100% of my queries have been rejected, thinking about my next step

Cindy From Oregon

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I've revised my (MG Magical Realism) manuscript so many times I'm not objective about it any more. I want to know if it's worth continuing to stir that particular pot.

Thinking about purchasing an editorial package (Full Bloom Editorial) that has a lot of good stuff for $500. I couldn't find a forum board for discussion of the worth of such an idea, nor do I know where to look for reviews of various editorial services.

Can anyone give me a push in any direction?

Thanks so much. I will now return to my corner. (Not really. I'm actually outlining a project I'm very excited about. But I hate to abandon my first baby.)

Cindy
 

Sage

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Cheering you all on!
How many queries is 100%?

Have you gotten feedback on your query? Perhaps it's not the pages, but the query.

Have you received feedback from a third-party who doesn't personally know you on the book? You don't need to pay for an editor for that; betas should be free. Post in the beta forum, probably with an offer to swap novels, since you have so few posts. As a bonus, critiquing others helps you find problems with your own writing.

There are lots of threads on AW about whether it's worth it to pay for a freelance editor.

And, yes, it's good to work on the next project. Sometimes one project you love just isn't good for querying. Could be that it has some problem that doesn't make it marketable, or that your writing just isn't there yet, or that it just isn't high-concept and you don't know how to pitch it. As you continue writing, you may find that there's a way to make book 1 more appealing, or that you don't love your first baby quite as much as you do now. Or you may get an agent with book 2, and the agent will help with book 1 too, now that you're they're client. Don't look at it as giving up on book 1. Think of it as increasing your opportunities for your entire writing career.

Hope this helps!
 
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Metruis

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Revise. If no pages or partials were requested, it's probably your letter or a massive underlying issue with what you're trying to sell. If it was rejected after reading pages or partials, it's probably your writing that needs revision.

Some writing is always going to be "it helped me learn" writing. Sometimes it's okay to shelf a thing and write a new thing and let your brain move on from disappointment into "new project eee."
 

CaroGirl

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I’m also curious about how many queries you’ve sent out and had rejected.

If this is your first book, you might simply need to move on to something else and keep honing your craft. It might be that the writing isn’t quite there yet. Or it might be that the concept isn’t fresh enough or what agents are looking for right now. There are so many factors that contribute to rejection, and many of them are out of a writer’s hands.

I agree with moving on to another project. It doesn’t mean you can’t revisit this project later, see it with fresh eyes and revise it based on new knowledge.

Keep writing and finishing your books, whatever else happens.
 

Cyia

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Have you tried a beta reader, which wouldn't cost you anything? There's a beta forum here where you might find someone to give you a fresh perspective on your work.
 

samchapman

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I've abandoned many babies over the years. Trust me, you don't know how hard it was to accept that giant sentient lobsters were never going to be the next vampires :p

My advice is to get rejected a few more times. You want 80 to 100 before you seriously consider other options, maybe more if it's gotten any requests. Revise your query, overhaul your first pages completely, search for new agents by reading the acknowledgements of other books.

After that...put it in the trunk. I wouldn't pay $500 for the editing. I pay my betas in brownies and promises of future favors and they're just as objective, plus it helps them know I'm around when they need a read. Get started on the next and never forget the lessons you've learned.
 

Jamills08

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I put my first ms under lock and key. Took me a year to get over it and that was 4 years ago. Over the past month I’ve sent out 31 queries and gotten 13 rejections, All form, not a single request. I’ve rewritten my query 20 times and been through numerous betas. Don’t give up. Let us know how many queries you’ve sent. Finding an agent isn’t going to be as easy as finding a job. I bet there are hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of writers All trying to do the same thing. You just have to keep plugging away like you want it more than everyone else. Goodluck
 

mrsmig

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Don't be in a hurry to fork out money to an editor unless you're sure of that editor's qualifications. Full Bloom Editorial is C.L. Rose, who is also the acquisition editor for Filles Vertes Publishing, a company that's barely a year old (AW thread about it here). I suggest you look those links over.

You can get feedback on your query and/or your manuscript for free in AW's Share Your Work forums. I suggest you do that first (once you've racked up your 50+ posts, that is) before shelling out major bucks.
 

bmr1591

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Find a beta and swap reads. They'll be able to tell you objectively if your novel is actually good or not. Maybe it's not your novel, but your query. That can help tell you.

- - - Updated - - -

giant sentient lobsters


I'm listening...
 

samchapman

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Find a beta and swap reads. They'll be able to tell you objectively if your novel is actually good or not. Maybe it's not your novel, but your query. That can help tell you.

- - - Updated - - -




I'm listening...

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