The Real Reason You're Getting Rejections

http://www.jencorkill.com Jen Corkill

I can easily see that an author’s subject matter or style might not fit with the agent’s tastes. Although it is oftentimes hard to figure these things out when agents give out form rejections instead of offering advice.

I guess that answers your question – those annoying form rejections.

http://amberskye.net Amber

The most frustrating part? The not knowing. If I knew for sure that I had a decent book but the market was too crowded for publication, then my actions would be a heck of a lot different than if my book is just not compelling. Yes, I can use crit partners and beta readers and freelance editors to try to figure out which way is up, but it will always be a question in my head unless I’m told straight out.

http://www.thebaldpatch.blogspot.com/ Botanist

Jen beat me to it! Yes, form rejections…no clue as to which of the above categories you might fall into.

http://www.kimkasch.blogspot.com Kim Kasch

Publishing and real life mimic each other it’s always a little this…a little that. A little up . . . a little down.

There are no easy answers in writing or living but the “write” thing to do is to do the best you can and pray for a little fairy dust to blow your way.

http://maggiros.blogspot.com/ Maggie Secara

I really don’t care about advice for what this particular agent thinks would help them like it better if they aren’t willing to look at it again. What if I fix it for them, then submit it to someone who might have loved it before I changed it. But when someone says of the partial they requested that it didn’t engage them as much as they hoped/expected, I’d kind of like to know what that’s about. On the other hand, on the occasions where someone has offered a reason, I’ve been dumbfounded. I sometimes think they can’t really put a finger on what they thought was wrong, and pull a stock fault out of a hat. Honestly, I think I’m okay with a less informative reply than one that seems to be about some other book entirely.

Rachelle Gardner

It’s a tough situation to be in, but the one thing that’s just kind of wasted energy is wishing all query rejections came with explanations or advice on how to “fix it.” Sure, sometimes we give feedback, when we can. But most of us can’t.

I consider my time spent blogging to be more valuable to more people, than if I were to sit and try to explain to every writer who queries me why I’m not saying “yes.” I feel like I can help a lot more people this way.

Marilyn Groves

You are perfectly correct. I have found your blogs, and the responses, like having a little encouragement team of my own! So many peole obviously going through the same experiences. It would be wonderful if we all had our own pre-agent agent but that is just l nice little notion. So thank you for all you advice and encouraging ideas. Marilyn x

http://careann.wordpress.com Carol J. Garvin

The most frustrating? It would be the not knowing part… wondering whether the problem is the book, or not. I haven’t queried much so will persevere a little longer. Beta readers and critiquers like it. I do have multiple novels written, however, so I like your idea of moving on to a different one if I lose enthusiasm.

http://michelledevans.blogspot.com Michelle Dennis Evans

The best thing is the agents who do take a moment for a snippet of feedback… so I guess the most frustrating is – lack of feedback.

http://www.jancline.net Jan Cline

I get frustrated with wondering if the query is ever good enough. I mean, when I talk to editors at conferences that tell me, “oh, just send me something, it doesn’t have to be a formal query,” I fight the temptation to do just that. Who knows who else might read it?! Then there are some agents and editors that I know will toss it if it’s not just the format they want.
The bottom line is do your best query, your best writing and keep moving forward no matter what.
Good post Rachelle, thanks.

http://hmlashelle.wordpress.com/ Happy

Yeah, I’m going to have to go with lack of feedback too. But whining about it doesn’t get us anywhere, and it’s just unfair and unrealistic to think that agents can give us extended answers like that. Even short answers with some sort of detail can open up a dialogue that they don’t have time for. If we want to play with the big boys, so to speak, then we’re just going to have to find a way to figure it out for ourselves. No one said it was easy! I have found that critiques from other authors who are willing have been the most helpful to me. It’s all about the learning process and moving forward…

http://thereandbackbytricycle.blogspot.com Cat

As you will know, the query process is slightly different outside the USA. What I have found frustrating is my location!
I need an agent and many agents, understandably, prefer not to work with overseas clients. Many publishers also feel the same way. Again, it is understandable. Why invest all that money if the author is not going to be able to sell the book in the same way?
It is an extra hurdle for people who live in places like Australia, New Zealand and parts of Africa.
I hope it will not be insurmountable but it is an additional hurdle.
That is why all your advice is important – unfortunately that is not enough on its own.

http://www.TheSolomonPress.com Samuel

My most frustrating thing is just feeling like I’m in the dark, not knowing if I got considered, if I got rejected… I know that silence after a while says plenty… except that sometimes its NOT that they didnt like it, its that they never SAW IT and not even a courtesy of “no thank you” so I know. Instead, I’m kept in the dark.

I wouldn’t mind if getting a “why” as to the no thank yous, but I know that’s not gonna be happening.

http://esthersdestiny.blogspot.com Sherri

This is hard for me, too, Samuel. I’ve sent several query letters now and have never heard anything -not even just “not what we’re looking for”. I am beginning to understand the enormous numbers of queries that agents and publishers receive daily, but I do wonder sometimes if mine are ending up in a spam folder or just not getting there at all. I am definitely learning patience and tenacity. I’m going to keep trying…you keep trying, too!
- Marilyn Groves
  
  Yes – do keep going you guys – it’s so hard and yet writing is so wonderful. x

http://www.lorrainedevonwilke.com Lorraine Devon Wilke

The most frustrating part of this process is realizing that as a writer, you’re on the Supply side of the equation, that HUGE side that vastly outnumbers the Demand side. This translates to: no matter how stellar your book might be, or how effective your query letter is, the Demand side is so bombarded, inundated, and overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of product coming their way, it’s hard to have confidence your work is truly and carefully being considered on its merits.

When, as a writer, you’ve put in years of work — learning and fine-tuning your craft, writing your book; editing, perfecting, editing again; sending it out to readers and consultants, paying good money to send out hard copies to agents, researching those agents, spending countless hours crafting and sending out queries, etc.– and then most of the time what you get is a form letter or email to “Dear Author” or a scribbled note written on the letter you sent, the generic “it’s a subjective business….,” “it’s not for us,” or the dismissal of pages or a manuscript with notes that indicate it’s unlikely much was actually read….yep, it’s frustrating!

I happen to be confident I’ve got a good book and a good query letter; both have been through enough editors, readers, and consultants to believe that. But when an agent tells you “In today’s market, a new writer – particularly one writing literary fiction, the hardest to sell – basically has to deliver a perfect book,” you think to yourself, “well, that’s exactly what I’m going for!” But what a standard to expect from any creative effort!

