Question on disclosure of previous submissions

Leva

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 18, 2006
Messages
527
Reaction score
61
A year ago, I submitted a novel to a major publisher. It was denied, though with a short letter with a few comments from the editor & a note she liked my writing style and wanted to see more from me. :):):)

I'm looking to shop this book around to some agents now that I've had a chance to do a few minor rewrites. Unfortunately, the publisher that rejected it is the largest publisher who handles that sort of book, and it's really a limited field -- maybe a dozen or so publishers at most.

Do I disclose that this book has been rejected once by this publisher in the query? How do I handle this? Obviously, the agent needs to know.

Leva
 

Cathy C

Ooo! Shiny new cover!
Kind Benefactor
Absolute Sage
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 5, 2005
Messages
9,907
Reaction score
1,834
Location
Hiding in my writing cave
Website
www.cathyclamp.com
I wouldn't worry about mentioning it. First get the agent, then rely on the agent's ability to seek out interested publishers. It might well be that the editor only needs a bit of convincing about the book from the right agent. It happens all the time. Our first book was rejected by the same publisher who bought it from our agent. There's plenty of other similar stories. Just get the agent interested. They'll do the rest! :)
 

Mike Coombes

Guru
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 6, 2005
Messages
774
Reaction score
58
Location
UK
Website
writers.ktf-design.com
I agree with Cathy - quite apart from anything else, the publisher will have seen a thousand or more MSS since yours, and they won't remember it or you. Snag the agent, and let them wory about who to sell it to.
 

Valona

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 24, 2005
Messages
322
Reaction score
12
Can the same thing be said of agents? Suppose I queried several agents with a query letter that just didn't do the job. Since then, I revised the letter and have gotten positive results. Would it be possible to re-query the first agents?
 

barrylyga

My YA novel had been seen by four different editors at four different pubs before I landed my agent. Two of them rejected it, one never got back to me, and one liked it, but wanted some revisions I wasn't wholly happy with.

I just told my agent "Here are the folks I submitted it to and what happened." She sort of waved it off and sent it off to five new people and wham! Sale.

So just tell your agent everything you did and let him/her worry about it. There are a lot of editors out there, and your agent will know the best ones to hit.
 

dantem42

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 12, 2005
Messages
344
Reaction score
25
Location
Philippines
Also remember that whoever the editor was at the publisher in question, he/she may be long gone by now. Also, sometimes the right place at the right time is important. Something that might have been of no interest a year ago may be of bigger interest now, for whatever reasons.
 

CaoPaux

Mostly Harmless
Staff member
Super Moderator
Moderator
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
13,952
Reaction score
1,746
Location
Coastal Desert
Valona said:
Can the same thing be said of agents? Suppose I queried several agents with a query letter that just didn't do the job. Since then, I revised the letter and have gotten positive results. Would it be possible to re-query the first agents?
Sure, as long as a polite amount of time has elapsed. I'd wait at least three months before re-querying, six if you can stand it.
 

Valona

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 24, 2005
Messages
322
Reaction score
12
CaoPaux said:
Sure, as long as a polite amount of time has elapsed. I'd wait at least three months before re-querying, six if you can stand it.
That's what I needed to know. It's been amost a year since I queried these agents with my poorly constructed query letter, so maybe they won't even remember me. At least that's what I'm hoping. At least it can't hurt, more than the cost of postage and some paper and ink.

Thanks CaoPaux.