Hmmm

Shady Lane · Aug 27, 2007

Dear Shady Lane,

Thanks for this query. I would normally hop right on it and take a look at Carnival. Unfortunately, I'm swamped with work and also having to deal with a family health crisis, so I believe it would be better to step aside at this point and let you connect with someone who can act immediately on your behalf.

Good luck!
Agent

I mean, good stuff, and usually I'd be all "Hell yeah, that's pretty close." But this is one of the rejections I put my age in, so I'm not sure if she's just trying to make sure she doesn't crush my fragile teenage soul?

Seems a little low to invent a family health crisis, though.

Any, I replied to the email with a "Thanks for the quick reply and hope everything starts looking up." Bridges, and all that. Good move?

sanssouci · Aug 27, 2007

The letter sounds sincere to me, and I think you handled yourself well.

JoNightshade · Aug 27, 2007

I too think you handled yourself well. On the other hand I get irritated when people use their personal lives as excuses. I mean, business is business, either you want it or you don't.

But I'm just being nitpicky here. I think it's a good response and you should be heartened.

Shady Lane · Aug 27, 2007

I'm generally not bugged by rejections, so I'm totally cool. I was just curious. And I mean...if she was really interested, she could just hold onto the query for awhile. I only sent it out like 2 days ago. I mean, is she just rejecting everybody??

Of course not. I'm sure if my query had super-grabbed her interest, she'd be asking for the manuscript right now. But it interested her enough that she felt she had to give me an excuse for why she was rejecting it, and that's almost good enough.

CaroGirl · Aug 28, 2007

I'd be heartened. She must think you'll be able to get another agent interested very quickly, otherwise she might have suggested taking you on and waiting. I'm curious as to why she's at work and accepting queries if she's not taking on new authors.

I think if you habitually second guess an agent or publisher's motivation every time you're rejected, you'd be best leaving your age off entirely from now on. No need to give yourself more reason to fret.

Saundra Julian · Aug 28, 2007

Doesn't it show that agents are human with human problems and that they're honest?
Why read anything else into this rejection. I think she did you a service by not keeping your query for eons and letting ya sweat it out.

johnzakour · Aug 29, 2007

It's not worth trying to get inside her head. (No good can come from trying to understand any agents thoughts and actions. ;-) )

Just accept it and move on to the next.

PS: I think it's cool that your name really is Shady Lane. :-0

Shady Lane · Aug 30, 2007

johnzakour said:
It's not worth trying to get inside her head. (No good can come from trying to understand any agents thoughts and actions. ;-) )

Just accept it and move on to the next.

PS: I think it's cool that your name really is Shady Lane. :-0

Haha, I wish. SO much better than my real name.

Hmmm

Shady Lane

my name is hannah

sanssouci

JoNightshade

has finally arrived

Shady Lane

my name is hannah

CaroGirl

Living the dream

Saundra Julian

A work in progress

johnzakour

Dangerous with a Keyboard

Shady Lane

my name is hannah