I suck.

Christine N. · Mar 13, 2007

Ok, maybe not. But apparently I don't have a story any agent feels they can sell.

I've tried many. One doesn't rep MG anymore, so I think that was part of the reason. The rest were form rejects after partial requests.

So today I feel like I suck. Just suck.

David McAfee · Mar 13, 2007

I feel for ya, but I ain't touching the title of this thread with a ten foot pole.

Rejections happen, unless yer Stephen King. Gotta get by them and keep on going.

Christine N. · Mar 13, 2007

:

Yeah, I know. I have lots of them. I just thought the new manuscript was so much better. I tried not to get my hopes up, I knew she would reject it. So many agents already have. One even told me she knew the small press market would appreciate it more than big publishers.

I don't know what I expected. It was nice to dream for five minutes though.

Calla Lily · Mar 13, 2007

(before I read word one of your initial post)

You do not! :Sun:

Okay, now I've read the post:

Sending a case of chocolate your way.

I just got rejected by an agent yesterday. Total bummer. HAd some hopes for this one. Plus I got a form reject from Wizards of the Coast 2 days ago.

@!#$! it, I say. You say it too. Go ahead. I'll wait.

Now, did the rejector give any suggestions, or was it form? If the former, leave it for a day or 2 and then take what's worthwhile and feed the rest to your friendly neighborhood recycling plant.

Or try my method: I'm in the middle of a sequel to book 1 (the one that just got rejected again). I just started the barest, most minimum outline for something totally different than my usual creepy horror fic. Do you have a way-out idea that you've been toying with? Why not try something new? I was amazed on what a breath of fresh air that outlining did for my muse.

Now eat that chocolate. :LilLove:

Christine N. · Mar 13, 2007

No, form reject.
I just rewrote this book too.
Yes, much chocolate. I was just getting excited about the third book in the series, because it really is a great series.

I'll find a home for it, yes I will. Those agents don't know what they've passed on. (Yeah, right, huh? LOL)

Thump · Mar 13, 2007

Imagine how I feel knowing that my slash fanfiction writing sister who's been kicked out of three schools and has the IQ of a sea-urchin possibly writes better than me?

Oh Gods... Now I have to go cry into my pillow.

Parkinsonsd · Mar 13, 2007

Thump said:
Imagine how I feel knowing that my slash fanfiction writing sister who's been kicked out of three schools and has the IQ of a sea-urchin possibly writes better than me?

Oh Gods... Now I have to go cry into my pillow.

Yeah, gee Christine, compared to Thump, you're doing AWESOME!. I mean, any one in Thump's position, that she still manages to keep breathing voluntarily is nothing short of miraculous. I'd have thought she would finally just give up, but no, she keeps going. God.

Yeah, you're doing pretty good Christine.

scarletpeaches · Mar 13, 2007

That thread title could get you a lot of saucy PMs.

Thump · Mar 13, 2007

Parkinsonsd said:
Yeah, gee Christine, compared to Thump, you're doing AWESOME!. I mean, any one in Thump's position, that she still manages to keep breathing voluntarily is nothing short of miraculous. I'd have thought she would finally just give up, but no, she keeps going. God.

Yeah, you're doing pretty good Christine.

I tried giving up... it just so happens that she's a nursing aid (or whatever you call it in English) and knows CPR *sob*

I really have it bad!

MidnightMuse · Mar 13, 2007

Thump said:
Imagine how I feel knowing that my slash fanfiction writing sister who's been kicked out of three schools and has the IQ of a sea-urchin possibly writes better than me?

Oh Gods... Now I have to go cry into my pillow.

Don't knock the IQ of the sea urchin!

Heck, my sister is Vanity pubbing her book and my family thinks she's BRILLIANT and will become RICH beyond her dreams.

Did I mention my family are sea kelp? Three levels below urchins.

As for YOU, Missy Christine - you most certainly do not suck. If you did, I'd have you over to do my carpets. You are, however, allowed a full 24 hours to mope, drink and eat chocolates with no caloric repercussions.

Following this 24 hour period, you are required to submit again, and begin something new. Something exciting. Something completely different.

