Unsold: The Close But No Cigar Thread

Present and accounted for.

I was sure my first submission would sell, but it died on the vine. Now I'm stuck with "terminal waiting" to see if the follow-on is good enough. It may not be.

Plus, I have a small pub contract in hand for my thriller, but agent wants to review it first to see if it's good enough for a bigger pub. It probably isn't. Terminal waiting.

Plus, my WIP is the best one yet, but I always think that. Will this one put me over the top? Terminal waiting.

And, yes, I fear he may just one day say, "Sorry, you're not worth my time, thanks for playing."

I feel your pain. It's been six weeks since my R&R, and I've yet to hear a peep from my agent. I honestly thought I would've heard something by now. The more time goes by, the more I fear it'll never happen. But I keep writing. That's all I can do.

Have you thought about trying to place the book yourself? There are a ton of small indies out there I'm sure your agent didn't approach. If the book came close, it obviously has merit. Agents can afford to abandon projects, as they have many other things in the pipe. But if you aren't ready to trunk it, or maybe not ready to invest time and energy into a new project, then don't. Other options still exist.

Hedgetrimmer said:

I feel your pain. It's been six weeks since my R&R, and I've yet to hear a peep from my agent..

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I'm sure I should know this, but what's R&R?

revise and resubmit.

kellion92 said:

Vandal, how long do you have to/want to wait on that pub contract? Do offers like that expire? What do you think?

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Publisher wants it for a 2012 release. The deadline is June, 2011 to sign the contract. He called me two days after I got the agent.

My gut tells me this is where it will end up and I'd be happy with it.

Agent wants to see if we can do better, but getting it in his reading queue is difficult.

Plus (if miracles occur) and I get a bite on one of my MG books, I'll need the agent to make sure the release dates don't conflict. I may need a pseudonym for the thriller so that my MG release is still my "debut."

Stuff shouldn't be this complicated.

This is why I have no cigar. I want a cigar.

I'm not in that position, but I definitely know I wouldn't want to be.

But try to look at it this way: You got close. Which means you do know how to write. If you can do it once, you can do it again.

I do know what you mean about "am I just not marketable?" I keep writing sweet little books with openings that get praised by people who critique me at writing conferences. And yet they end up going nowhere in the query process because the "concept just didn't grab me enough," etc.

It's so hard to hear that your writing is good but the book still doesn't quite work. All you can do, I think, is keep writing stories that you love and hope other people will, too, unless they can give you more specific feedback on what would make it more marketable.

Kellion, I'm truly sorry. I've followed your odyssey here, and I've seen what a supportive and decent human being you are. You have built up a lot of good karma, and it will all come back to you.

Take a break. Sweep away all the fears. Then get back to it. This is a disappointment that will only make your ultimate victory -- publication --all the sweeter.

kellion92 said:

It's the terror of having to please a single agent with my next book...

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... my 2 cents: never write with the aim of pleasing an agent or anyone else including yourself. Just write the book the way it needs to be written and tell the story the way it needs to be told. And if you do those two things well it'll have a good chance of making it onto the shelves. G'luck.

Ken said:

... my 2 cents: never write with the aim of pleasing an agent or anyone else including yourself. Just write the book the way it needs to be written and tell the story the way it needs to be told. And if you do those two things well it'll have a good chance of making it onto the shelves. G'luck.

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Yeah, except if your agent hates it...been there, done that...now rewriting cause my vision is not necessarily "our" vision. I get the whole, write for yourself stuff and I agree with it...it's the reason why I left my last agent but you have to have a plan in place that will work with your current agent that way there's no surprises later if he/she doesn't think it will work.

My agent and I went back and forth with replotting my ms...when we finally came to an agreement and I started writing it, she was thrilled with the results...now that's the kind of motivation I need to keep going.

I feel your pain though. I work fast...faster than my agent can keep up with. So I'm in limbo waiting for revision notes, using the time to work on new things.

Kellion, little bit different, little bit same.

For my first book (collection) I found the publisher and after I had an offer in hand found my agent. Second book was mid grade (longish) and I rewrote it three or four times until agent man finally said it wasn't working and probably couldn't be fixed. I freaked out. What if I can't write a book? A short story, maybe. But a book? What if he drops me? I was terrified. I buckled down and wrote another mid grade (for younger readers) and he loved it. That went out on sub in November. I'm sitting here nearly eight months later and ten pubs still have not replied.

