Rejected, Again

Geez, I haven't the slightest notion what that means, but wanted to say I've been there. It aint easy, but when you do hit pay-dirt all the rejections will have been worth it. Nothing like proving them all wrong and having a dream come true all at the same time!!! Hang in there; keep writing, believing in it, and remember to breath when you get the call that some agent get what you're saying and wants to represent your work...

Really sorry to hear about the rejection. Just keep sending out those queries!

As for the humor, I'd seek a second opinion from a beta reader, and/or wait to see what another agent says before making major changes. Humor is highly subjective. Give some time to process the feedback, too, in case the agent touches upon something you hadn't been aware of.

better luck next time!

NiennaC said:

Just got my first full rejection on my 3rd project! It stinks. I was told that there's a "chemistry disconnect with the humor." What does that mean? That he, personally, didn't think it was funny or that I should probably change the humor because no one's going to like it?

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Frankly, I would not want to work with an agent who doesn't communicate well. Look at that phrase: a chemistry disconnect with the humor. Wha huh? We're in the business of words. Agents are in the business of promoting and selling those words to others. That requires communication skills of a high order. Reject this rejection, consider that you're lucky not to have been picked up, chin up, and carry on.

My third project (the third project I submitted, that is) got me an agent...after a lot of rejections.

Keep hoping!

And yes, that makes no sense at all. Chemistry? Was he trying to flirt with your humor or something?

Yep, I'd disconnect with this rejection and keep going. It obviously wasn't up their alley but that doesn't mean that you won't find an agent leaping at the same story.

Pike

chemistry disconnect with the humour? Pish posh...just move on. Why would one feel the need to put that in the rejection. Just put it aside and move to the next one. If it makes you question the humour, then do yourself a favour and have a non partisan read it and ask them if it's humorous. If it doesn't make you question the humour...if you know it's humorous, then submit elsewhere.

Good luck with your next try...

NiennaC said:

"chemistry disconnect with the humor."

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Say what? I have no idea what that means. Not enough carbon atoms bonding with the characters? No worries. Happens all the time. Just add a little super glue to your manuscript.

Not to worry

As of today, I received almost 35 rejects on my manuscript. I don't know what it is they're not getting. It's a masterpiece. As far as the humor disconnect goes, I believe the rejector has a disconnect for not explaining what he meant.

Keep trying!

NiennaC said:

I even got so confident, I sent out another query letter.

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Way to go!

(Yes, I have no life. I'm here on a Friday night. I just saw the Golden Compass movie and I'm steaming mad. Okay, I'll take it to the movie forum.)

NiennaC said:

Thanks for your kind words everyone! You made me feel loads better about the rejection. I even got so confident, I sent out another query letter.

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Spiffing old chap or should i say chapette!

Do keep going what i roll about on the floor laughing (Almost) no one else finds funny. Keep trying till you find someone that does get your humor and see that other too will laugh too.

Kevvers

Hang in there, sweetie!

NiennaC said:

Thanks for your kind words everyone! You made me feel loads better about the rejection. I even got so confident, I sent out another query letter.

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EXCELLENT.

Humor is, I think, one of the toughest areas because, and again only imo, it's possibly the most subjective of all writing forms. Peoples' ideas of what is funny are all over the lot. Any submitted query/ms needs to connect with the "right" agent at the "right" time, but humor especially needs to happen to hit just the right agent funnybone. (They have senses of humor, right? lol.)


Sometimes it's really a shame we can't send rejections of the rejections.

Dear Agent Incommunicado:

Thank you for your rejection. Unfortunately, despite your having five English degrees, I experienced a severe chemical disconnect with the rejection, causing a hormonal imbalance which made me want to teeter on the railing of the Golden Gate Bridge at 2 in the morning. This happens to me every time there is an attempted murder on the language. Therefore, I must reject your rejection at this time.

I can only echo the others and say, do you really want to work with an agent whose response makes you go "ehm... what?". Someone who has taken too many classes in management speak methinks. So lock the rejection outside the box, run it up a flagpole, then boot it into some blue sky thinking and get back to submitting.

Just so you know, in case no one has told you yet, writing is probably the most subjective medium there is. Or to put it colloquially, "One man's junk is another man's treasure." Like the others said, do not lose heart. In my own experience, it took me several years, and a whole lot of rejection letters, before my novel was accepted by a publishing house. As you can imagine, I was thrilled. About a month after my acceptance, another publisher I had sent my manuscript to several months earlier, finally responded. The editor hated it, spelling out in detail all the things wrong with the story. If I had gotten that letter a few weeks earlier, I would have been devastated. But since I had a publishing contract in my hand, I just smiled, and filed it with all the rejection letters. So you never know who is going to read your work and think it's dynamite. Pick yourself up and send it out again, and again, and again.

Mike

I have no idea what the guy was trying to say but good for you in sending out more queries. Keep on trudging along and hopefully soon you will reach your dream.

Actually, it makes perfect sense to me. I agree with the others that you should continue to seek out other agents, but when I read "chemistry disconnect with the humor" it means one of two things:

1. Either the humor is too black and the character interaction is warm and fuzzy, or

2. The humor is slapstick and the romance (if any) is too sensual.

Think about romantic comedies you've seen. If you took, say, the characters from the dark comedy "War of the Roses" and gave them the situations from "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" it would be a disconnect. The intensity of the dialogue and interaction of the hero/heroine wouldn't match the situation.

It's an intensity thing. Light humor often doesn't match with intense scenes in print, and dark, sarcastic characters often can't pull off situational comedy. It would be like "House" meets "Friends." They wouldn't play well. If that makes sense...

But keep trying. You never know--the next person might find that combination just perfect!

All writing is subjective, and humor is even more so. What makes one person laugh may seem stupid to another.

Maybe this agent just didn't get your sense of humor.

I wish you luck finding the right match. If you thought it was funny, someone else will also.

Hang in there! I agree with Just Me - maybe this agent just didn't get your sense of humor.

It can be frustrating, the other day I received 2 rejections on the same day on partials. But I had queries already lined up and ready to go. Take what you can from them and move on and if you can't get any good feedback (or any that makes sense) let it go.