Super quick rejections

[Jay Aitch]

I've just received two rejections in two days, no more than a week after electronic submission.

Is that an indication of a very poor submission package, or efficient literary agencies?

 

[Jason Byrne]

I've just received two rejections in two days, no more than a week after electronic submission.

Is that an indication of a very poor submission package, or efficient literary agencies?

I would conclude the latter.

And lucky you can turn around and submit to the next agent in the agency so soon (if they do not specify that they share submissions and no need to query more than one).

 

[Jay Aitch]

You are right, Jason, I had not considered that the quick response could be seen in a positive light ... Thank you.

The joys of being a writer. I think I might ask for some white spirit for Christmas ... to help speed up the thickening of my skin.

 

[Alistair Roberts]

Happened to me twice last week. Maybe because Xmas is rushing up?

 

[Stephen Drake]

What @Jason Byrne and @Alistair Roberts said.

 

[Paul Whybrow]

Definitely the effect of Christmas. My record was 15 hours from submission to receiving a form letter of rejection. I prefer hearing quickly than waiting around for months. My longest wait was 22 weeks—what were they doing with my query? Biggest slushpile ever, I expect.

 

[Nicole Wilson]

Some agents are just quick though. A few months ago, I had a four day turnaround. My very first submission I got back within two and only because I submitted Saturday night right before midnight.

 

[Boopadoo]

I once had a ninety-minute rejection many years ago. I submitted via e-mail to an agent I had in my Twitter feed. About an hour later, I noticed she started tweeting about being at the Laundromat and skimming through submissions while she did her washing. Within half an hour, I had a rejection e-mail.

Shortly thereafter, I found this place called Litopia, and actually learned how to write well...

 

[Chase Gamwell]

For science fiction, I've had rejections trickling back over the past few months. Apparently, most agents that read sci fi/fantasy get so many submissions that you can expect a delay in response. Personally, I'd prefer quicker rejections because I'm one of those people that hates having stuff hanging over my head.

 

[Jason Byrne]

For science fiction, I've had rejections trickling back over the past few months. Apparently, most agents that read sci fi/fantasy get so many submissions that you can expect a delay in response. Personally, I'd prefer quicker rejections because I'm one of those people that hates having stuff hanging over my head.

Keep a Word doc with all the agents to whom you've submitted, when, and when each submission will "expire." Then you know which ones to hold your breath on, and which to let go, or submit to the next agent. There are also web pages that help you manage them as well, I believe.

 

[Chase Gamwell]

Keep a Word doc with all the agents to whom you've submitted, when, and when each submission will "expire." Then you know which ones to hold your breath on, and which to let go, or submit to the next agent. There are also web pages that help you manage them as well, I believe.

Yessir. I am a member of one of them. Hella helpful!

 

[Nicole Wilson]

Keep a Word doc with all the agents to whom you've submitted, when, and when each submission will "expire." Then you know which ones to hold your breath on, and which to let go, or submit to the next agent. There are also web pages that help you manage them as well, I believe.

Yep, I use a super excel spreadsheet to manage mine. It makes me feel better because I can distract myself from rejections with data

 

[Jay Aitch]

great ideas

 

[Stephen Drake]

Yep, I use a super excel spreadsheet to manage mine. It makes me feel better because I can distract myself from rejections with data

That's how I do it...

 

[Jason Byrne]

Yep, I use a super excel spreadsheet to manage mine. It makes me feel better because I can distract myself from rejections with data

Exactly. Do you turn yours red and list the manner of rejection?

 

[Nicole Wilson]

Exactly. Do you turn yours red and list the manner of rejection?

I don't turn it red. That would just be depressing lol. I have several columns set up: more info, no reply, rejected, and accepted (I can hope), so I put an "x" in the column that fits. No reply only gets filled in after their time period expires.

 

[1408]

@Chase Gamwell Which website do you use?

 

[Chase Gamwell]

querytracker.net is the one I currently use. It's free to use the general features, but to get anything extra it's $25/yr. Not a bad deal if you're constantly querying agents (which I'm not right now). I don't know if the website is great or not, but maybe others here might have insight into that?

 

[1408]

@Chase Gamwell Thanks for the quick reply! I'll look at that one. When I was querying I just wrote down the agents in a notebook, but all you guys are fancy and so I want a fancy majig too!

 

[Chase Gamwell]

@Chase Gamwell Thanks for the quick reply! I'll look at that one. When I was querying I just wrote down the agents in a notebook, but all you guys are fancy and so I want a fancy majig too!

Well I also have a google spreadsheet that I use to track all of that stuff too. Color coded and everything just like @Nicole Wilson.

 

[Nicole Wilson]

Well I also have a google spreadsheet that I use to track all of that stuff too. Color coded and everything just like @Nicole Wilson.

If I didn't have my super spreadsheet, I would use querytracker. I use it now for researching the agents, but it would be very handy to manage submissions as well.

 

[J. Rook]

I used Querytracker for nearly a year and found it useful, but since I entered the world of self-marketing, I' not active on the site.

 

[Alistair Roberts]

P&E is more extensive, but very out of date