Personalized but ultimately vague rejection

Edwardian · Jun 14, 2018

I got my nicest and most personalized rejection to date. The agent said the query caught her eye, and she read the manuscript (which was included in the submission). She said she enjoyed it, and that it was intriguing, but that she didn't like it enough to go forward. I'm fine with that. It's only the fifth submission I've made, so I'm pleased that she liked my submission to the extent she did and bothered to tell me. But I want to know if I can improve.

Here's my question, kind of (still processing here). I don't know why she didn't like it enough. I'm always attempting to improve what I do, and willing to re-write, but I'm suffering from a lack of feedback.

Is it okay to follow up with questions in these circumstances. Could I for example say (not wanting to be pushy) that does she have any comment as to why she didn't like it enough so that I could possibly strengthen it to improve the manuscript (for future submissions with other agents)? My problem is I'm kind of starving from a lack of feedback and an understanding of how I can improve.

pingle · Jun 14, 2018

Have you shared any of your work on here? I found it way more helpful than I thought I would. It turns out that my friends give terrible feedback (they say they like it which is good for the ego but doesn't actually help me improve). You could ask the specific question, "What is the thing you like least about this chapter?"

Also, are you 100% certain it was truly personalised? As far as I can tell agents go to great lengths to make their rejections seem personalised. I wish they wouldn't tbh but there you go.

As for your question, I wouldn't reply, if she had wanted to give you that information she would have done.

Hbooks · Jun 14, 2018

First, congrats that she liked your query and read your pages!

As to nudging her for more... I wouldn't. Agents are busy with their signed clients and reading queries/manuscripts isn't something they earn income from... they're just looking for new clients. It's not their job to give feedback. Asking for more detail would be unprofessional, IMHO. Can you find some betas to run it by if you feel insecure about the manuscript? Get more opinions? If you've only submitted to three agents, you're still very early in the process.

Edwardian · Jun 14, 2018

Thanks. Sure, I thought it was not good to ask for specifics, and I won't. Maybe it wasn't personalized. As for beta readers, they are very hard to find, including in the SYW forum. I think I'll have to re-read it all myself.

I'm surprised there isn't some kind of exchange system on AW where people beta read in exchange for a beta read.

eqb · Jun 14, 2018

Edwardian said:
I'm surprised there isn't some kind of exchange system on AW where people beta read in exchange for a beta read.

Sure there is. Right here: https://absolutewrite.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?30-Beta-Readers-Mentors-and-Writing-Buddies

Sage · Jun 14, 2018

Have you ever read a book that was good, but didn't make you rush to recommend it to everyone you know? Like, you can't point to anything wrong with it, you just didn't love it. You wouldn't have fought for it to get published over some other well-written book.

Agents have to love the books they represent. They also have to be able to see how they would be able to sell it. Even with a well-written book that is interesting enough, if an agent doesn't feel like she can go to bat for it, she'll pass. But she won't be able to give you a reason she didn't love it. She just didn't.

Edwardian · Jun 14, 2018

eqb said:
Sure there is. Right here: https://absolutewrite.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?30-Beta-Readers-Mentors-and-Writing-Buddies

Many thanks! Didn't know that.

Barbara R. · Jun 14, 2018

No, don't do that. I was a literary agent for 14 years, and questions like that are the reason I stopped (in most cases) giving personal feedback on rejections. The answer is not going to be a word or two. If the book simply isn't at the necessary level of excellence, there's no way to explain that without going into an entire lesson in writing. It's not agents' business to teach writers to write, any more than it's writers' business to tell agents how to sell.

I understand that you're starving for serious feedback. That's true of most writers, until they start selling their work. But it's hard to start selling without that feedback: a perfect Catch 22, and the precise reason I started doing these reads for writers. Give me a shout if you'd like to take me up on it.

mpack · Jun 15, 2018

Edwardian said:
Is it okay to follow up with questions in these circumstances. Could I for example say (not wanting to be pushy) that does she have any comment as to why she didn't like it enough so that I could possibly strengthen it to improve the manuscript (for future submissions with other agents)? My problem is I'm kind of starving from a lack of feedback and an understanding of how I can improve.

If the agent had been interested, she would have provided more specific feedback with the explicit option for dialogue (I've had that happen in response to a query.) This looks like a kind rejection letter, but it's a rejection all the same not an R&R.

Harlequin · Jun 16, 2018

Two links for you, OP.

First one is an article on agents for why they don't provide more feedback (one agent's perspective, anyway). http://bookendslitagency.blogspot.com/2009/07/providing-feedback.html

The second one is PN Elrod's "brick" critique service. She will read your first few pages as an agent or editor would and will tell you what is wrong with it. If you write in genres she looks at, I honestly think it is well worth the nominal fee. Be aware, her critique is not for the faint of heart: http://www.vampwriter.com/CRITIQUE.htm

PeteMC · Jun 18, 2018

Edwardian said:
Is it okay to follow up with questions in these circumstances. Could I for example say (not wanting to be pushy) that does she have any comment as to why she didn't like it enough so that I could possibly strengthen it to improve the manuscript (for future submissions with other agents)? My problem is I'm kind of starving from a lack of feedback and an understanding of how I can improve.

No, please don't do that. Agents just don't have time to give that level of feedback to rejections, and get more than enough email as it is. This will just irritate them.

carrie_ann · Jun 18, 2018

pingle said:
...

Also, are you 100% certain it was truly personalised? As far as I can tell agents go to great lengths to make their rejections seem personalised. I wish they wouldn't tbh but there you go.

This is true. I was "tricked" a couple times. I've found QueryTracker really useful for discerning if a rejection is a form. For most agents that send responses someone before me has/d posted their rejection forms letters. Obviously, if you receive the same one, not so personalized.

Personalized but ultimately vague rejection

Edwardian

pingle

Hbooks

Edwardian

eqb

I write novels

Sage

Supreme Guessinator

Edwardian

Barbara R.

Old Hand in the Biz

mpack

Swooping is bad.

Harlequin

Eat books, not brains!

PeteMC

@PeteMC666

carrie_ann