Something that makes you happy.

Thump · Mar 13, 2007

Ahhh... but your sister actually wrote something original... my sis ain't even capable of doing that! And she gets fanmail too *sob*

MidnightMuse · Mar 13, 2007

roach · Mar 13, 2007

Christine, do I need to repost the theory of suckitude here? Here goes:

From Hippocrates we know that the writer is governed by four different actions (sucking, blowing, reading, writing) called humors. These four humors need to be balanced in the writer for optimum health to stave off disease (such as Writer's Block, adverbitis, and the dreaded scarlet infodump).

If you find that your suck humor is excessive you have several courses of treatment you can pursue to restore your balance.

Substitution: find something you suck at more and engage in that activity until the excess suck is drained off.

Purging: engage in the activity at which you suck for an extended period of time. As an example: if you feel you suck at writing, keep writing until you have worked through it.

Drugs: chocolate and alcohol (in proper dosages) can sometimes bring a balance to the humors.

Compensation: read, write and blow until the levels are brought up to your level of suck.

On a serious note: sorry about the rejections!

SpookyWriter · Mar 13, 2007

I don't think you suck either. Like what others have said, you write and then do it again until the work is good enough for publication. A good story will sell.

alleycat · Mar 13, 2007

Oh, this is not the kind of thread I thought it was.

Never mind.

Pisarz · Mar 13, 2007

But . . . but . . . but I thought I was the one who sucked around here concerning writing/impressing agents.

It's not you, it's me. I must have contaminated you somehow. Sorry about that.

And sorry about your disheartened feelings as well. I share your pain. May things improve.

David McAfee · Mar 13, 2007

scarletpeaches said:
That thread title could get you a lot of saucy PMs.

This from the "Meat in a Sammich" gal.

Rob B · Mar 13, 2007

Christine, you've probably heard all the stories, but the one I remember best, and that has picked me up when I've been down, is about ZEN AND THE ART OF MOTORCYCLE MAINTENANCE (or something like that). According to what I read a long time ago, the manuscript was rejected by 137 agents. Now, that's a lot of querying and coming up dry. Check out the book at Barnes & Noble and see how many times it's been reprinted. It was a hit, yet 137 people passed on it. I've got enough war stories about my trials and tribulations with the industry to fill a book of its own, but I won't bore you with any of them, just know that no matter how hard it is to accept, do not let a rejection get you down. No business is more subjective. Rob B

Birol · Mar 13, 2007

One day of self-pity, indulging in your favorite, pouty, sulky past times, then back to the trenches.

Christine N. · Mar 14, 2007

Ok, I'm better now. I queried three agents today - one at Curtis Brown (yeah, right!), one from LJK Literary and one from Lori Perkins.

I re-read my Chapter one as I was looking it over before sending it. It's darn good. I don't suck.

Calla Lily · Mar 14, 2007

Christine N. said:
Ok, I'm better now. I queried three agents today - one at Curtis Brown (yeah, right!), one from LJK Literary and one from Lori Perkins.

I re-read my Chapter one as I was looking it over before sending it. It's darn good. I don't suck.

You go, girl! :Sun:

David McAfee · Mar 14, 2007

WTG Christine. Get back up on the pony!

ORION · Mar 14, 2007

Good luck!
I still have every one of my 70 + rejections...

icerose · Mar 14, 2007

If they reject you, start hitting the indies, or work on the next book, anything to keep it moving. Or even better, do both!

janetbellinger · Mar 14, 2007

Christine, you've published several novels already with a publisher that turned me down. You do NOT suck. You can probably sell your work without an agent, with so many published novels to your credit.

Christine N. said:
Ok, maybe not. But apparently I don't have a story any agent feels they can sell.

I've tried many. One doesn't rep MG anymore, so I think that was part of the reason. The rest were form rejects after partial requests.

So today I feel like I suck. Just suck.

I suck.

haz a shiny new book cover

God of Squirrels

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On hiatus

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defying grabbity

defying grabbity

Midnight Reading

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annoyed and annoying

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God of Squirrels

Around and About

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On hiatus

God of Squirrels

Sailed away years ago

Lost in School Work