Is this roller-coaster ride the norm?

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Richard Paolinelli

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First, I am not complaining, but still.....

Sent out queries on 61k mystery/thriller. An agent e-mails back for a 5-page partial, then politely rejects it a week later. Three days after that, a second agent responds and asks for a 20-30 page partial w/detail synopsis. And mixed in the middle of all of that is three more rejections from other agents.

Again, I am thrilled to get interest from two agents, but this up and down and up and down is killing my nerves.

Is this normal? Do I need to take up some serious drinking while I wait to hear from the second agent?
 

jjdebenedictis

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Yes, it's normal, but it gets more comfortable when you start realizing that rejection is no big deal.

Enjoy the highs; refuse to entertain the lows for more than a minute each.
 

Rhoda Nightingale

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You get used to it. I recommend taking up serious writing-your-next-novel while you're waiting to hear from that second agent.

That, or marathon entire seasons of Doctor Who. (I've done both.)
 

buz

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Is this normal? Do I need to take up some serious drinking while I wait to hear from the second agent?

One should never drink seriously, only frivolously :D

No, it's normal. You'll get bored of caring after a while. (Well. If you have amazing powers of Being Easily Bored, like I do. Otherwise you'll just get accustomed to it. ;) )
 

theDolphin

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Haha, the answers on this thread so far have been great. :D

Man, I so hear you about the roller coaster and yes, it's entirely normal. To give you some context, I just signed with an agent in late September. The first time I queried with my first novel was 13 letters in May of 2010. Following the feedback I got from some people viewing partials and the novel itself, I took a little over a year to do a rewrite. I then sent out more queries, went to a writing conference, sent more queries, and finally found my agent, who is a gem and seems to really 'get' my work.

The single biggest piece of advice I can give you is, try your best to get used to the ride, and above all: persist. Keep improving your work, keep honing your skills at selling it. You can do it!! And every so often some scotch and a good cigar does do the trick. ;)
 

Becky Black

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Definitely normal, but gets easier with time. Try to keep your mind off it with work on other things. If you have something that goes "ping" or whatever to let you know you have an email, turn it off and check your email at set intervals. Inbox stalking is stress inducing too. With work on submission every email that's not about the submission is a disappointment and a relief.
 

Rhoda Nightingale

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Definitely normal, but gets easier with time. Try to keep your mind off it with work on other things. If you have something that goes "ping" or whatever to let you know you have an email, turn it off and check your email at set intervals. Inbox stalking is stress inducing too. With work on submission every email that's not about the submission is a disappointment and a relief.
Oh god yes, this. That PING-ing will make you insane.
 

Phaeal

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Your reaction is totally normal. There's probably no cure for it but a sufficient number of rejections. To gain equanimity in the face of the process, you have to pay your psychic dues. They may take the form of agent rejections, or editor rejections, or critical rejection, or reader rejection, but eventually they'll come, and you'll feel better.

;)

Rx for the meantime:

Check your email twice a day, no more.

Work on the next novel.

Send out a set number of queries each week.
 

Susan Coffin

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First, I am not complaining, but still.....

Sent out queries on 61k mystery/thriller. An agent e-mails back for a 5-page partial, then politely rejects it a week later. Three days after that, a second agent responds and asks for a 20-30 page partial w/detail synopsis. And mixed in the middle of all of that is three more rejections from other agents.

Again, I am thrilled to get interest from two agents, but this up and down and up and down is killing my nerves.

Is this normal? Do I need to take up some serious drinking while I wait to hear from the second agent?

Richard, what you are talking about is perfectly normal. I suggest some serious writing time on your next project. If you don't have a next project, start one.

You have no control over what happens once you send out a query, so try not to let it all get to you. :)
 

Phaeal

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I think I got comfy after rejection #50. Everyone's threshold varies.
 

Jamesaritchie

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Yes, it's normal. And, yes, serious drinking helps, as long as you stay sober often enough to keep working on the next novel.

And don't rule out yelling, stomping your feet, and howling at the moon, either. Whatever works.
 

Phaeal

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I confer, via the aether, the blessings of Nyarlathotep, Soul and Messenger of the Outer Gods, Creeping Chaos, Three-Lobed Burning Eye, and He Who is Not to Be Messed With, upon your submission.

Of course, if you are accepted, He will expect payment....
 

Richard Paolinelli

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I confer, via the aether, the blessings of Nyarlathotep, Soul and Messenger of the Outer Gods, Creeping Chaos, Three-Lobed Burning Eye, and He Who is Not to Be Messed With, upon your submission.

Of course, if you are accepted, He will expect payment....

I thank you for your blessing and with some trepidation ask what form of payment is expected?

:eek:
 

ARoyce

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Totally normal. I say celebrate every request--some writers query a LOT without any requests. So you're doing something right. :) At the same time, try not to pin your hopes on a request. Keep working...and maybe schedule some time away from the Internet so you can't check your email every 5 min. :)
 

jaksen

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I had 13 agents request partials or fulls of my novel. Thirteen is usually my lucky number, but not in this case. Several loved the book, or said they did, and gave me comments that indicated they indeed had read it. Most said they would have difficulty 'placing it.'

So what you're going through, yeah pretty normal imo.
 

Fantasmac

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The roller coaster is completely normal and it doesn't end with the query stage. The first book I ever queried racked up about 40 rejections before I shelved it and every time a new email pinged into my inbox I about had a panic attack. The best was when an agent requested a full an hour after I sent the query and then took six months to ultimately reject me.
 

Putputt

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From my agent...

"Try not to think about it. If you get too excited/depressed/disappointed/happy every time we receive news from an editor, you're not going to last long! :D"

Grrghh...so you're not alone. And drinking only makes typing that much harder. May I suggest copious amounts of carbs?
 
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