The Daily Rejection, Vol. 2

Can mine be Motivation Rum? (Sorry, couldn't find an alliterative synonym.) I finally researched some more email providers, and am down to one contender to try. Which sort of undermines the trial part; they're going to have to fail on some pretty major items at this point for me to say, "No, never mind."

But once I do get something up and running, I'm looking forward to joining you in the query trenches (as well as in the rum)!

I had a typo (can't remember what it was exactly now but something really embarrassing, a sentence I had edited and then now followed the edit through the sentence) in a query to a major agent....and I got a full request! No offer though .... Couldn't believe it when I saw the mistake. I was one who rolled her eyes when I read advice from agents about getting addressee names right and double checking your query for errors ....duh!! But when you're personalising your 15th query and its the end of a long day ......

Well I've decided to just put MS6 out of its misery and kill the rest of my query list. So far I have been just keeping it to 10 outstanding queries, but now it's up to 15 and I have about a dozen more to get to in the next couple days. Mostly agents I am less excited about--not that I wouldn't be thrilled to work with any of them (or I wouldn't query!), but less info available so not really sure if my work is likely to be up their alley or not. This also means I am getting treated to rejections pouring in, including a 30 minute form rejection from an agent who had requested a full of MS4. Ah, well.

Progress on new work is nonexistent at the moment. All my free time is being spent unpacking boxes and sniffing each item to see if it smells like smoke. So far it's been about 50%. It's totally exhausting, but hopefully we will finish this week.

In the meantime, lots of chocolate and hugs for everyone!!

I had a mistake in the first chapter sample. Like Maggie I edited a sentence, in this case edited in a nice new error just before submitting. Thankfully I realised after a couple of queries.

Noranne, if the agents are legit and someone you would sign with, is it not worth querying them anyway? Unless you plan to send them a new project soon?

I don't have much to update other than a form R.

Hathor, better no name at all than the wrong name! But you are absolutely entitled to rum. Everyone is! I remember the very first query I sent out I forgot to put my contact information at the end. Genius. Thankfully, she only needed my email address to reject me.

Happy Saturday! Into the revision cave I go. Just as soon as I have a little more coffee and am able to type.

I figure anybody who'd reject me because I made a very human mistake would be someone I wouldn't want to work with. And she's a big agent and would likely reject me anyway because she doesn't need new clients. And she's with the same firm as my ex-agent. So maybe I wouldn't want the firm. Or the firm wouldn't want me. And, like I said before, it's good to make mistakes so I can share them and make everyone feel better. And maybe she'll think I was so overwhelmed querying her I made a lovable, goofball mistake.

I am the goddess of rationalization, remember.

I have pledged to myself I'm going to now stay out of the crazy-maker that can be QT Premium at least until March. No more agent research, either. I sent out to those who seemed to be the best fit and the most experience (or access to it). Time to do other stuff.

Got some good writing done today so I may yet finish this damn draft of MS7!

mckey said:

Noranne, if the agents are legit and someone you would sign with, is it not worth querying them anyway? Unless you plan to send them a new project soon?

Click to expand...

Yep, I am still planning on querying them, but that's why they're the last ones remaining on my list.

^ Ah, I see what you mean now! Good luck with the queries.

Hathor, you're stronger than me to avoid query tracker.

I have spent way too much time in the past on QT, wondering if I should write something off, nudge, etc. And it ultimately made no difference.

I recognize my weakness, though, which is why I am publicly declaring I'll stay off until March, when I should assess whether I should write things off and get some more queries out there. Unless I have some agent(s) fall in love with my book before then...

Noranne, go you on finishing off the query list. Due dilligence is about the only thing we can control in this process!

Jeneral, have fun in the revision cave. Take chocolate.

Everyone -


I found more email providers to research. One has a shortage of info about deal-breaker features, but I like the vibe. Gonna give it a try.

I need to get back to querying so I can make embarrassing typos, too. Strictly for y'all's sake, of course.

Another form R.

Does anyone have any good news?

I've been away myself for a stretch--health issue up the ying, medical bills and all that jazz. I've received about four rejections since my last appearance here and they all deal with my YA fantasy SKY HIGH. The overall contention seems to be "not grabbing" the readers. That means I do have a weak breakout which will have to be taken care of at some time. Meanwhile, I'm picking away at a new MG fantasy and having a hard time creating three fantasy worlds with totally different aspects. Very slow going while I'm healing.

Well, I did it. Sent out almost 20 queries over the past 4 days, and now I have no one left (who is open to queries) on my to-be-queried list. 24 outstanding queries now, and according to my Magic Spreadsheet™ I will basically be expecting my last responses to straggle in by May. So I have that to look forward to! Just need to work faster on MS7 now!