However, I'm writing a novel and like you I am a slow, slow writer. I don't know what's up with this non responsive pubs but the feeling in my gut isn't good. This book I'm writing now I don't foresee being done until early next year. Then revisions by me. Then to agent for his advice. Just so far away. Since I love to always be sitting on some hope I try to keep a couple short stories in submission. Not much but...

I've also followed several threads here and am a Kellion fan. You give some great advice and I thought the premise of you book sounded totally salable. I would have picked it up. I'm sure your new book will be bigger, better, shinier and all that. It's just getting over this painful time...

I'm with you on all of this Kellion. Thanks for creating this thread. Lived through the fear of pleasing an agent. Got the axe from said agent, back in query land again and I'm scared/disillusioned as hell
*sigh* And I remember the days of first being repped fondly - when I thought all was possible. Gah, why must this business be so miserable??

HOLY SHIT Kellion it took you 3 1/2 years to do your first book? Yup that's a long road, but you def. have the tenacity!

'Agent wants to see if we can do better, but getting it in his reading queue is difficult.' Vandal, perhaps I should keep my mouth shut, but I donno about an agent who doesn't think their clients are enough of a priority to read their frickin work within 3 months. I mean....seriously? What's the point of having them if you're going to neglect them? *end rant*

'Yeah, except if your agent hates it...been there, done that...' I agree with you angela, had my ex agent dislike my story and so that was it. I was toast. While I still love the MS they didn't and then it was 'cheerio, not wasting my time on you anymore' so you def. need to think if your writing fits the whole 'our' vision thing if you want to continue with that agent. Glad to hear you have such a great agent that wants to work with you though! Wish I could've claimed the same...

soulcascade said:

I'm with you on all of this Kellion. Thanks for creating this thread. Lived through the fear of pleasing an agent. Got the axe from said agent, back in query land again and I'm scared/disillusioned as hell
*sigh* And I remember the days of first being repped fondly - when I thought all was possible. Gah, why must this business be so miserable??

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Gosh I'm sorry to hear that...we were querying originally at the same time and I remember when you snagged your agent...it was a little before I snagged my first one.

Are you having any luck with the new search?

(((Kellion))) 3 1/2 years on one book? You have the tenacity.

(((Soul))) I didn't realize you were querying again. Wishing you tons of luck.

My book on sub hasn't officially been declared dead yet, but it's on life support. I can't even get anything more than a form pass from editors on it. And my agent hasn't been enthusiastic about anything new I've showed her. She likes my premises, which is great, but apparently not much else.

Thanks Angela So you snagged your first agent around the time I got my ex? And since you've split ways and went on to snag another agent? That gives me hope! Have a full out and am trying desperately to be a little hopeful, but it's hard! I feel so pessimistic right now about the whole darn industry...

Thanks for the hugs Ink, I'll need all the luck I can get!
Gah, is that the novel I think it is? ('T?) 'cause if it is I'm annoyed no one's grabbed it yet, I've honesly wanted to read that ever since I read about it on your site!!

True enough, Kellion. What a lot of writers prob. wish for is an agent who wants to rep THEM, but the reality is, agents need to make money so, like you said, if that first book doesn't sell it lessens their chances of wanting to rep the second. Lots of us are in it for love but lots of agents are in it for money. Not all of either of course, but lots of - that's my take on it anyway.

JudScotKev said:

I'm not in that position, but I definitely know I wouldn't want to be.

But try to look at it this way: You got close. Which means you do know how to write. If you can do it once, you can do it again.

I do know what you mean about "am I just not marketable?" I keep writing sweet little books with openings that get praised by people who critique me at writing conferences. And yet they end up going nowhere in the query process because the "concept just didn't grab me enough," etc.

It's so hard to hear that your writing is good but the book still doesn't quite work. All you can do, I think, is keep writing stories that you love and hope other people will, too, unless they can give you more specific feedback on what would make it more marketable.

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JudScotKev, you say it all! Because who knows what's marketable--and is that why we write at all? I'm always interested in the question, WHY WRITE. Of course we want readers--we want our agents and editors to love us.
I'm out at two editors with an R&R and have just about closed down my life waiting for the love. It's making me see, as a first-timer, how crazy this business makes you. The UP of getting a real, live agent, and the DOWN of thinking he might not be in love any more.