Longest Wait for a Rejection Letter ever!

[Paul Whybrow]

After spending five months at the beginning of 2015 researching the likes, dislikes, blogs, tweets and Youtube videos of literary agents, and querying 160 of them, I haven't made a submission since.

Instead, I've written two more novels in my series of psychological thrillers featuring a Cornish detective. Most agents replied within six months, with the quickest taking only two hours! I already had a hide like a rhinoceros, so took the rejections philosophically.

I learnt a lot from the process, for, like editing, creating a blurb and a synopsis or self-publishing on Smashwords and Amazon, you have to do it to appreciate the problems and refine your technique.

I'm about to return to the fray, querying with my second first novel—the original first being double the acceptable length for a debut. I'm more confident about what to do and what not to do.

To my astonishment, two form letter rejections came in during the last week. I queried both agencies 16 months ago! It's polite for them to eventually reply, though I now have an image of them buried under piles of manuscripts, their hard drives clogged with queries as they labour to say 'No' to legions of hopeful writers.

Can any of you beat this record?

 

[Marc Joan]

I can beat it -- 21 months and 3 weeks. It may in fact have been the first thing I ever submitted [I'd have to check], and I'd have been in an awkward postion if they'd accepted, as the original submission was rubbish and has since been revised beyond recognition. Note to self: get it right before submitting.

 

[Katie-Ellen]

That's the challenge...to know when you've got is a right as you can ever get it, without ever seeing something you could have done better. Because, or at least, let's hope because, it's an evolving skill. No perfection possible. It might seem as right as right, maybe even with some great feedback, and off you pop it in the cyber post. Still, two years on you might look at it again and think...nah. I bet even very successful novelists sometimes look back on earlier works with frustration.

 

[Marc Joan]

That's the challenge...to know when you've got is a right as you can ever get it, without ever seeing something you could have done better. Because, or at least, let's hope because, it's an evolving skill. No perfection possible. It might seem as right as right, maybe even with some great feedback, and off you pop it in the cyber post. Still, two years on you might look at it again and think...nah. I bet even very successful novelists sometimes look back on earlier works with frustration.

Yup. Nodded my head all the way through that.