How Long Do You Give It

This may be the definition of impatience, but I just got the first rejection for my new novel and I immediately want my agent to withdraw it from the marketplace so I can rewrite it.

Trouble is, my agent gave me relatively little feedback when he read it, other than that he liked it and was ready to send it out to seven editors.

Now I'm panicked, thinking I'm going to waste six more readings with a flawed book.

How many more rejections would you give your book before you rescued it from scrutiny and brought it back home to be repaired?

One passing note: the first rejection was pretty vague, the editor didn't like the characterizations, the relationships, the setting or the dialogue. But was willing to look at it again if I revised the book along those lines. What lines? Sounds like he didn't like anything.

It's probably vague dread. But I've read a couple of books in my genre in the meantime and feel that mine is missing a few things, like believable relationships, sturdier characterizations, a more detailed setting and better dialogue. You know, everything the first rejection said.

On the one hand, it usually takes a rejection to get me more focused on what might possibly be wrong with the book. On the other hand, I always agree with everyone's criticism.

Now I feel like even if the next editor wants to buy it, unchanged, the first reviews will remark about the lack of character development, poor dialogue, unconvincing setting and faulty relationships.

And that'll just about sink my chances of a movie sale.

Cybernaught said:

I definitely wouldn't withdraw it based on one rejection. Wait until you hear from the remaining six.

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All six? How about three or four?