Waiting to be rejected

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kristie911

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I sent out a batch of queries in July and am still waiting to hear from 6 of them (one was sent to an agency in New Orleans so I scratched that one). I'm thinking it's a bad sign when I'm actually just waiting for rejections. I mean, when I get one of my SASE's back, I actually think "Oh good, they sent their rejection back...now I can cross them off." This is before I even open it. lol Does this mean I might need to take a break from submitting, maybe just get back to focusing on my writing for awhile? <sigh> Anyone else at this point?
 
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triceretops

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Yeah, I'm right there too. I've got four partials and fulls out there. Just received my first reject on the first book. Whew, I'm glad that's over. It's strange but I wait for that first reject for every new book just so I can get past the apprehension of it, then I go on normally.

You should get absolutely involved in your next project. I always think to myself "Alright all you nasty eidtiors and agents--you CAN'T reject them faster than I can WRITE them." I'll wear them down eventually. (Or wear out in the process)

Triceratops
 

kristie911

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Love it!

triceretops said:
I always think to myself "Alright all you nasty eidtiors and agents--you CAN'T reject them faster than I can WRITE them."

I love this...I'll have to try thinking that way!!

I've written the second in the series (needs editing) and am nearing the end of a stand alone novel but I got to the point where I don't like the ending so I'm trying to work out the details, all this since I started sending queries on my first.

But it still sucks! lol
 

kristie911

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Update: I just recieved a rejection from an agent that had my full manuscript. And they sent it on my 30th birthday! Happy birthday to me...definitely not my best gift of the year!

On the brighter side: it wasn't an agent I would have signed with anyway because after much research I realized they weren't quite above-board...but if the crappy agents reject you, is there much hope of the good ones liking it? Okay...I guess that wasn't the brighter side. Damn!
 

Vomaxx

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kristie911 said:
I sent out a batch of queries in July and am still waiting to hear from 6 of them

Keep in mind you may never hear from some of them.
(If you queried Dee Mura, for example, I think you get a prize if you ever receive a response.)
 

kristie911

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Great...

Vomaxx said:
If you queried Dee Mura, for example, I think you get a prize if you ever receive a response.

You get a prize for being so intuitive!

That is one...I later read that they weren't much on replies so I didn't hold my breath. I don't remember the rest off the top of my head...they're logged on my laptop which I'm not on right now.
 

triceretops

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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



 

writerterri

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waiting...

"Oh, the waiting is the hardest part." Thanks Tom Petty for giving us a reason to sing that song.

I shred mine and stuff pillows and use them to cry on. Or sew or visit here or wash dishes or work on my web site or pluck my brows...

I sent two out in 2003 and didn't get them back until 2004. I thought they got lost in the mail but it turned out to be a rejection letters. Go Figure. Want a good laugh, look at my profile and visit my web site.

Keep the faith,

writerterri
 
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