Is it my writing or the concept that is getting rejected?

AngelaD · Apr 12, 2013

I've sent out my query with pages included to about 10 agents and have had one request for more pages but inevitably getting a "thanks but no thanks" from all 10 queries.
How do I know if it's my writing that is getting rejected or the premise?

frankiebrown · Apr 12, 2013

Ten queries isn't very much.

That being said, have you considered that the problem's neither your concept or your writing, but your query? Try getting to 50 posts and starting a thread in Query Letter Hell asking for critiques. Ask what people think about your concept too, if you like. Good luck

.

quicklime · Apr 12, 2013

Another vote for query....almost any concept can sell but many queries kill the pitch before a sample page gets read at all.

amschilling · Apr 12, 2013

Third. Get thee to Query Letter Hell. Read. Absorb. When you've got the 50 posts, throw it up there. It can be extremely helpful.

At 50 you can also post a sample of the book in the appropriate Share Your Work section. Again, it can be extremely helpful.

blacbird · Apr 12, 2013

As 1970s baseball pitcher Joaquin Andujar famously said, after his team, the St. Louis Cardinals, had won a game in an unpredictable miracle finish:

"You can sum up baseball in one word: Ya never know."

I never get anything but form-rejections. That is, when I get rejections at all, instead of having submissions ignored.

caw

JoBird · Apr 12, 2013

AngelaD said:
How do I know if it's my writing that is getting rejected or the premise?

In fairness, it could be both.

But seriously, run your query through critique, along with your first chapter. Getting some feedback would probably be positive for you.

Best of luck.

AngelaD · Apr 13, 2013

frankiebrown said:
Ten queries isn't very much.

That being said, have you considered that the problem's neither your concept or your writing, but your query? Try getting to 50 posts and starting a thread in Query Letter Hell asking for critiques. Ask what people think about your concept too, if you like. Good luck .

I agree 10 isn't very much but it feels like a lot when it's my top 10 wish list agents.

I've had my query critiqued by my local writing group but I will definitely through it out to "Hell" when I reach my 50 quota.
Thanks for the response!

AngelaD · Apr 13, 2013

quicklime said:
Another vote for query....almost any concept can sell but many queries kill the pitch before a sample page gets read at all.

"Query Hell" it is. I appreciate knowing that almost any concept can sell but I can have an awesome concept but if my writing style is a turn-off I still get rejected. :\

AngelaD · Apr 13, 2013

JoBird said:
In fairness, it could be both.

But seriously, run your query through critique, along with your first chapter. Getting some feedback would probably be positive for you.

Best of luck.

Thanks, I appreciate the honesty.

Jamesaritchie · Apr 13, 2013

He's sending pages with the query, so I doubt the query is the problem. If no feedback is coming with the rejections, it's probably the writing.

mayqueen · Apr 14, 2013

It could also be many, many other things: the agent's list is full, the market is too tough for that type of story, your writing is good and the concept is good but it's not what the agent wants right now, it's Monday, etc etc etc. Make sure your pages and your query are the best they can possibly be and then query every single agent who might possibly be a good fit.

You've got a 10% rate right now. That's not too shabby. Make sure your pages and query are solid, and then reevaluate when you get to 50 queries. That would be my advice.

ecrider · Apr 14, 2013

Some magazines and book publishers only take less then one percent. Keep going you got some great ideas.
I see you write adult novels. What else do you write other than panties stuff?
Like the cartoon front page and your website is great. Lots to dig through. Hope to talk to you some more.

ironmikezero · Apr 15, 2013

As mentioned, it could be both - or neither...

You'll never know what circumstances abound with a given agent and influence any subsequent decision. The only thing that you may safely assume as factual is that this particular agent, at this moment in time, does not feel he/she can sell this example of your work thereby earning a commission.

It need not speak to the quality of the work, a good story and an engaging query notwithstanding. It may be nothing more than the mercurial nature of the current market and state of the economy.

It's not personal - publishing is a business. Never lose sight of that fact.

Don't despair... Just do the best you can; write what pleases you. If it pleases others as well - and the stars seemingly align - you may pleasantly surprised. Best of luck!

AngelaD · Apr 15, 2013

mayqueen said:
It could also be many, many other things: the agent's list is full, the market is too tough for that type of story, your writing is good and the concept is good but it's not what the agent wants right now, it's Monday, etc etc etc. Make sure your pages and your query are the best they can possibly be and then query every single agent who might possibly be a good fit.

You've got a 10% rate right now. That's not too shabby. Make sure your pages and query are solid, and then reevaluate when you get to 50 queries. That would be my advice.

Thank you for the advice. I wish it was easier to decipher what wasn't working but in the end, I just think that maybe this agent wasn't for me and the right one is out there.

AngelaD · Apr 15, 2013

ecrider said:
Some magazines and book publishers only take less then one percent. Keep going you got some great ideas.
I see you write adult novels. What else do you write other than panties stuff?
Like the cartoon front page and your website is great. Lots to dig through. Hope to talk to you some more.

Thanks for chiming in! I had to laugh at "What else do you write other than panties stuff?" It makes it sound like I write erotica. Kudos to those who can but I feel uncomfortable just writing kissing scenes.

