Reasons for Rejection

[Paul Whybrow]

Yesterday, in my Quora feed, there was thought-provoking answer with some common sense advice, to a question about why manuscripts are rejected:

https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-...r-literary-agent-would-turn-down-a-manuscript

Sandra O'Donnell is a co-founder of RO Literary: Literary Agents & Creative Consultancy, which has offices in California, Alabama and New York.


She offers answers to 117 questions about publishing on her Quora profile:

https://www.quora.com/profile/Sandra-ODonnell-Ph-D

 

[Amber]

Don't you think they turn it down because they don't know how to make money with it?

The reasons why they can't make money with it is another matter I assume.

It would seem safe to assume there are some agents who have the luxury of taking on manuscripts they don't know how to sell but I'm not so certain. What would be the point?

 

[Jay Aitch]

The quandary of the unquantifiable story; the book that doesn't fit into a neat little box so that it can fit in the "right" section of the bookstore. The rainbow albatross.

 

[Patricia D]

Sometimes I send things to the wrong market. For example, I just got a rejection for a really dark short story - a minister loses his faith but regains it in a suicidal act. The rejection said it was a fun concept, and they loved it, but had to pass. It's not often a rejection makes me laugh.

 

[Jay Aitch]

Just thought of a great name for a dark twisted tale ... Gallow's Humour ... perhaps set in the early Modern Age when the medical "knowledge" fixated upon the Hippocratic medicine of the four humours. Any takers?