I’m not sure it’s possible to ever find the querying process NOT frustrating. Unless an agent has the interest or makes the time to honestly and thoughtfully consider your book with the kind of open mind any good work needs or deserves to be fairly assessed, a lot of good work is going to be dismissed, overlooked or rejected.

Until then, we writers do what we do and, hopefully, serendipity will strike and our efforts will pay off and our good work will somehow stand out or spark the right agent’s enthusiasm to help move that work forward to publication.

Thanks for all your great information and input, Rachelle!

http://www.jennysulpizio.com Jenny Lee Sulpizio

The most frustrating thing about this whole process is not being able to get the feedback one needs when it comes to receiving a rejection. Agents are beyond busy and that’s completely understandable but as an author, it’s crucial to know what might be lacking in our manuscripts so we can fix them and proceed. As authors, we pour everything into our work and there is a lot of emotion involved in the preparation and submission of one’s manuscript. To simply receive a “no,” is definitely hard to take but it’s just the mature of the beast.

I would love a bit of fairy dust at this stage of the game though.

http://www.jennysulpizio.com Jenny Lee Sulpizio

…nature…

http://thefarseas.blogspot.com/ Trisha

Agreed – sometimes it’s bad luck on which agents you’ve queried. Sometimes your query really does suck. Sometimes your book needs work. And sometimes…you just don’t have something original enough to catch anyone’s eye. But to give up is NOT my recommendation.

http://sudampanigrahi.blogspot.com Sudama Chandra Panigrahi

Now that is also an important reason for rejection. Thanks for adding to the Nathan’s post. I was also thinking about the glut situation when i read Nathan’s post. Thanks.

http://thewordthief.blogspot.com Alex

Ah, I really hope the final one is the case. But I’m working my butt off on my current WIP regardless.

http://www.wizardofotin.blogspot.com otin

I think that the query process is the most frustrating aspect of writing. You sit for months and work out a story, checking yourself over and over again to make sure that all of the pieces fit, and then you have to explain three or four hundred pages of material in the realm of a short blurb. As the author of the project you then must decide which parts of the story to skip over when describing your work. I guess it would be like judging a movie by the trailer. There’s always so much more to a film than you see in three minutes of preview.

The hardest part for me is that when people read my novel they can’t seem to put it down but I can’t seem to get the right person to pick it up.

http://em-musing.blogspot.com/ Leigh Caron

Not getting a rejection letter or email…so you sit in never ending suspense wondering if they got the query. Then you wonder if you should send again or not. I always opt for not. But I still wonder.

http://www.kathleenbasi.com Kathleen

What’s the most frustrating part? What you just said.

It could be the book…

…or the query…

…or neither of the above.

And you just don’t know. And there’s no way to find out.

http://michaelseese.blogspot.com/ Michael Seese

I have to second what Samuel said: the complete LACK of response. Did you not respond because the query was weak / it didn’t reasonate, as Rachelle says? Or is it because your spam filter ate it?

Closely tied to that, perhaps crossing into pet peeve territory are agents whose websites say, in essence, “If we’re interested, we’ll get back in 6 – 8 weeks. If you don’t get a response, assume it’s no. Oh, and no simultaneous submissions.”

Rachelle Gardner

Hey Michael, I hear what you’re saying. Agents whose policy is “if you don’t hear from us in 60 days, consider it a pass” are my pet peeve also.

And, I am one of those agents.

I really do hate that it’s this way, and I’ve tried to change it. But my priority always has to be my current clients and taking excellent care of them; I can never fall behind on that because I’m spending too much time trying to find new clients. So, I apologize for how frustrating it is. I’m frustrated by it too.
- http://www.handymancraftywoman.com Laurie Evans
  
  Honestly, I’d rather see a policy like that (about getting back to a writer by X number of days), rather than nothing at all.

http://charitywrites.blogspot.com Charity Bradford

Simply what you said–it’s a crowded market. Because of this there is next to no chance of getting decent feedback. It’s not the agent’s fault.

Most of us writers harbor doubts that make it hard to move on without feedback from a reliable source. And we see the agent as that reliable source. However, you guys are buried under queries and can’t take the time you might want to respond to everyone.

I get it, but it’s the most frustrating thing for me.

http://lynneconnolly.com Lynne Connolly

It’s the not knowing, and then, if you’re lucky enough to get a rejection letter, the not knowing. And it’s the length of the wait. Even with an agent, the process takes far too long, unacceptably long in most other industries. My capital and future profit is tied up in that book, so I need to know.
And the lack of respect shown to authors, but that’s so endemic, most of us don’t notice it any more.

http://www.catherinejwest.com Cathy West

I never thought I would get to the point of saying this, but honestly, as a relatively new author (my debut novel released in March), you do learn (EVENTUALLY!!) to take it all in stride. For me, I think the key has been training myself to see that this is a full-time job for me. Prior to publication it was easy to whine and moan about the whole process, what are they looking for, why don’t they like my book and so on…truthfully, I think a little whine along with a good cry now and again is good for the soul, but don’t waste extraneous amounts of time and energy agonizing over questions you will most likely never get answers to. If you are continuing to get rejections on one project, move on to the next. Sometimes it is just a matter of timing. It was for me. And don’t forget, you’re putting yourself out there as a marketable author and somebody an editor or agent will want to work with. If you’re going to rant and moan, don’t do too much of it online. It’s a tough business, that’s the bottom line, really.

http://michaelseese.blogspot.com/ Michael Seese

Such inner peace. We all could learn from that.
http://health-recipes.org Olivia First

For me – I think the key has been training myself to see that this is a full-time job for me.

http://theqqqe.blogspot.com/ Matthew MacNish

The hardest part is waiting, and knowing that you may not ever hear back.

http://byrdmouse.wordpress.com Jonathan

The most frustating part is not having an agent to walk you through the process. Of course, if you had an agent you wouldn’t be querying agents, but it’s the truth.