Hope you feel better soon, tri!

Feel better, Tri! (Glad that "been away for a stretch" didn't mean jail, as I first read it! )

mckey, have an R cookie. No news at all here, which is not good.

Noranne - Woot! I'm impressed (and slightly envious).

Lots of Rs. Suspect agents not getting past my query. Going on a querying hiatus until I have a shiny new letter. Problem is that I think my eyeballs may start bleeding soon. Been staring at my screen way too long!

Just popping by to say hi! Sorry about the latest Rs!

tri - sorry to hear about the health troubles. I hope you're fully recovered by now!

Jeneral - have fun revising!

Good luck to everyone!

Rumelo - Have some R cookies. Also some Visine.

Hiya, Moonie!


In local news, I have set up a new email account! Testing is underway.

Hope you're feeling better, Tri.

Norane, 20 queries in four days is impressive.

I came here hoping to read some good news from someone, but sounds like I'm not the only one in the rejection boat. Got one this morning, less than 24 hours after I sent it. Oh well, at least I can move on. Sent out a handful of revenge queries this morning and spent a bit of time reading #MSWL on Twitter when I really should have been working on my new WIP.

Ugh, wine and brownies all around for the Rs that have been showing up lately.

Tri - Good to see you around, I hope that you're feeling better!

Liz - Good luck with the email account. I hope it works for you, I know it's been an ordeal.

I holed up in the revision cave this weekend and finished my edits. It was embarrassing how short a time it took once I finally buckled down and did it. I've been spending this week doing a read-through and making sure the new stuff I added holds together, and smoothing out/tweaking the scenes around the new stuff. I hope to finish tonight, but definitely by tomorrow. At this point, I can't wait to work on something else!

Have an R cookie, KiwiLady.

Jeneral, glad the revision wall fell down quickly once you put your head down and charged at it. Here's to almost done!

I printed out a copy of my story to edit...that totally counts as starting, right? Sigh.

I found a couple more agents to query so now I am up to 30 outstanding queries for MS6. Feels good to just be done and not worry about it anymore. Que será, será.

In non-writing news, I got accepted by another grad school program today! And it's a Good One. I'm feeling quite shocked and pleased, and I will have some very hard decisions to make it seems! (I have gotten 2 acceptances so far, and 5 still TBD.) I was all prepped for rejections, I thought I had some very glaring weaknesses in my applications, and after all I am so very used to them by now!

Grats on the acceptance, noranne! Best of luck on the decision.

Hello, rest of thread, how are you? I am sleepy.

Got a few rejections today and hmph.

Has anyone had any experience with the non-query parts of SYW? My writing group fell apart at the end of last year (and had been going downhill for a while anyway) and I need to find something new. Some of the people in the group were making comments about, well, they've gotten to the stage where they probably don't need betas anyway, and I'm all NOPE NEED OTHER READERS. Probably need new readers on the old stuff that went through my writing group too or it wouldn't be so thoroughly rejected -_-

I peeked at SYW and went eep, this is confusing. Not even sure if they ever even do full things there or just starts, and I struggle to give feedback on only starts of short stories :S Otherwise I looked at Critters, which I understand how works, but would mean another new site with new people which egh.

Tamlyn - I haven't really participated in SYW, though I've lurked a few times to watch the evolution of a query, which I find fascinating. It looks like in the sub-forums people share snippets for feedback. And YIKES - everyone needs betas. EVERYONE. And FEH on the rejections.

Noranne - congrats on the grad school acceptances! Those are the best kind of hard choices to make. And yes, printing out totally counts. So does putting it in a cute binder and finding the right pen to take notes with.

Hope everyone is doing well, and having a good weekend. I sent my revised draft back and have settled in for a wait. This weekend I'm beta reading for a friend, and whoooo boy have I gotten pickier since Pitch Wars. I guess that's good, I know of more ways to improve writing since having my own torn apart. I've already warned my friend to brace herself. I'm hoping to finish today, and next week I get to FINALLY work on something NEW I can't wait.

I'm a veteran of SYW, and I like it.

I post my queries and my opening pages in there, and personally, I think the help I receive is the reason I'm at a good request rate. I think it can be a little challenging to get used to, but I feel like it has benefited me. I also had beta readers for the whole MS and found several of them on SYW.

I recommend taking breaks between postings to absorb some of the critiques and for mental health's sake. I also think it is beneficial for a write to critique other people's work. I really struggle with queries, so every once in a while, I try to critique people's queries on SYW so it will help me.

Congratulations on the offer Noranne. When do you need to decide by?

Sorry Kiwi and Rumelo. I've also had an R since I last posted.

I've thought about SYW but not sure what to expect.

Tamlyn, are you only looking for betas who will look at the entire ms?