Suggestions for Dawn?

Part of the problem might be that the novel is 448 pages. That's long, especially if it's a first novel.

Length

Vomaxx said:

Part of the problem might be that the novel is 448 pages. That's long, especially if it's a first novel.

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Nah. If it's formatted properly, 448 pages is 112,000 words, which is pretty much dead on perfect for a first novel. Depending on the line, of course. But it's well within average range. If it in't formatted properly, it might be a good deal longer, but you can't just go by page count.

rejection

aka eraser said:

Posted on behalf of Dawn (Greenwolf) who temporarily doesn't have access to the Cooler:

Well, anyway, I did find out that my novel was
rejected by Mundania Press. I was SO upset. Then I
started freaking out on what might be wrong with it
and realized trying to figure THAT out would be
pointless. Nobody else has read it so Im trying to
figure out if I should try to get a crit from someone.
Problem is, its 448 pages long, so Im a little
hesitant to ask anyone. I was thinking of asking ***** (edited to take him off the hook
but hes probably too busy. Then I thought, should I
go ahead and try an agent? But what if now is not the
right time to try to get one? Soo, Im hoping you might
know what the best thing to do is. I wish I could post
this question on the novels board but I cant navigate
the WC with my Blackberry. Or if you have time, post
it for me? Nevertheless, please advise. I'd really
appreciate your help, Frank. Oh and the genre is dark
fantasy.

I wrote her back suggesting she ask someone whose opinion she trusted to read the first 3 chapters - that that might be enough to make a determination on where the story needed work. (Three chapters also obviously is a lesser committment than a 450 pages ms.) I also suggested that when she returned to the boards (in about a week) she post in "Writing Partners" offering to read 3 chapters for someone else in exchange for feedback on hers.

She also mentioned that Mundania Press gave no reason for the rejection.

If you folks have any other thoughts/suggestions I'm sure she'd appreciate reading them when she's able.

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If this is the first time the novel has been rejected, what's the big deal? When it draws another fifteen or twenty rejections, then you start worrying. Novels get rejected. Even great novels get rejected. So you keep sending them out again and again until you find the right publisher. It's death to stop and try to figure out what's wrong because of a single rejection.

But it wouldn't hurt to have someone read the first three chapters. It may not help, but it wouldn't hurt.

As for an agent, or course an agent is needed. If you have a novel ready to submit anywhere, you have a novel that needs to be going to agents, not publishers. The right time to get an agent is whenever you have a finished novel.

Trying to sell a novel to a publisher without an agent's help just makes a difficult job a hundred times harder.

And publishers treat agents differently than they treat writers, Had this novel been handled by an agent, odds are very high the publisher would have told the agent why it had been rejected.

But the vast majority of novels are rejected simply because the editor doesn't think they're well enough written, or are too much like a thousand other novels she's read.

I'll volunteer to read at least three chapters (maybe more if I like it I may need the favor returned down the road, but heck, I'll do it.

If she wants, tell her to e-mail to me at [email protected].

Rejection is part of the game. It's just one less step towards the yes that is somewhere in the future, is all. We always continue to revise, but ultimately, if it's good, it will still be rejected for no good reason other than it doesn't fit their company at that time, or they just got broadsided by 3,000 manuscripts, or they only deal with certain agents, or . . . and the list for reasons goes on and on and on and on . . .

Jamesaritchie said:

As for an agent, or course an agent is needed. If you have a novel ready to submit anywhere, you have a novel that needs to be going to agents, not publishers. The right time to get an agent is whenever you have a finished novel.

Trying to sell a novel to a publisher without an agent's help just makes a difficult job a hundred times harder.

And publishers treat agents differently than they treat writers, Had this novel been handled by an agent, odds are very high the publisher would have told the agent why it had been rejected.

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James, thanks for your input on this. I once heard that the best time to hunt for an agent was after you had a contract in hand. But if now is the best time, I'll definitely start looking!

Pat, thank you. I'll be contacting you very soon.

Big and to Frank for posting this for me!