And for the record I loved Josef Heller’s book.

http://7milestonowhere.blogspot.com Lisa D

The most frustrating part about the query process is when agents don’t reply at all. I understand agents are busy people, but it would be really helpful to writers if they would–at the very least–set up one of those automatic responses to say that the query was received and didn’t land in the spam folder or get lost in cyber space. When I was querying, I was floored by the number of agents who said that they didn’t have time to send form rejections but did have time to post constantly to Twitter. I know agents don’t owe writers anything, and I know with everyone owning a word processor and emails making queries too easy to send that they probably get flooded with queries that aren’t professional or serious, but just having an automatic response that says the time frame by which an author will hear a response–if they’re going to–would help tremendously.

http://esthersdestiny.blogspot.com Sherri

I think this is a great idea, Lisa. It would be great to know at the very least, that my query had made it to the right place!

http://writingspectacle.blogspot.com/ B.E Sanderson

The most frustrating thing? Not knowing the exact reason behind a rejection. Is it me? Is it them? Is it the marketplace? Arrgghh. :headdesk:

http://brickabrackandbaubles.blogspot.com BJ Pramann

I did get some help from an professional editor and WOW did it open my eyes to the things I needed to do to my book to get it really up to par. I’ve been going through and fixing structure issues with my book and am looking forward to starting a fresh round of query sending next week.

http://writersramblings81.blogspot.com April

The not knowing why, just like you said. I just wish an agent would tell me WHY. Is it my query? Is it that first chapter? Is it the story or the way my query was written? I mean, I can keep querying and keep writing and hope that some day all the stars will allign correctly, and I’ll get it write!

http://www.gudmagazine.com Debbie Moorhouse

Most frustrating? People who don’t respond unless they want to see more, so you don’t even know if they got your query.

http://askamedium.wordpress.com/ Lorraine Holloway-White

I am frustrated because I was told they loved my book and the only reason they didn’t want it now is because I’m not well known enough. They even asked me to come back to them with it when I was.

I have tried to get well known and it is the same wherever you go; television, radio, newspapers. It is very frustrating, but I intend keeping at it till someone says yes.

I even had so-called literary agents and it turned out they hadn’t submitted to more than one publishing house in a year. What good was that?

I am now having to go it alone and it is very difficult indeed, but those who give up get nowhere, so on I plod

http://www.sarahanneloudinthomas.wordpress.com Sarah Thomas

Yup, wondering and waiting. I do appreciate agents/editors who have an auto reply that at least lets you know the query went through. And I LOVE people in the industry who are open to questions and comments via e-mail or their blogs. Getting a response, any response, is fantastic.

http://www.lisajordanbooks.com Lisa Jordan

I’ve been judging several different writing contests for several years. One thing that is key across the writing industry is it’s all subjective. While one agent may love your story, it may not resonate with another agent.

I’ve come to understand how agents and editors can read only a page or two and have a grasp for the writer’s style and knowledge of the craft and industry.

For what it’s worth, my advice is don’t be in such a rush to get published. Take time to learn the craft. Learn about the publishing house you’d like to submit to. Read your favorite agents’ blogs.

My Book Therapy is offering a Pitch & Promotion Scrimmage the day before the ACFW conference begins in September. Consider attending to get some rock-solid pitching and polishing advice.
http://www.regonline.com/builder/site/default.aspx?EventID=967867

I marvel how Rachelle can juggle her family, her clients, her incredible blog, teaching at conferences, and still have a life. I’m even more appreciative because I’m one of her clients. She always has time for me when I need it.

http://www.volunteerfringe.com Marney McNall

I agree with you Lisa, about how much subjectivity seems to play into it. At a conference, I was in a group with the same 15 writers for two days, but the agents changed out for each morning and afternoon session. The agents’ opinions varied greatly and often contradicted what people were told the previous day or session. Experiencing it with the same 15 writers provided a nice ‘control’ group.

http://www.kayelam.com Kay Elam

First of all, I respect an agent has to take care of his/her current clients. WHEN I get an agent (I might be old and grey), I would want my agent working on my projects. I also appreciate the time several agents put into their blogs to educate about the querying and publishing process and I understand that cuts into the time they have to respond to queries.

I’ve only just begun the querying process. I think my biggest concern will be WHY, though I hope to spend little time obsessing about it.

I don’t think I’d mind a form rejection if I could garner something from it. For example, if the query isn’t going to be personalized with some helpful feedback, perhaps list at the end of the form rejection the reasons in your post and check one or more. it would give the querier something to go on and would let him/her know the query was actually read.

Thanks for asking the question, and BTW I adore Nathan too.
The highlight of my writing career so far is I guest blogged for him once. I glowed for weeks.

Kay

http://tomhonea.wordpress.com Tom Honea

the most frustrating thing is: knowing that the work is as good as, or better than most of the stuff being published … and still, nobody bites.

http://tomhonea.wordpress.com Tom Honea

this is an encourgaging post. there are many of us who know that our work is good, and we still need that “keep at it” word from time to time.
.
rachelle … thanks. TEH

http://www.kathyholmes.net Kathy Holmes

Thank you for writing this. At this stage of my writing, it definitely seems to be the market thing. So I figure out where “this” particular book fits and then move on to write the next one.

Vera Soroka

I agree with the crowded market place comment. I write YA and that market is so hard to break into. Your book has to jump out of the pages to get noticed. I only submitted my story eleven times but I could read between the lines of been there, done that, don’t want anymore, thanks. So now I’m reworking it.

Susan Mason

Rachel,

Any agent who talks about fairy dust is GOLDEN in my opinion! LOL.

That’s what it feels like sometimes.

Thanks for this honest view – I think you’re dead on right about this!

Susan

http://nancysthompson.blogspot.com/ Nancy S. Thompson

Two things frustrate me most. First is not knowing if your query was even read by the agent, but rather by the agent’s assistant only. If I’m fortunate enough to receive a rejection, I hope it was truly from the agent & not the assistant.

Second is the subjectivity, knowing my story is solid, as is the writing, but I can’t even get a toe in the door, all while reading someone else’s book that is highly touted yet feels flat & barely holds my attention.

http://www.colindsmith.com Colin Smith

Nancy–maybe you should query Someone Else’s agent… perhaps he/she doesn’t realize what he/she is missing!

http://www.ericaluckedean.com Erica Lucke Dean

For me the most frustrating thing is having so many real life readers with whom I have shared teasers, queries, and sometimes the entire MS, tell me how much they loved the book, the story, etc…but I may not ever get an agent to read past my query. I have polished the query…polished the MS…polished my website, my blog, my life…and I keep querying. And so it goes!

http://www.valerie-thebishopswife.blogspot.com Valerie

Well…this is depressing – I don’t believe in fairy dust! lol! I guess I’ll just write for my own enjoyment and not stress about it. Thanks for the info from a professional point of view.

http://pibarrington.wordpress.com P.I. Barrington

“Publish an e-version and move on.” I LOVE THAT LINE! It’so apt in publishing these days, not to mention good advice! Great post, I’m still lol!!

http://davidatodd.com David Todd

I did.

http://scribblesnjots.blogspot.com Barbara Kloss

I love your blog. Your posts are always so helpful and insightful.

