I regret to say that currently I am not adding any new sf/fantasy authors to the agency list for representation.
These types of responses are very common, and I fear, the most viable reason for agent rejections. I believe we are suffering through a glut of over-population in the agencies. I'm pulling at least 50% non-reponse from email/snail queries and synops from ALL agencies. All the agencies I contact have current-up-to-date websites, where they are announcing that they ARE taking new clients. I've also run across genre descrepencies, where I know for a fact that an agency claims to handle sci-fi, but they write back telling me they only handle mysteries, fantasy or horror. So these recent policy changes (if that's what they are) are news to me.
My highest affirmative responses from agents was 80% affirmatives, for chapters, but, alas, this was for a very popular non-fiction book about dinosaurs. Novels are entirely different--much harder sell--difficulties in marketing--the new novelist syndrome.
I do believe it can be done, at least 15 years ago it happened for me a whole lot easier than it is now. Today we have the internet, and I do believe that anyone on the internet, or who has a writing program, believes that they can be instant authors, and by doing so, flood the market past its capacity to handle the influx of all these submissions--in this case millions instead of thousands. I swear I just came from a writing group where three teenagers decided to turn their blogs into books and shotgun the markets. The same is happening with memoirs and diaries, fan fiction (turned nove) rpg's and graphic novel/comic books
The industry has always been overwhelmed. But we're at a point right now where I think that timing plays more of a crucial roll in the decision process. I've heard that face-to-face meetings at conferences have sometimes worked to bring an agent and writer together, however, I don't have the time to fly or drive all over hell's half acre looking for such opportunities, nor the entry fee bucks to expend on such ventures.
The only thing I can suggest is to bomb the market to get the odds up. I don't allow exclusivity to anybody, unless it is 30 days or less. I WILL not have my manuscript lanquish on any editor's or agent's desk for an infinite amount of time, only to receive a form rejection after nine months.
I use a (reverse) submission process by where I query small and indie publishers, in the hopes of being rejected with detailed and observant comments. I then rewrite (once I have a good sampling) my manuscript and go up one notch to the medium press, and file their comments as well. In this fashion, by the time I hit the majors or large agencies, I'm pretty sure I'm ready with the best script I can muster. In other words, I USE the editing savvy of the houses to better my script, leave them behind, and shoot for higher markets.
Above all, put on your amour and get ready for a long haul. Persistence pays off.
Triceratops