Craft Chat “Why Did My Manuscript Get Rejected?”

[AgentPete]

New article just posted, your thoughts welcome.

 

[Lex Black]

Thank you for taking the time to do this!

 

[AgentPete]

No problem, hope it's useful.

 

[Emurelda]

That was great to read. It confirms much of my belief to find parallel ways to enter the market. There are many ways to connect with an agent, Twitter, competitions, and of course forums as well as the official roots like writing festivals one to ones and agent website route.

Really appreciate you sharing your thoughts. Motivating.

 

[AgentPete]

Again, you’re welcome

There is (still) a somewhat “orthodox” feeling about the publishing business... even though the business has been through untold disruption... As if there is only really one “correct” way to do things. Not so! I encourage Litopians to creatively break the rules. Getting published is really just a fortunate series of coincidences... and some of those coincidences are well within your control.

 

[Marc Joan]

Again, you’re welcome

There is (still) a somewhat “orthodox” feeling about the publishing business... even though the business has been through untold disruption... As if there is only really one “correct” way to do things. Not so! I encourage Litopians to creatively break the rules. Getting published is really just a fortunate series of coincidences... and some of those coincidences are well within your control.

With a souped-up Probability Drive, you mean? Only kidding. Here's to good fortune...

 

[Lex Black]

Getting published is really just a fortunate series of coincidences... and some of those coincidences are well within your control.

At the risk of sounding acerbic, would you say this helps explain the wild success of certain...properties...that we all agree are examples of terrible writing and storytelling, yet somehow surpassed the popularity of breathing?

 

[AgentPete]

Definitely. I also think the astounding success of those books you refer to has been a wake-up call to editors on both sides of the Atlantic, who have in the past taken a narrow-minded, not to say judicial, view on the merits of a manuscript. It’s obtuse to believe, as some still resolutely, do, that the literary merit of a manuscript (which is a fairly subjective measure, btw) has much relationship to its commercial success.

 

[Emurelda]

There is (still) a somewhat “orthodox” feeling about the publishing business... even though the business has been through untold disruption... As if there is only really one “correct” way to do things. Not so! I encourage Litopians to creatively break the rules. Getting published is really just a fortunate series of coincidences... and some of those coincidences are well within your control.

This is so encouraging. I completely agree. Trying something new keeps my writing energy flowing. And to hear that getting published is a 'fortunate series of coincidences' that is in our control is the sentence of the year!!

 

[Carol Rose]

Thank you for this, Peter.

 

[David Newrick]

Thanks for the pep talk Pete. I really appreciate it. And you're right, you're always right dammit!

 

[AgentPete]

If only, David... I have two hulking sons who continually remind me of my fallibility...

 

[Katie-Ellen]

Being boring...isn't that the toughest thing to fix from within?

I find Holden Caulfield boring, in The Catcher In The Rye.

“It's 'If a body meet a body coming through the rye'!" old Phoebe said. "It's a poem. By Robert Burns."
"I know it's a poem by Robert Burns."
She was right, though. It is "If a body meet a body coming through the rye." I didn't know it then, though.
"I thought it was 'If a body catch a body,'" I said. "Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around — nobody big, I mean — except me. And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff — I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That's all I'd do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be. I know it's crazy.”

I feel almost guilty for saying so. Such a big, sad message, the title message. Poor, struggling Holden wants to rescue people when he couldn't save his brother, and he can't take care of himself, either. I can relate to that, deeply, the same as huge numbers of other people or why is it a modern classic, but jeez, mister, oh boy, call me crazy but.... zzzzzzz.

Video re ...

How not to be boring

 

[Marc Joan]

What a great little film! Thanks for sharing!

 

[AgentPete]

Being boring...isn't that the toughest thing to fix from within?

Yes, it certainly is.

However, if you manifest your passion, then you certainly won’t be boring. Full-on; fully-engaged; committed. For new writers especially, this can feel very vulnerable. That’s often why they resort to expensive courses, MFAs, consultancies, and the like. For approval, and to feel they’re doing it “the right way”. Very often a passion-killer.

 

[AgentPete]

Hello @AgentPete,

We are changing the status of this ticket to closed as we have not heard back from you in 7 days.