I read Nathan’s post, too, and I absolutely agree with both of you. Those very elements you mentioned above have forced me to re-evaluate. I’ve had bites from agents, I’ve had critique partners, I’ve had a HUGE group of betas that liked & loved my story…but still, nothing. It’s hard to fully realize that it’s subjective and a business, as much as we tell ourselves that. And because of that, I’ll probably make an e-version available soon.

Thanks again!

http://saraheolson.com Sarah Olson

I know that writers (including me) often complain about lack of feedback and form rejections. However, as someone who reads slush on a volunteer basis for a magazine, you CANNOT respond to every single query. There’s not enough time. You have no idea how many queries are coming in on a daily basis!

Even when you have time, writers don’t always want feedback. I’ve gotten so many nasty emails back from writers when I’ve taken the time to provide a note that I stopped bothering. It’s not worth the extra effort for me. Find a critique partner in your genre who can do that for you.

Remember that the person reading your story has to not only LOVE the story, but stake their reputation on it and be willing to defend its merits to others. I don’t want the editor to come back to me and complain about the lack of quality in stories I’m passing on to her. I’ve read so many stories that were good, but not amazing. I’m not willing to defend the good. I need amazing.

http://www.banterwithbeth.blogspot.com Beth

THE NON RESPONSE is the worst part. I agree with Samuel, Leigh, and Lisa D.

NOT HEARING ANYTHING is agony. I wonder if my query even made it to the agent’s computer. I would much rather receive a rejection than a nothing. A nothing could mean that spam ate my query.

Agents who are on FB and Twitter often but can’t take the time for a one sentence rejection via email bother me. I would assume some have assistants who could handle that part. I have received one very kind handwritten rejection and two very long email rejections. Now, that’s appreciated and I’ll query those agents with new projects.

I won’t give up, though. Maybe we should all query the newer agents who aren’t so inundated. Okay, I’m not telling you who they are because then they’ll be inundated, too.

Rachelle, thanks for the great posts you provide. Very helpful.

Rachelle Gardner

Beth, many agents are on FB and Twitter for the same reason we urge writers to do so: visibility. It’s a legitimate business necessity these days.

Many of us also blog, twitter and FB because we don’t want writers to be afraid of agents–we want them to know we’re real people, just like them (you).

We also try really hard to answer all the hundreds of questions writers have; and we try to give as many helpful tips as possible to assist writers in navigating publishing.

I understand that it’s frustrating for you to not receive answers to queries, yet see agents blogging and engaging in social networking. But each agent has the responsibility to figure out the best uses of their time, and structure their business accordingly. We’re all doing the best we can in this internet-crazy world. I apologize for how it “seems” to writers, but I do think it’s unfair to judge agents for engaging in social networking, when you know that these days, to not do social networking can be tantamount to a failing business.

Bekah

For me, the form rejections or no responses don’t bother me. It says to me that my work wasn’t strong enough to get a partial or full request. Perhaps it was just the first few pages or it simply didn’t match their tast. Okay. Move on. I change these things.

The thing I can’t change, the part I try to figure out but am left wondering, is the market aspect. Publishers aren’t buying because readers aren’t buying as much as they used to. But WHAT aren’t they and are they buying? Is it genres or is it across the board?

I have hope that the situation will change, that the economy in general will take a great swing up, and when it does publishers/ will grow with it : )

http://efloraross.com Elizabeth Flora Ross

I’m frustrated because I have shared my book, and everyone has loved it. They want to know when it will be published. I have received many compliments from literary agents who have read my book proposal. The main reason I have been rejected so far is b/c a) the agent didn’t fall in love enough, or b) felt it would be a hard sell because I don’t have a big platform yet.

I’m working hard at the latter, and the more people who are exposed to my book, the more I hear, “This is awesome! Where/when can I buy it?” Then I have to tell them I can’t find a literary agent. Frustrating does not even begin to cover it.

I know I could e-publish, but that’s not what I want. For now, I have stopped querying and am focusing on my platform. I don’t know when – or if – I will have the fortitude to get back out there. It’s a very disheartening process. I think I would be easier to take all the rejection if people just said, “You book stinks.” To hear over and over again it is great but not be able to sign w/an agent, let alone a publisher, is so hard.

Layla Fiske

That it could be my book, or maybe not… wait, isn’t that what you just said?

http://jpkurzitza.com JP Kurzitza

What’s frustrating? Trusting your work to a singular, overworked person. We all know that the book world is a fickle environment and very subjective. Everyone has their biases including The Big Six. The reality is – in this rapidly changing, instantly digital world of ours – the publishers aren’t the gatekeepers any longer. It’s the reader. So don’t beat yourselves up over rejections. Trust your work to more than one person – to the people that matter. Publish an ebook, put your money where your mouth is, and let hundreds of thousands of people judge you. Either you can write, or you can’t. Either your story is great, or it’s dull. The reader – who is the true judge of what they want – will let you know if they like it, one way or another.

http://christinerains.net/ Christine Rains

The form letter rejection is the hardest. There’s been a few I’ve never heard from, but most places are good about sending something. I would love to know the why. My query has gotten interest, but then the manuscript is rejected. Why? What you said is absolutely right, though. I’ve moved on to something new.

http://thepenandinkblog.blogspot.com/ Pen and Ink

Has anybody done a query app? One which would match up agents and publishers with your book content. That would be interesting. Yes the wait is frustrating, if you think about it to much. Best just to keep writing while you wait.

http://kristinlaughtin.blogspot.com Kristin Laughtin

Thanks for pointing this out. As much as talent and determination are needed, sometimes timing and luck are factors as well. There are so many people competing to be published, and a great number of skilled writers just won’t be (at least by traditional publishers). But the longer you keep working at it, the better your odds.