BIG GIRL PANTIES is just a series of creative nonfiction stories that I put together and have been considering self publishing. Think "Sh*t My Dad Says" crossed with "Let's Pretend This Never Happened"

The novel I just finished and am querying is a contemporary new adult book (college aged) and I have science fiction new adult I'm working on.

Thanks for taking a look at my website.

amschilling · Apr 15, 2013

New Adult is still trying to gain traction as a "thing," so that label may be part of the issue. You may want to research whether an agent is open to a NA label (some specifically say they don't want to see it). If they don't take it, just list it as adult contemp.

But seriously, the most helpful thing will be to go to QLH and put it up once you reach 50 posts. In the interim, read the other threads there. And remember that 10 queries are nothing. We've got folks here in the hundreds as far as rejections before finding the right agent. You're nowhere near needing to despair yet!

Ginger Writer · Apr 15, 2013

amschilling said:
New Adult is still trying to gain traction as a "thing," so that label may be part of the issue. You may want to research whether an agent is open to a NA label (some specifically say they don't want to see it). If they don't take it, just list it as adult contemp.

But seriously, the most helpful thing will be to go to QLH and put it up once you reach 50 posts. In the interim, read the other threads there. And remember that 10 queries are nothing. We've got folks here in the hundreds as far as rejections before finding the right agent. You're nowhere near needing to despair yet!

I was just going to say exactly this. There are agents who I follow on Twitter who have mentioned specifically wanting NA, but they have mentioned that it's still difficult to sell. So yes, by all means revise both the query and the manuscript. But I think that part of what might help is finding agents who feel right for the work. You can find ways to connect with agents/get a better understanding of what they want all over the place, including following writing blogs and Twitter. I follow Operation Awesome myself, but I think it's more geared toward YA/MG, maybe even PB, than it is NA. They do hold monthly agent pitch contests, though, which is really cool.

As you get more interest from agents, they'll typically start to tell you what made them turn it down. I've gotten rejections with "I love your writing, but this concept just doesn't feel fully realized to me/didn't turn out the way I'd hoped/didn't grab me enough. But please send your next project my way." It's still a rejection and it still sucks, but it helps you improve in the ways that will get you closer to an agent.

I hope I was even a little bit helpful.

AngelaD · Apr 16, 2013

amschilling said:
New Adult is still trying to gain traction as a "thing," so that label may be part of the issue. You may want to research whether an agent is open to a NA label (some specifically say they don't want to see it). If they don't take it, just list it as adult contemp.

But seriously, the most helpful thing will be to go to QLH and put it up once you reach 50 posts. In the interim, read the other threads there. And remember that 10 queries are nothing. We've got folks here in the hundreds as far as rejections before finding the right agent. You're nowhere near needing to despair yet!

As I work my way down my agent list I will heed your advice and switch from NA to Adult Contemp. The few that I have queried are asking for NA and sell it.

I'm doing my homework so hopefully I'll find a good home for me and my baby...I mean my manuscript.

AngelaD · Apr 17, 2013

I've hit my 50 posts so I'm going to post my query in "Query Hell" if anyone is interested in giving it a once over. Thanks!

KarmaChameleon · Apr 18, 2013

Don't get discouraged. I'm querying on my first fictional book, but my law review article took over 50 queries before someone picked it up. Apparently my work was just of more interest to public law journals than it was to general journals.

Donna Pudick · Apr 21, 2013

Don't get discouraged, but also don't forget what your book is about. That's the biggest mistake that authors make. Just tell us what the book is about, not how it compares to other titles, not all about you (except maybe at the end in a short para), or why you wrote the book. Plot only queries should get you some better results. I like queries that start with a question, i.e., Can spies be laid off? or end with a question, i.e., Will Laura ever recover and realize her dream to become world champion?

celiaboop · Apr 21, 2013

Yep query hell. However, if you got additional page requests with on 10 queries consider yourself ahead of the rat pack. I've queried close to 200 agents and got very few additional information requests, mostly form rejections. The agents are innnundated with hundreds of queries per week and many select a handful of clients ...a HANDFUL ... per year , so consider the odds and you'll know it's not YOU at all. Supply most certainly exceeds demand but an inordinately large proportion.

Donna Pudick · Apr 22, 2013

If you don't get an answer from one editor at an imprint, wait a while, then query another editor at the same imprint.

gingerwoman · Apr 26, 2013

Pity they didn't give feedback. The only agent I ever showed anything to (she was at a conference so I thought what the hell) gave me the feedback that she thought I was a strong writer but she didn't "buy" the premise.

shroud · Apr 26, 2013

Query Letter Hell is a must, but what did your beta readers/ critique group say of the work. Start local before you go global.

Is it my writing or the concept that is getting rejected?

AngelaD

frankiebrown

Simplify.

quicklime

all out of fucks to give

amschilling

blacbird

JoBird

AngelaD

AngelaD

AngelaD

Jamesaritchie

mayqueen

practical experience, FTW

ecrider

ironmikezero

practical experience, FTW

AngelaD

AngelaD

amschilling

Ginger Writer

Writing like a madwoman

AngelaD

AngelaD

KarmaChameleon

Donna Pudick

celiaboop

Having Fun w/ Creating It

Donna Pudick

gingerwoman

shroud