r, r, r, r, r, o, r, r, r...

Who do you trust more, your agent or those agents who didn't care about your work enough to take it on? Do you believe the manuscript needs tons of revision? If you have any doubts about it being ready for primetime, you should probably address those. But if you agree with your agent that it's ready and can't really see why those other agents said it needed work, then there's your answer.

Newriter said:

I've been turned down at the query, partial and full stage. And I got one offer and signed with the agent and we're getting ready to submit.

But I'm very insecure.

While I was subbing, 5 top agents (you know who they are) read the same manuscript from start to finish and they all turned it down (even after they knew I had an offer). Some gave no reason, some said it needed extensive revision. In one case, I got detailed revision notes with offer to resubmit. I also got turned down by 4 other top agents who read the partial.

My agent (who has a good track record of sales) doesn't think it needs extensive revision.

Is my agent probably wrong?

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No one can say whether the agent is right or wrong. Only editors can say. If an editor buys it, then the reading pubic gets to make the final decision.

Agents are individuals with their own tastes and biases. I've had everything from form rejections to genuine enthusiasm, on exactly the same manuscript. Was the form rejection more "accurate" than the enthusiasm? I doubt it.

It's natural to be nervous, but if you have found a good agent, why not trust them to do their job? They wouldn't take you on if they didn't think the book was good enough to sell. There's no guarantee, ever, that they can sell your book, but an agent who believes in your book is leagues ahead of one who doesn't.

I would trust your current agent. After all, you have chosen to work together.

What's up with that title, by the way? Is it supposed to mean lots of rejections, offer, more rejections?

If you had partials and fulls out, it means that you wrote a novel that ganrered a LOT of interest. Think of it in that respect. If you gained the interest of top agents, it means even more. Your agent may mot be one to offer editorial advice, and you truly should have asked about this before signing to be sure if that. I would ask now if this is something that you will work on together in future projects if you prefer input. Some agents don't, and if it is important to you, you need to know.

If the book is good, then it will get sold. If it needs work, your editor will let you know. If you have doubts about your agent, your doubts will probably just grow.

You might want to google Hannah Moskowitz and look at her blog. She has her story about finding and losing her first agent then settling with her current agent. Her first agent didn't offer much editorial advice, and her agent now does. Hannah's posts offer some insight to that experience.

If you have signed a contract with your current agent and are going on sub, my suggestion is to start working on something new to get focused on something else. See what happens with subs and how your agent does with that.

Is there something specific that you're worried about? Did one of the requested revisions suggested by the other agent make sense to you? If so, talk to your agent about this and consider making the revisions.

But if you're just generally nervous, try to forget about it and relax. The best way to do this is to start work on another book, if you haven't already done so.

I don't think your agent is wrong, she probably just has a different taste.
But based on the many other agents who turned it down, you may still want to consider their feedback because they happen to be in the majority.

Newriter said:

And yes, the r's are rejections and the o is the offer.

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Darned creative!

Opinions on writing are massively subjective. As others have said, do YOU think your manuscript is ready for the big bad world?

Newriter said:

. But I know there are a few clients whose work never got sold. Maybe that's true for all agents.

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Yes, it is. Agents don't sell every single book given to them by their clients, whether they are a new author or someone who's published ten other novels. So no matter the state of your manuscript or the agent who represents you, there is the possibility that it simply won't sell.

The only way to know if your agent is right or wrong is to wait for the first few editorial responses. If after three or four rejections a theme emerges as to what might be needed, you and your agent may agree to withdraw the ms so you can fix it. Then again, some books get rejected 17 times and then are finally published to great acclaim.
Try to think positively. Your agent probably has a few editors in mind who eat up just the type of stuff you write. If one of them takes it on, you can be sure they'll have some ideas for revisions. Then again, some editors throw things out into the marketplace with few comments, at which point the critics may savage the book for not being thoroughly revised.
That's why people advise moving on to the next book. Once you're deeply immersed in another project, the endless frustrating twists and turns of the publishing process will have less of an effect on you.

Newriter said:

Thanks for the thoughts so far. My agent is editorial and has worked with other clients for long periods of time before giving the okay to submit. But I know there are a few clients whose work never got sold. Maybe that's true for all agents.

Do you have a link to Hannah's blog about changing agents? I can't find it on google.

And yes, the r's are rejections and the o is the offer.

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right here http://hannahmosk.blogspot.com/search/label/my agent agent story 1, 2, and 3.

Jamesaritchie said:

If an editor buys it, then the reading pubic gets to make the final decision.

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And sometimes those opinions can be very hairy.

I am impressed. I have a partial out but no other bites on my YA fantasy novel. Not sure why. I say go with what your agent says and then the editor as others have said. Congrats!

Gravity said:

And sometimes those opinions can be very hairy.

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Yes, but they can also be very positive.

I am far from having an offer at this point. I wish I could say that I'm nervous over my offer! I'm getting nothing but rejections. A whole different kind of worry, for me.

But, seriously, wow, enjoy yourself. You know that what you wrote is good. If not, you would have never sent it out there, right? So my advice is to relax and enjoy the fact that you have an offer and an agent. You are on your way! And good for you, I might add. Your agent is a professional and I'm sure you are in good hands. Be proud of your work. It wasn't easy, and no one but you could have written it.