I haven’t started querying yet, but I can be a bit impatient sometimes, so I imagine waiting to hear back from agents (and possibly never getting a response) will be the most frustrating thing.

http://www.lessonsfromthemonkimarried.blogspot.com Kathy

I will be a published author in 2012 and what helped me the most in the query process was….outside help! I hired a freelance editor and had lots of writing friends look at my proposal BEFORE I sent anything out. What you might think is polished and ready to send out may really be FAR from ready. Also, writers and editors who know the business can give you extremely important information. I wasn’t willing to put myself out there until I clearly felt I was ready to and had gotten quite a bit of expert advice prior to doing anything. So the query process was not frustrating for me at all. I received agent representation on first query and received a book deal three months after that. It really pays to get professional feedback, even if it cost you a bit in the beginning. Thanks Rachelle, your blog is so helpful to so many writers!

http://giora-china.blogspot.com Giora

Your response, Rachelle, that it’s a crowded market is the real answer. Agents, Editors, and Publishers are in a very competitive business and therefore should accept only books that have a good chance to find many readers. If Agents feel that there are not many future readers for the book in the query, then the query should be rejected, even if the query is written well and the book is good. Ofcourse, it is all very subjective but that is what should drive agents to reject queries .. the lack of future readers.
It will be great if literary agents can response with one sentence why they reject the query. That will lower many frustrations. But ultimately, the author should find out by reading blogs like this, for example, what are the weak areas with the book.

http://jessicanelson7590.blogspot.com Jessica

I think you nailed it. Maybe something that is frustrating for some writers is that getting published is not completely dependant on having a great book.

http://JesseHelmes.wordpress.com jesse

It’s all pretty maddening, honestly. The hours of hard work, the contradictory advice, the reliance on luck, the ever shifting market forces, the competition, and, above all, the knowledge that even if you’ve done everything right- there’s still a chance you won’t succeed.

http://kristinweber.blogspot.com Kristin

I think the most frustrating thing about querying–and publishing in general– is waiting and not knowing if or when you’ll ever get a response.

Even after getting an agent, it’s still a ton of waiting, rewriting, and patience, patience, patience. I guess you have to really love it regardless of whether you ever get published.

http://taryntyler.blogspot.com Taryn Tyler

The most frusterating? Not knowing which of the above catagories I’m in. *sigh*

Laila

I’m sure “everything” wouldn’t be an adequate answer. Maybe it’s the feeling of being in limbo, hands tied behind back. It’s the equivalent of forcing me to attempt a sudoku. Get it right. Make sure it’s the proper length. Describe characters and plot. Start with the action. Add a bio. Stress, stress, stress. Oh I know, it’s all part of the subjective business of publishing. I’m okay with that, but you did ask. If you can sense my frustration, that’s just my voice popping through. Wish I could do that in a query.

http://ranunculusadventure.blogspot.com/ Colleen

I would say the most frustrating thing about querying (looking back, I’m agented now, hooray!) was the silent rejection. I would so rather have a form rejection than nothing at all..just a query letter drifting out in space somewhere is confounding and sad, all at once.

http://bethvogt.com Beth K. Vogt

I was going to say the waiting. But, the waiting doesn’t frustrate me anymore. I know that life in the writing world requires waiting.
Truth be told, the query process doesn’t frustrate me. I don’t like getting rejected, but it is also part of the process. I hated shelving a nonfiction book I was passionate about … but I understood why it had to be done.

http://acleverwhatever.blogspot.com Tirzah

If you aren’t getting requests for partials then I’d say rework the query first. If you get partials and no fulls requests consistantly, look at the writing.

If you get full requests but no bites, then it gets tricky. It could be the market or it could be the voice just doesn’t click with the author.

OH–and make sure you query agents who actually rep the type of stuff you write.

People often spend two years writing a book and then dash of a five minute query. A good query is harder to write than the book.

Tirz

Joe

WOW!

Thanks, everyone! Wonderful post with wonderful reponses! A real eye-opener for a fledgling writer such as myself.

I have a great book that I was already planning to self-publish. If my mind wasn’t made up before, it sure would be now, after reading these posts!

Why on earth would I put myself through putting the fate of my book into the hands of someone else who may never even read my manuscript, or even a partial of my manuscript?

Maybe I’m a little arrogant…or maybe a little impatient, but I consider my message to be way too important to leave to the arbitrary whims of the process described on this post!

Thanks much!!!!

Rachelle Gardner

Arbitrary whims?
- Joe
  
  Well, in reading through the responses on this post, that is certainly the impression that I am left with.
  
  I’m reading about an industry that has way more supply than demand, where agents and publishers have their hands full keeping up with current clients/writers and not much time to consider new clients.
  
  I’m reading posts by writers who are sending out many queries and receiving few responses, with most publishers or agents not even bothering to read their query letter.
  
  I’m reading about rejection letters with comments that don’t even match the manuscript, and leave the impression that the manuscript was rejected without ever actually being read.
  
  Then, if it is read, and recognized as a very good book, it may still be rejected, just due to lack of time and a surplus of potential books.
  
  That sounds pretty arbitrary to me. It sounds like a gamble with pretty low odds of even having someone give any given manuscript any attention whatsoever.
  
  So, why would I want to rely on such a system to get my book published?
  - Giora
    
    Joe, with all due respect, the rejection process is not arbitrary. It is subjective, Yes. But it’s not arbitrary. Self-publishing is not a better solution. Ultimately, you want your book to be sold to many readers, not just to be published. If your book is great, a good literary agent can get it into an established book publisher, who can place your book in book stores like Barnes and Noble. Physical presence in book stores can catch more readers to buy your book. It’s much easier to self published, but also harder to find readers to buy a self-published book.
    If your book is great, thn write a convincing query to at least 50 literary agents and pitch to them why readers will buy it. Don’t give up easily, just because the process is hard. If all 50 literary agents reject it, then at least you tried and can move to the next plan of self-published. Good luck with your book!
    - Joe
      
      Thank you, Giora!
      
      You are a good encourager!
      
      Joe

http://www.sandyhaney.com Sandy Haney

You are SO right about the crowded market. It’s absolutely flooded with authors. How can poets like me get a break?

http://catherinemjohnson.wordpress.com Catherine Johnson

Check out http://www.moontowncafe.com

http://www.stefnemiller.com Stefne Miller

For me, it’s sort of like Algebra. I had a very difficult time wrapping my head around the “why” of the subject. Why do they use letters instead of numbers, etc? I’m a weird thinker like that. So for queries, I have a hard time understanding why agents would prefer to read a query rather than the first few pages of the book and then if interested, request more info. Not that the way you and every other agent does it is wrong, it’s just that my brain can’t wrap around it. For me, writing queries is 5000x more difficult than writing a book and I think I find it frustrating that my fiction writing doesn’t get read because I fail so miserably at query writing.
But with all of that being said, there are areas that published writers must dive into that they might have never thought of (marketing, etc). I can understand that an agent would want to represent authors who can do more than one thing and have the ability to adapt to situations as well as show that they are willing to do whatever it takes to be successful.
The query process is a frustrating one for everyone, but until a better system presents itself, we’ll just have to keep giving it a go until we figure it out!
Thanks for covering another great topic.

