck with your move, Carleree. I'm impressed you even have time to worry about querying at this point.

Well, time to input my changes for book one. I may finish today, which will give me time to dither some more about my opus about education.

Maybe I shouldn't worry, though. I recently went to Peru. One memorable experience was a Andean ceremony making an offering to the mother goddess, complete with coca leaves, llama fat, and a variety of goodies. We each made a wish, and mine was for the obvious.

Yes, I know I'm an Egyptian goddess, but Thoth hasn't come through for me.

Hathor,

I'd offer to beta for you, but I'm *kind of* swamped with the move right now. To add to my worries, I'm having difficulty getting my son into a school in the new town. They're full up and want to put him in a split. I hate splits.

I'll start with 10 queries. I actually think the move in between will help me stop being so neurotic about checking my email. A month may not be very long, but I'm so impatient. I'm ready now, really ready, and I just want to get on with it. You know?

Ten sounds good to me, Carleree, and good luck! Fingers crossed for you (and for all of you!)

Story bounced from Ideomancer. Sent out on revenge query to Intergalactic Medicine Show twenty minutes later. Waiting for news on final ToC selections for a fantasy anthology, to which I may or may not sell a story.

Carleree said:

A month may not be very long, but I'm so impatient. I'm ready now, really ready, and I just want to get on with it. You know?

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Oh yeah, I know. The process can eat up so much time.

I think we should all create and star in a reality-TV show. Those folks seem to get representation quickly. I'm considering changing my last name to Kardashian.

I don't know about the schools in Canada. But in the US, you learn to take with a giant grain of salt whatever the educators tell you is or is not possible. What you are told is "policy" might be nothing more than whatever is convenient to whomever you are talking to. So, my unsolicited advice is to ask for documentation, keep a record, and go up the chain of command if need be. You might not win, but at least you'll know you tried your best.

A local parents group might be able to help you. You might even find one online for where you are moving or for the school you are interested in. More than one parent has discovered being told something different than what someone else has been told. Other parents are often your best resource.

I know you didn't ask, but sometimes I can't help myself.

Good advice, Hathor. I prefer the old-fahsioned way. I yelled and screamed and stomped my feet and now my son is going to the school I wanted in a straight grade one class. No one messes with this mama bear

Carleree said:

Good advice, Hathor. I prefer the old-fahsioned way. I yelled and screamed and stomped my feet and now my son is going to the school I wanted in a straight grade one class. No one messes with this mama bear

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Good for you! I used to deluge them with paper adorned with legal citations...but yelling, screaming, and foot-stomping works, also.

I setup a schedule for myself for 5 queries a week until April. Is that too fast? Should I change it to 2 or 3 a week?

Hathor said:

Good for you! I used to deluge them with paper adorned with legal citations...but yelling, screaming, and foot-stomping works, also.

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If only that could get me an agent. I'm really talented. Ha!

Carleree: The yelling, screaming, and foot-stomping would work in a reality show, which in turn would help you get an agent. How good are you at swearing and wearing skanky clothes?


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utesfanami: Five queries a week until April sounds too fast. You want to be able to adjust your query if it doesn't work very well. Be sure to check out querytracker -- it will give you an idea how quickly an agent responds (if at all).

I'm thinking for myself that I'll send out no more than ten and then wait for feedback. When I get rejects or queries time out, I can send out replacement "revenge" queries.

Ummm...polite, detailed rejection from top agent. I JUST DO NOT AGREE with her opinion.
That is all.
Grrr. Also, hrmph.

Ah, sorry about that, pollymilton. I still like the premise of hot Irish guys and whiskey. Almost as good as hot Scottish guys and Scotch. Well, we entertain each other if nothing else.

I'm thinking Carleree should put a video of her dancing on YouTube.

Now when I drink, I think I can dance. Thankfully, no amount of booze leads me to believe my husband can dance. So I usually stay put.

I'm actually a good dancer, although pudgy at the moment. That could be used to frighten anyone who needs it.

Also, I'm thinking of replacing query with flow chart: Do you like hot irishmen? If yes, continue, if no, go sit down and think about what you've done.

Polly

Forgot to say that I think I need to remove all the games from my computer. Too many breaks mean little progress.

Today, I only managed to input changes to a few chapters and to figure out a new last name for some characters. My beta thought Stewart and Siward were too close and folks would be confused. I spent an inordinate amount of time figuring out a replacement for the former. Since my protagonist has a Ph.D. in Scottish history, I figured I needed the right clan.

I hope I'm not the only one that obsesses on names...

At least my best beta is doing a better job now, committing to trying to read a chapter a day. Maybe it helped that I told him that most of the actual sex is in book two...

pollymilton said:

I'm actually a good dancer, although pudgy at the moment. That could be used to frighten anyone who needs it.

Also, I'm thinking of replacing query with flow chart: Do you like hot irishmen? If yes, continue, if no, go sit down and think about what you've done.

Polly

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We posted at the same time. I owe you a

Trust me, no one needs to see my drunk dancing. My family cried when they saw me. Nothing like tears on Christmas. Hahahahahaha!

I obsess over names. So I started using a random name generator. Unfortunately that means I spend approximately 3 hours sorting through the lists till I find one I like.

Only a few days left till my query batch goes out. i'm not freaking out. Much.

The agents are back to work and sending out rejections.

I've gotten two so far in 2012.

Not too discouraged since they were both from agents who favor contemporary/realistic over fantasy.

A revenge query went out promptly tonight.

Good luck in 2012 all! I hope it's a good year for everyone.

AyJay said:

The agents are back to work and sending out rejections.

I've gotten two so far in 2012.

Not too discouraged since they were both from agents who favor contemporary/realistic over fantasy.

A revenge query went out promptly tonight.

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That's why I'm waiting until next week. I want all the early queriers to get rejected before they see mine

Carleree, your foresight is impressive!