Rejected, but not dejected

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David McAfee

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One of the agents I queried last month got back to me with a rejection this morning. It's nice to be able to look at the rejection and say "Oh, well, I have an agent already."

This begs the question: should I contact all the agents with whom I have outstanding queries to inform them I have already secured representation and so please disregard my query?
 

Saundra Julian

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Oh boy I would... especially the ones that turned down your book!!! :D

Ah, I mean that would be the professional thing to do...
 

Will Lavender

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Funny thing happened to me that's related to this.

I queried two agents at about the same time, and both asked for partials-then-fulls. Agent A said that it would be six weeks for a response; Agent B sort of scoffed at the eight weeks and said it would be a few days before I heard from her.

B got back to me and offered representation, and I accepted.

At that point I got in touch with A, informing her of my decision to go with B.

Nothing. No reply. I didn't think anything of it.

Two months later, when my novel was on submission, I get an out-of-nowhere e-mail from Agent A.

It was a SCATHING rejection. I mean scathing. Totally personalized, totally no-holds-barred claws-out rejection.

A few days later I sold the book in a six-figure deal.

It took everything I had -- EVERYTHING I HAD -- to not get in touch with Agent A and rub it in.

But alas. I took the high road. ;)
 

David McAfee

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Funny thing happened to me that's related to this.

I queried two agents at about the same time, and both asked for partials-then-fulls. Agent A said that it would be six weeks for a response; Agent B sort of scoffed at the eight weeks and said it would be a few days before I heard from her.

B got back to me and offered representation, and I accepted.

At that point I got in touch with A, informing her of my decision to go with B.

Nothing. No reply. I didn't think anything of it.

Two months later, when my novel was on submission, I get an out-of-nowhere e-mail from Agent A.

It was a SCATHING rejection. I mean scathing. Totally personalized, totally no-holds-barred claws-out rejection.

A few days later I sold the book in a six-figure deal.

It took everything I had -- EVERYTHING I HAD -- to not get in touch with Agent A and rub it in.

But alas. I took the high road. ;)

Wow! That's an interesting story. I think you did the professional thing, but if that happened to me I can totally see some small little part of me wanting to say "neener neener neener."
 

Will Lavender

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Oh, and to answer the question:

I actually DO think you need to get in touch with the people who are reading manuscripts. (NOT those who are reading queries.) They need to know to stop reading, I'd think.

Levine-Greenberg was one of the agencies that requested a full from me, and I got back with the agent there and told her about my representation offer. Months later, when the novel sold, that agent contacted me and congratulated me. (She'd seen it in PW.)

Good folks.
 

KCH

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Will,

Wow. What agent takes the time to pen a scathing, personal screed to simply reject a manuscipt? Methinks she's two digits short of an ISBN. Make that three.

Casting call for Ms. Glenn Close. Your bunny's boiling.

[Aw c'mon..give us some initials, anyway. It's like, um, a public safety issue.]
 

popmuze

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Two months later, when my novel was on submission, I get an out-of-nowhere e-mail from Agent A.

It was a SCATHING rejection. I mean scathing. Totally personalized, totally no-holds-barred claws-out rejection. ;)


You don't want to go out of your way to create enemies, but I think such a letter required a response of some kind. I mean, this may be an agent others should be warned against.
 

Will Lavender

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You don't want to go out of your way to create enemies, but I think such a letter required a response of some kind. I mean, this may be an agent others should be warned against.

Well, if there were something personal (I used the word "personalized"; I simply meant that it wasn't a form) in the letter, I would. She just seemed to really hate the book (though I can't help but think she was peeved at having to compete with Agent B and simply venting), so I'll chalk it up to bad form on her part and leave it alone.
 
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popmuze

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Will Lavender;1271214I'll chalk it up to bad form on her part and leave it alone.[/quote said:
I always say, a six figure deal is the best revenge.
 
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