Rachelle Gardner

“I have a hard time understanding why agents would prefer to read a query rather than the first few pages of the book.”

For this reason, many agents (including me) request the first few pages of the ms along with the query.
Joe

“The query process is a frustrating one for everyone, but until a better system presents itself, we’ll just have to keep giving it a go until we figure it out!”

Why? Seriously!

I’m new to all of this, so maybe I am just showing my ignorance. If so, please help me to understand.

Why keep using a system that is “frustrating for everyone” and, apparently, doesn’t work very well for the writers, when there is another valid option available?

Why not just self-publish?

I have a book that I believe is good, and am convinced it has good market potential. So, why would I trust it to a system that seems likely to discard it before giving it a chance?

I am totally intimidated at the idea of self-publishing and self-marketing, but, frankly, it sounds like that route gives me a much better chance of getting my book into the hands of readers.

Besides, the conventional publishing route does not sound one bit less intimidating than the self-publishing route.

So, why would I put myself through that much frustration for no good reason, when I have a perfectly valid alternate option?

Am I completely missing something? What am I not seeing or understanding in this picture?

Joe
- Rachelle Gardner
  
  Joe, you asked “What am I missing?” and I’m not sure if you’re serious or just making fun of all of this.
  
  But what you may be missing is the part of the equation that has to do with SALES. While there are a few self-published books that have done very well, the vast majority (99% or more) don’t sell well at all. If you can get your book to a major publisher — and let’s say you have modest sales of maybe 15,000 units in the first year — you’re probably getting your book to at least ten times as many readers as you would with self-publishing.
  
  So make your decision wisely, being honest with yourself about your ability to sell books.
  - Joe
    
    Thank you, Rachelle!
    
    I appreciate the response.
    
    I do enjoy your blog, and have become an avid reader. I like your candid posts and thought-provoking questions.
    
    I am learning a lot about the publishing industry, and you are one of my sources.
    
    No, I was not making fun, and yes, I am serious.
    
    Maybe it was just that your question inviting people to share their frustration led to the inevitable pile of responses expressing frustration.
    
    Reading down the list, I could not help but wonder…WHY?
    
    Thank you much!
    
    Joe
    - Rachelle Gardner
      
      LOL, Joe, you’re right. Whenever I ask for people to vent their frustrations, I know two things: (1) there will be a lot of comments because this is a frustrating process! and (2) writers will express frustration with not receiving “reasons” for their rejections, or with agents who don’t respond.
      
      Yes, there are frustrations. But when you talk to most traditionally published authors in the moment they first hold their book in their hands, you can see that it’s usually all worth it.

http://doubleportioninspiration.blogspot.com/ Roslyn

The hardest part of querying is putting months of hard work into one page. At times it seems almost impossible.

http://1600wordsaday.blogspot.com Amy Armstrong

The self doubt is the worst part and the lack of feedback comes in second. Plus, we’re told to research agents before we send, but people move around so much in this business and needs change so frequently, it’s impossible to keep up. Also, do you send mirror what an agent already has or something they seem to need more of? Who knows? Not only are form rejections frustrating, the “we’ll only be in touch if we’re interested” policy is downright rude. I try not to take it personally, but I’ve been in positions where I’ve had to field a lot of emails every day. It isn’t that hard to at least acknowledge receipt of a message.

All that said, I’ve found wine and a hot bath tend to make all these things easier to bear. I just hope I get love from an agent one day. I write well and I’m a lovely person to work with.

http://lauraplusthevoices.blogspot.com Laura W.

The most frustrating thing about the query process is how impersonal and removed it all seems.

http://lindakwertheimer.com Linda K. Wertheimer

Getting that letter that glows about your work from beginning through the middle, and then, toward the end, there’s that no. I’m a former newspaper reporter and editor. Maybe I prefer the lead at the beginning of the letter.

In all seriousness, I appreciate it greatly when an agent takes the time to say what he or she likes and gives a reason for the no. I don’t expect it. If an agent writes a personal note, I’m thrilled. I haven’t done that much querying yet.

The advice I’ve received from published authors I’ve gotten to know: Don’t give up yet. You want the agent who will absolutely fall in love with your work from start to finish. All it takes is one yes.

What keeps me motivated: I keep writing and working on another project and articles while I pitch my completed one. I keep meeting more writers, more agents, editors.

And I greatly appreciate getting to read posts like Rachelle’s about what it’s like being on the receiving end of the queries. It’s not always easy to say no.

Thanks, Rachelle, for continuing to inform us in an honest, provocative way. You definitely give the publishing industry personality – and a face.

Linda

http://sharonalavy.com Sharon A Lavy

We get to vent? (Shivers in anticipation)

Major frustration with the hunt for an agent or publisher?

The if you don’t hear back we are not interested.

Reason?

You can’t track a no reply for IRS. And if you take your writing seriously you track your expenses, you track your submissions and you track the replies to prove it is not a hobby.

http://davidatodd.com David Todd

On my submissions tracking form, if I don’t hear back from the agent/editor/pubication, in the space for the response I write “never heard; assumed rejected”. Hopefully the IRS will understand if I ever am audited.

http://www.joannaaislinn.com Joanna Aislinn

Waiting months for that response.

virginia

I’d like to second the preference for an automatic message that acknowledges the query has been received. Adding this auto response would be a one time investment of 5-10 minutes and would thereafter take no time at all. Receiving these auto messages dispels the nagging worry that the query was not received and leaves me content with no response and positively pleased by a form reject.

In communications with agents who’ve requested fulls, I had three emails that I know of go astray, and these were responses to messages sent by the agents! This leaves me looking at my list of “no response is reject” and wondering how many of those never got through. Should I resubmit? Probably not, but with the autoresponse, I wouldn’t even have to wonder.

Thanks for your post, Rachelle. Any effort to demystify this process is welcome.

http://lyeland.com M.R. Anglin

For me, it’s definately the lack of feedback. I know that editors and agents are busy and can’t respond to everyone, but I would love to figure out what it is about queries they like or don’t like.

http://www.ink-spells.blogspot.com Susan Kaye Quinn

Thanks for an amazing and honest post!

http://inkspotplot.blogspot.com Jess Stork

I’m going to echo a couple of other people here that I think the most frustrating part is not knowing whether your book still needs work, or if it’s the market, or even if you just didn’t submit to the right agent. Sometimes I wish publishing had one of those old school dance diagrams with the footprints on the ground, to show when it’s time to send in a piece, and when it’s time to start something new.

http://davidatodd.com David Todd

Thanks for the honesty, Rachelle. The crowded marketplace, the subjectivity of how the gatekeepers make selections (meaning the best book doesn’t always win), combined with the never hearing back on almost any submittal, is what drove me to e-publish a couple of secondary works. 35% of nine sales is a whole lot more than 10% of nothing.

