Agghhh!!! Three partials requested and...

BarbaraKE · Feb 14, 2011

I am feeling so frustrated!

At the end of last August (2010), I sent out seven queries to agents at various well-known agencies. In due course, I received three requests for partials (along with two form rejects, one personalized reject and a 'no response').

Great, right??

Now, middle of Feb. 2011 (five-and-a-half months later) I've finally heard back from the final agent. All rejections (though one suggested that I re-submit after I made changes). All three gave comments and suggestions on what I should change. They were all very nice, no complaints.

My frustration?? They all wanted different things!!!

One wanted more backstory about a specific character, another wanted less. One specifically mentioned the start of a particular chapter as being 'compelling', another said that same chapter 'started out too slow'. One said she liked the snippets of German in the first chapter ('handled well' and 'adds depth'), another said to drop all the German ('confusing').

I swear, it's almost like these three people got together and tried to figure out how best to mess with my mind.

Cella · Feb 14, 2011

I imagine it must be a lot like dating... :Hug2:

Hang in there. Hopefully the right match will come along

ryannj5 · Feb 14, 2011

Oh no! I wouldn't recommend making any of their suggested changes until you can process the feedback more since it was so varied. Sit it on and let it stew. You know your story best and need to trust yourself. Do what feels right to you. Another suggestion is getting a few more beta readers. Ask them to specifically look for the things the agents called out. (How did the German elements add to the story? How did that particular chapter make them feel?)

MissMacchiato · Feb 14, 2011

I agree with ryannj. You know your story better than anyone else.

Which of those comments do YOU think you should follow, if any?

And the fact that you're getting partial requests is an excellent sign! Keep at it, and good luck

Debbie V · Feb 14, 2011

Only one suggested you resubmit. That's the one to listen to. Do those changes, unless they leave a bad taste, and resub. Maybe you'll turn the rejection around. Keep the prior version. You can always go back to any other changes too, later.

kaitie · Feb 14, 2011

You only sent seven queries, and you got three requests? My goodness, send out more!

MJNL · Feb 14, 2011

Personally, I look at critiques from anyone the same way:

"Problem" mentioned once by one person = personal preference. Usually I consider what's been said, then regard or disregard depending on my own personal preferences.

Problem mentioned by multiple people = real problem. Under this circumstance I really have to find a way to fix it, regardless of my personal preferences.

When it comes down to it, agents are just people. And you can't please everyone. Take the advice into consideration, and if something rings true to you, go with it, if not, don't sweat it. Only when the same points start popping up repeatedly should you seriously consider chopping and hacking, in my opinion.

Three partials are an awesome start, just have to find that agent that gets you. Good luck!

ETA: You only sent seven? Don't touch anything until you've sent out 50 more! 3 out of 7 is a spectacular ratio! Get back to subbing asap.

Cyia · Feb 14, 2011

Agent advice is a bit like the responses you'll get here - we all say something a bit different, but in the end, you'll usually get everything addressed

If it were me, I'd read through all of the suggestions, and see what I did and didn't agree with, then see if any changes come naturally with that. (And YAY 3/7 is AWESOME!)

BarbaraKE · Feb 14, 2011

I sent out the seven queries as a 'dip-toe-in-water' type of thing even though I wasn't really happy with my ending. No one was more surprised than I when I actually got requests for partials. (Thank God they didn't want fulls.) Since then I've been re-writing my ending (several times) and now feel fairly comfortable with it. I have several betas reading it now and will probably start querying again within a month or so.

What bothers me is not the rejections but the total difference of opinion! How can a writer learn to write a good story if supposed experts (agents) can't agree on whether a given sentence or paragraph is good or bad (let alone a whole novel)?

(Sorry, just venting...)

Jamesaritchie · Feb 14, 2011

The only one that matters is the one that asked for a rewrite and resubmit. You don't even know that the others were being honest, or even if they actually wrote the feedback, for that matter. If you want to do the rewrite and resubmit, do so. If not, find three more agents and don't worry about it.

kaitie · Feb 14, 2011

I had the same thing with the novel that's out on sub right now. Every comment about why it was turned down was either "just not right for me" or something completely different from what other people said. One of the suggestions even blew my mind for its weirdness.

I do think it's important to consider what they have to say, but I'd get beta readers instead. It could be that they're just differences of opinion, it could be that there really is a problem, and it could honestly be that you've got a great book that is just not quite right and those are the reasons that stood out to them. With that kind of ratio, though, if you've got a manuscript to back it up you're way ahead of the game and you have a good chance of finding someone who will connect with it.

Susan Coffin · Feb 15, 2011

Barbara,

Everyone has an opinion. The bottom line is that you get to decide what you do and do not want to change.

Phaeal · Feb 15, 2011

Three out of seven speaks to a strong premise and good querying package. Once you do get the MS polished, query until you run out of agents. And don't worry about the varying responses. I received much the same before I hit the one who got what I was trying to do, and this seems to be the common experience around here.

Und...Deutsch ist immer gut!

Becca C. · Feb 15, 2011

I got some weird advice in a couple rejections, too, completely out of the blue and I had no idea how those agents saw what they did. Those agents just didn't have the same vision for the book that I did. On the other hand, the agent that called me and asked me to revise said exactly the things I knew in my heart the manuscript needed, and I ended up face-palming and going "Why didn't I think of that?!" every time she suggested something.

All that contradictory advice just goes to show you that they didn't "get" your book. Someday someone will.

Sandsurfgirl · Feb 15, 2011

Wow 3 out of 7 is amazing! You have something really good there.

If it were me I would make the changes and resubmit to the one who is willing to look at it again.

Then I would send out a ton more queries with the query letter you are already using. Now if they ask for partials, which version do you send them? That's a tough question.

As far as the feedback goes, it's all pretty much subjective. There are so many stories of books that nobody thought would sell that became hits and everyone has their own particular taste. I've read books that are huge sellers that I thought were real snoozers and then books that weren't that well known that I couldn't put down. At least you know you are onto something with this project with that many requests for partials right away.

Writer-2-Author · Feb 16, 2011

Hi Barbara, I agree with everyone that has said don't worry about making any of the changes except for the one who told you to make their changes and resubmit! That means she's interested and wants to see more of your writing abilities. Good luck!
Thanks,
Robin

Agghhh!!! Three partials requested and...

BarbaraKE

Cella

Cella

ryannj5

MissMacchiato

Bring on the Sweet, Sweet Coffee

Debbie V

Mentoring Myself and Others

kaitie

With great power comes

MJNL

A Little Lost

Cyia

Rewriting My Destiny

BarbaraKE

Jamesaritchie

kaitie

With great power comes

Susan Coffin

Tell it like it Is

Phaeal

Whatever I did, I didn't do it.

Becca C.

Sandsurfgirl

Writer-2-Author