I received an automated rejection on a full that has been out five weeks. While very grateful for the quick turn-around, I am feeling lost (and, okay, mad) that there wasn't a personalized note. She's at a big agency, but I don't think that should matter. I think if it gets to the stage where a full is requested, something more than an auto "not right for us" would be nice.
I should let you know that queries that never get answered or get automated rejects have absolutely no impact on me. Even partials that get auto rejects don't bother me. I brush off a lot that bothers other writers. But this is hard for me.
Am I more likely to get a personal touch from a smaller agency?
Sorry for the long email, and I hope you have time to address this question.
Answer:
I've been a sole prop, and now I'm at a big shop with a bunch of agents so I can tell you that big or small probably doesn't matter. It's agent by agent and I'm guilty as charged. I've sent back requested fulls with "not right for me" form letters.
Couple things to remember here:
1. Rejection is entirely subjective and doesn't mean your writing is odiferous....even if your writing is odiferous. Bad writing sells ALL the time.
2. Because rejection is subjective, it's hard (and time consuming!) to write why this ms didn't work. "I didn't like it" "I think the ending stinks" "I just don't love it" "what the hell was I thinking when I asked for this" ...those aren't the kind of notes agents like to send.
Why not? Well for starters, those letters end up on your blog, or you read them in your acceptance speech at the National Book Awards, or if you're Hallie Ephron whom I adore madly, you read them at the Surrey Writing Conference, say they were right and STILL I'm in full cringe mode.
I know this seems unfair and rather surly from your position on the dodge ball court of querying. If you can look at it from my point of view for a second, realize that once I've decided something isn't for me, and I"m not going to ask for other material, every second I spend composing a nice letter with three nice things to couch the bad news is a half hour I could have spent reading the next thing in line.
Agenting and publishing is competitive enough now that I don't spend much time doing anything OTHER than form rejections because I have to move so fast on the material I do think I want. I have two complete novels I know I'm pretty likely to want right now, and I should get back to those guys by Friday. I spend half hour here, half hour there telling you "not quite right for me" and pretty soon, I'm out the time it would have taken to read a novel.
10 comments:
I am still demoralized.
For the 50% of my e-queries that don't get answered, I don't care.
For the automated e-jects, I don't care.
There's work to do. Move on.
But after my manuscript has been reviewed by my critique group (one member is published multiple times); reviewed by a Newbery-winning author; line edited by talented writers, and revised etc, etc, I know that my manuscript has promise. It's not a shitty first draft.
I think that agents who request a full manuscript *do* owe a couple of sentences for a turn-down.
I just find it hard to believe that the publishing industy, made up of writers and editors(sensitive, empathetic, reflective people) are becoming so toughened and distanced from *the story* that it's a sale to the highest bidder, and time for little else.
I am still demoralized.
But thank you for your reply. I do appreciate that.
It's not the writing.
Other factors are in play.
Suck it up.
Query on.
Okay- if I actually got a "what the hell was I thinking when I asked for this?" I might frame it. THAT is a rejection to be proud of. Blog? Yes, oh yes, but there would be emoticons involved.
Hang tough, Church Lady. Rejection bites, damn it all to hell.
I feel for you, Church Lady. I don't know if it'll make you feel better, but I had one full request that resulted in...nothing. Absolute silence. Request for update months later: ignored. Notification that I had an offer: ::crickets:: If I didn't have the email proving he'd made the initial request, I might have thought I imagined it.
Oh, I have very mixed feelings over this. I am always disappointed with a rejection. I usually appreciate personal comments. Personal and constructive comments kept me writing and submitting.
High on my list of "I never met you but you're one of my favorites" is Rachel Vater, who's handwritten two paragraph critical comment was on the mark and very helpful. Who ever handles the slush pile at Baen sent along their reader's comments. They were so kindly worded and filled with praise that they kept me writing and submitting. I almost didn't mind the "but not really Baen material."
The one I hated the most was a two and a half page letter that listed absolutely everything the two editors who read it hated about my book. I suppose I should be flattered that TWO editors read it, but I'm not. I'd much rather have gotten a form letter. This was an occasion similar to the one being discussed. I sent a query with the first chapter; they asked for the fill mss; I sent it. A simple "no" would have made me happier than two and a half pages of mean-spirited comments.
There is a world of difference between someone who is sensitive enough to just say "not for me" and someone who feels compelled to write two and a half pages of "I hated every word you wrote."
It's not the writing.
Other factors are in play.
Suck it up.
Query on.
If I got this reply from Miss Reid, I'd be on Cloud 9. Sure it's a rejection, but it tells me everything I need to know.
Having met a bunch of agents recently (including this blogger! :)) I'd have to agree: Query on.
Each agent has individual tastes and what's not right for one may be exactly what another is looking for.
If, on the other hand, you're getting no requests for partials or fulls, you may want to revisit your query.
As much as I hate no response (hate to be left hanging) I'd assume that no response equals NO (at least after I made sure my query and/or the reply didn't hit the spam filter).
Thanks everybody. And especially Ms. Reid for giving sage advice!
This from zany mom made me smile: if you're getting no requests for partials or fulls, you may want to revisit your query.
I have received the most heart-warming compliments on my query (which EE helped me to scrub and polish a while back). One recent agent who turned down my query said "Thank you for your nicely-worded query..." Eegads, that was nice!!
So nice agents abound!! Just that one really got to me. But, I am trying to highlight the best ones (IMHO) in my own way.
Thank you again!!
xox
*off to read the next post--about somebody other than me ranting on*
I had the same thing happen about a month ago - a request for a full (based only on my query!), then a form rejection. It didn't demoralize me, but it did make me grumpy for about a day, for the same reason.
I'm really glad to have this perspective: "I spend half hour here, half hour there telling you 'not quite right for me' and pretty soon, I'm out the time it would have taken to read a novel."
That makes it MUCH easier for me to relate, actually. As a mother of two small children, I am but one of many queens of opportunity cost! So yes - after that rejection, I sent out about 20 more queries.
Now, if only we could convince agents who take only e-queries to send form rejections, just for the contact... :^)
Church Lady -- that's helpful (re EE).
EE and Miss Snark both shredded mine, so much so that I'm sure the novel must, alas, stay under the bed. But that's okay, because I'm on my 4th project now and I can see clearly what I need to do to snag their interest.
I hope.
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