Still hoping for traditional publishing for my novels, and actively writing and pursuing.

http://health-club.org Olivia First

I can easily see that an author’s subject matter or style might not fit with the agent’s tastes. Although it is oftentimes hard to figure these things out when agents give out form rejections instead of offering advice.

http://health-club.org Sarah

Thanks for your post, Rachelle. Any effort to demystify this process is welcome!

http://www.banterwithbeth.blogspot.com Beth

Rachelle, I just got back on here and saw your response to me. I wasn’t eluding that agents shouldn’t be on social networks. Not at all. I know that’s a MUST these days. A big MUST but it is a huge time suck for me and I assume it is for agents as well. Maybe you’re better at juggling your time than me.

I just wish there were some way to receive a one-line response from an agent’s email (an auto reply) that the query was received. That’s all. I think we’d all like to know that after all our hard work of condensing 300 pages into one query page, plus a few first pages, that it made it through the spam filter.

P.S. Joe, let us know how that self-publishing works out! I agree it’s very tempting. I’ve been in marketing for 20 years so the sales part doesn’t scare me as much. My husband keeps telling me to consider it. However, I’ve just queried three agents so I haven’t really given it the old college try. That’s my fault.

http://raisingmarshmallows.blogspot.com Raising Marshmallows

Queries don’t scare me. They’re kind of fun. The worst part is getting a rejection from an agent I would of loved to work with. Oh well, on to the next.

LLKing

What frustrates me is getting form rejections without any constructive feedback, so I am not sure what I should fix. Yet, I keep revamping my query letter. It is still a shot in the dark though…

http://www.wix.com/jkduvall/knights-curse Karen Duvall

I ready through a lot of these frustrations and wow, do they ever ring a few bells. I’m happy to say I’m no longer going through the frustrating query process and want to let you all know IT’S TOTALLY WORTH IT!

Ahem. Was I yelling? Sorry! I’m just so excited to share how awesome it is when you DO get that agent and your agent DOES get you that book deal and you get to work with a FANTASTIC editor and publisher. I would do it all over again to reach this place in my writing career.

Don’t give up. The rewards far outweigh the frustrations. The support and encouragement I receive from both my agent and my editor warms my heart every day and makes me thank God I’m a writer. It’s the best feeling on earth.

Keep up the good work!

http://www.ericaluckedean.com Erica Lucke Dean

Please share…how long did it take you? How many no’s before you got a yes? I admit I have next to no patience waiting for anything, let alone waiting to hear back about something I am so personally involved with. And yet, I have no right to be impatient, it has been less than a week since I sent out my batch of queries. Still, it would most definitely help me to know what I’m in for. Thanks in advance.

Erica

http://www.write2publish.blogspot.com Robin Sullivan

I’m a big believer in what you said here…

“Your query and your book might be just fine and plenty of people would enjoy it, but because there are so many other queries in the queue”

The reality is there are more good books then there are slots with big-six. The book revolution, successes of some indie-published authors, and more profitable small presses means there are now more “slots” – you just might have to go outside the standard “query” agent/big publishers to find them.

http://kendrakilbourn.blogspot.com Kendra

For me, there are two things about querying that are equally frustrating: One–being told that my manuscript is fabulous but unmarketable. Two– the long wait to hear from an agent. Trust me, I completely understand that agents are busy so waiting comes with the territory. But being told that I write really well but there’s no place on the shelves for my work is frustrating beyond belief!

http://tommfranklin.blogspot.com Tom M Franklin

“What’s the most frustrating thing about the query process?”

The waiting.

I worked with Agent#1 for six months on my manuscript. It was agreed, up front, that it was a fully no-commitment on either part relationship and I worked harder in those six months on my manuscript than I had the previous twelve months. Just when I thought I was going to get an offer of representation, Agent#1 said she just didn’t love it enough and had finally decided to pass.

That was nothing compared to the pins-and-needles waiting for other agents to get back to me. Tell me yes, tell me no, but tell me something.

Heck, even Agent#2, who expressed an interest when I was in the thick of it with Agent#1 and quickly requested the fully revised ms the day Agent#1 broke up with me, has been sitting on the ms for three months.

– Tom

http://www.MistyGatlin.wordpress.com Misty

Thank you for this. Can I ask your opinion as an agent? I recently planned on sending a query, and in the middle of typing it, my new computer proved how extremely sensitive it is as it sent the message! I was devastated because I knew I fit well with this agent, and I don’t know what happened, but it was nowhere ready to be sent. I left it alone because I thought the agent would immediately throw out an email that began with “I’m so sorry about that email I just sent. . . ”

What would be the best way to approach this? Should I leave it alone, or should I send a completed version? Thanks. I’m still kicking myself.

http://babblefromtheburbs.blogspot.com/ Kathryn Elliott

Hands down, the conflicting advice. Common sense is always my go-to route, but it’s easy to get lost on the query road with all the possible directions.

http://www.bestfinance-blog.com McleodAmie

Following my analysis, millions of persons in the world get the personal loans from different creditors. Hence, there’s good chances to find a financial loan in every country.

http://zenith.blogtownhall.com/ Patrick

Classics, whether songs or books have been rejected numerous times before finally being published. Even the Beatles were rejected at first with the comment, “This music is a passing fad and will go nowhere.”

The author must absolutely know that his/her story line is good, even though the script may need editing, and then stay with it until publication becomes a reality.

http://idig2.com/tag/wwwdiablo3betan Bella

Really nice design and style and wonderful subject material , absolutely nothing else we want : D.

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If you are willing to buy a car, you will have to receive the business loans. Furthermore, my father commonly utilizes a sba loan, which occurs to be the most fast.

http://Www.graemeing.com Graeme Ing

I think you just answered your own question it’s tricky not knowing the reason for rejection. I would actually rather an agent say “your book sucks, rework it”, than “it’s not the right fit for us at this time”. What does that really mean? I would seriously like to know if I need to invest time in editing another draft or if it is fine as is.

Laini Giles

I propose a form rejection “form.”

That way, agents don’t have to waste time with the boilerplate, and can just check the appropriate box.

Could contain any of the following or variations thereof…

- Sorry, not a right fit at this agency.
- Sorry, like it but can’t sell it.
- Sorry, just sold one like it.
- Sorry, similar subject matter to one I’m trying to sell right now.
- Sorry, hated it.
- Sorry, you need to work on your writing first.
- Dear GOD, please take a grammar course.

See? Easy peasy, and less sleepless nights for us too.

http://molliejoyrushmeyer.wordpress.com Mollie Rushmeyer

LOL!
http://www.literary-endeavors.blogspot.com Krista Walsh (@krista_walsh)

The idea for the form rejection “form” was brilliant. I’d on board to received something like that. While form rejections are unhelpful and disappointing, the most annoying part from me is when you never hear back at all. Especially from a full request.

Thank you so much for this post. I’ll definitely be going back over my query to see what I can do to make it catchier – the hard part is that I already like it, so how do I know what to change? I need an editor for my queries more than the manuscript for the time being.

http://jensmithsick.com Jen Smith (@JenSmithSick)

Rachelle:

You are definitely able to help more people with blog post than individual comments on query rejections. I can’t imagine how agents can comb through the sometimes hundreds of weekly queries they now receive due to online agent data bases.

Lanny

I am trying to determine if e-book publishing aids such as Book Baby, which charges $99 or $199 for marketing and prep of the mss, is a logical choice. I hate to start paying for anything regarding my fiction, which is why I’ve dodged vanity presses, but this may be the wave of the future?

Cindy Regnier

Waiting. Waiting for the response even if it be a rejection that may never arrive. The worst part is not knowing if your query got tossed in the trash, lost in cyberspace, or is under serious consideration. If you haven’t heard from us in 60 days… That 60 days can be miserably long and stressful.

http://brilliantdisguises.blogspot.com William Thornton

The most frustrating part is the almost but not quite. Several, several times, agents have requested the manuscript, kept it for several months, returned it with laudatory comments that boil down to…this is really good, but not for me. In fact, it’s happened with several agents at the same time, which is even worse. You want desperately to know “okay, not for you. Fine. But who? Who?” And there’s no roadmap that tells you what your next stop should be. It’s like getting the answer in Final Jeopardy but you didn’t win.

http://molliejoyrushmeyer.wordpress.com Mollie Rushmeyer

I think the frustrating part of the rejections is basically what you said Rachelle– as the writer, you know that your falling into one of those categories, but you’re not sure which. I’ve gone back many times to my manuscript, my query, right down to the very foundation of my story to stew over what’s wrong with it. The hard part too, is the fact that agents and publishers (Sorry Rachelle!) don’t take the time to tell you what it was that they didn’t like or resonate with. I also realize they are busy people, and probably don’t have time to do that. Personally, after months of rejections, I worked with a professional editor to polish my manuscript as much as I could. Then I entered it into a bunch of contests, hoping for the best. (I am happy to say that Ethereal Keys, my book, is a finalist in the Women of Faith/ Westbow Press Contest! Yay! I’m not a horrible writer:)) And now I am laying it to rest for awhile. I’m writing another book, and pray that it will be one that speaks to agents and ultimately, the audience for which it is written. Blessings all, Mollie Joy Rushmeyer

http://www.kellihughett.blogspot.com Kelli Hughett

I think the most frustrating thing about querying is not being rejected, but ignored. I feel kind of “in limbo” when that happens. Did they read it? Or was it just overlooked because I have a funny sounding name? I’m ready to jump off the concrete platform of real rejection.

http://wisdombringsfreedom.com Lilliet Garrison

FOOD FOR THOUGHT!
Or perhaps it could be, at least in the Christian market, that more and more people are reading fluff and make-believe. As people dumb themselves down with many hours spent in front of t.v. sitcoms, social network sites, and technology, people don’t seek nor recognize quality. They’re not looking for “meat” but “cotton candy.” Many so called Christian agents are looking for the stuff that sells and that’s poplular, but reading what interests them is disappointing, as rarely does anyone stand out from the crowd. Agents are looking for authors that stand out from the crowd, but so do some authors. There seems to be few agents who don’t follow what everyone else is looking for? It works both ways.

http://www.schumes.blogspot.com Chris Schumerth

The most frustrating part for me is identifying the right agents to query!

http://karolinebarrett.com Karoline Barrett

I’ve recently queried 105 agents with my women’s fiction book. Have had 47 rejections. Had one agent ask for a full ms. and then rejected me. I appreciate the agents who wrote a nice email. The frustrating thing is agents who don’t answer. Period. I think this is bad form. We know you’re busy, but an email takes what? 30 seconds? To all the agents who have politely let me down – thank you! Already working on my YA novel.

Audy Walker

I haven’t been writing many queries, but reading so many “right” answers I’ll add mine: The worst things to me are fear and pain. A rejection of my baby book hurts like being hit in the soft of the belly. It hurts very very much. And fear of the hurt hurts too.
I know most answers are deserved. I think my wrirint has a reason to be and a readership if I’d get it there. But the hurt and the fear of that pain sometimes nearly drive me insane.
There, do you guys think I am completely nuts? WRiting sometimes seems to be the craziest thing… ))))

http://wrayardan.com Wray

With each rejection I read through my book and make improvement that I wasn’t aware it needed. As much as I hate rejections, they are making me a better writer.

http://www.barbarakfreeman.com Barbara Freeman

Me too! And besides the vague rejections there were a couple of specifics that I found very very VERY helpful.

Eve Ness

I went through a similar process a few years ago when, after the demise of a 30-year marriage, I threw myself into online dating. Sometimes I’d write to a man who sounded great and he’d write back a politely-worded “thanks but no thanks.” Sometimes an obvious fathead would write to me and I’d wonder what in the world he was thinking. Sometimes a man would sound perfect but then when we met–zero chemistry. I always tried to send at least a brief response to anybody who took the time to write to me, but easily half the time I wrote to someone I got no reply whatsoever.

The universe did finally cough up a wonderful man for me, and that whole process–which took years–prepared me very well for my current full-time job of finding an agent.

By the way, I wonder why nobody has yet created an OKCupid for agents and writers!

http://www.kbmccoy.com The Writer Librarian

I know I’m a bit late to this conversation, wanted to thank you for posting this. I referenced it on my blog to inform other aspiring writers.

http://sheilabrodhead.com Sheila Brodhead

And I’m even later to the conversation,… but I agree with many that the lack of feedback is frustrating. Given the number of submissions that agents receive, it’s understandable.

The Real Reason You’re Getting Rejections