We need a rejection bell

[Howard]

Well, so far for me, they pay a hell of a lot more than my novels do, per hour of work. I'm not sure how that makes me insular and incestuous, but it does help pay the bills. And they're wicked fun to write, so why wouldn't I do it?

Well, you obviously have found your niche, so good on you!
All I ever found, when making forays into that world, was the same, tired stories. One site was obsessed with stories about 'poo' (they didn't say 'shit' or even 'faeces' - which speaks volumes, I think), another with long, navel gazing tomes that spoke of pain of time passing and the rest just seem to like anything that was downright miserable.
I dunno. I grew up on short stories, reading anthologies and collections of whacky sci-fi stories from the 60s and 70s. They were fun, they didn't moralise or try and teach you anything and they were never allegorical (hiss!). What happened to those short stories? They are certainly closer to what I write. But apparently no one at all (in the business of shorts, I mean) likes the shorts I come up with

 

[Robinne Weiss]

Yeah, well, the navel-gazers don't like my stories, either, but there seem to be plenty of others out there who'll pay for my stories.

 

[Rachel Caldecott]

Like, when you're happy with your service, and everyone cheers.

My iPhone tells me it's been eight weeks, so that's rejection number ten. I've got another agent lined up within that company; I've waited for the first submission to expire, so now it's time to send out agent letter number thirty-four.

Ding. Yay! Bang head against wall. Deep breath. Game face.

DING! I can't help but get disappointed. I know it isn't personal. I know it's not because I'm writing badly (or is it @Barbara ?) but sheeeeeesh! They tell you to write the best you can, blah, blah, blah and that agents/publishers get tons of submissions, so they only take the best... I get that. Fine. So WHY ON EARTH is there so much garbage in print? Grrrrrr!

 

[Barbara]

DING! I can't help but get disappointed. I know it isn't personal. I know it's not because I'm writing badly (or is it @Barbara ?) but sheeeeeesh! They tell you to write the best you can, blah, blah, blah and that agents/publishers get tons of submissions, so they only take the best... I get that. Fine. So WHY ON EARTH is there so much garbage in print? Grrrrrr!

@Rachel Caldecott-Thornton. I take it you had a rejection?? Don't take it personally. You DO write well. You've proved it. I like your novel, so you already have one fan. I may not be the most influential fan, but I'm a big fan.

Maybe the published garbage you refer to is self-published vanity publishing? They take anyone.

And yes, we must unfortunately put up with the fact that agents are inundated with submissions. It is an annoying reality. Shame, but it is what it is. They take what they think they can currently sell. In a year's time it might be different. To top it all, we don't actually know who reads our submissions. Maybe it is read by some intern with no experience who is just following a brief/guidelines given to him by his/her boss? Said intern may not want to take any risks. After all, he so desperately wants to impress the boss to get that job at the end of the internship. The whole thing sucks when you think about it, so don't think about it.

Someone once told me to compare a career in the arts to running along a tightrope. In other words: run, but don't look down. Just keep running. The moment we look down, we might falter.

I think we're spoilt with Agent Pete here, who takes so much time, and even more care to go through our submissions.

So hang in there, lady. Don't lose heart.

 

[Rachel Caldecott]

Thank you, danke, grazie, merci. Not only self-published garbage (a lot gets through mainstream publishers).

 

[Barbara]

Thank you, danke, grazie, merci. Not only self-published garbage (a lot gets through mainstream publishers).

Well, I guess it comes down to taste too. Same goes with any other artistic endeavour. There are famous actors out there who shouldn't be famous, yet I've worked some actors who still haven't cracked it even though they are the best thing since sliced bread.

 

[Lex Black]

*{(GONG)}*

A while back I tossed my last work at a publishing house's open submissions. To my delight and shock, a few weeks later I received an email telling me my MS had survived the first round of reviews and "deserved a closer look", whatever that means in this context. That was mid-January.

Just now, the same sender tossed me a form rejection.

I...admit this is hitting me pretty hard right now. How is everyone else?

 

[Rachel Caldecott]

That is awful. I'm so sorry. I haven't even got that far yet, but I imagine it will hit me hard when it happens to me too. It sounds like you had a close call though, which means something is working, so it is only a matter of time before someone grabs it.

 

[Paul Whybrow]

Choose fresh targets and fire it out again, Lex. The agent who rejected you has given you your bullet back, your manuscript, so go hunting!

 

[Lex Black]

Thank you for the support, everyone. Just when I think I've moved beyond this kind of thing emotionally...

One thing: it wasn't an agent that "gave me back my bullet" (I like that analogy, by the way). This was an actual publishing house's open submissions, so I'm assuming this was an editor? Does that make any kind of difference in the process? Just curious.

On the note of process, and again curious, what does this likely mean happened? I'm assuming someone whose job is to sort the slush pile read twelve pages, said, "Yeah, this isn't *total* crap," and passed it to someone higher up who declined it for whatever reason? As in, it fit the gatekeeper's standard of being "good enough" to pass on, but might have been passed on by the next in line because it didn't catch their own subjective interest, or they already had accepted enough of Genre X/Y/Z, or whatever? Yes, I know one can drive themselves crazy wondering about this, I'm just trying to get a better idea of how this sort of thing works.

How is everyone else?

 

[Barbara]

Thank you for the support, everyone. Just when I think I've moved beyond this kind of thing emotionally...

One thing: it wasn't an agent that "gave me back my bullet" (I like that analogy, by the way). This was an actual publishing house's open submissions, so I'm assuming this was an editor? Does that make any kind of difference in the process? Just curious.

On the note of process, and again curious, what does this likely mean happened? I'm assuming someone whose job is to sort the slush pile read twelve pages, said, "Yeah, this isn't *total* crap," and passed it to someone higher up who declined it for whatever reason? As in, it fit the gatekeeper's standard of being "good enough" to pass on, but might have been passed on by the next in line because it didn't catch their own subjective interest, or they already had accepted enough of Genre X/Y/Z, or whatever? Yes, I know one can drive themselves crazy wondering about this, I'm just trying to get a better idea of how this sort of thing works.

How is everyone else?

Hey Lex. Well done for getting as far as you did. Don't take it to heart that it didn't go further. I don't think you'll ever get to the bottom of it. It might be like you say that they have enough of that genre. Or equally, whoever read it maybe was about to go to lunch. Or maybe they had just noticed that they were wearing two different kinds of socks. You will most likely never know. The only thing that is important here is that you've jumped a massive hurdle and got this far which is proof that you novel is publishable. It was taken serious (which is even more of a compliment in an open submission when they're being bombarded). If I were you I would look forward. Keep sending it out there. I would even re-send it to the same publishing company in about 6 month or a year. Don't mention you've sent it before, rename it if you have to, but get it back to them. Who knows who will read it next time. It's clearly a numbers game.

 

[Lex Black]

That is tremendously encouraging, Barbara. Thank you.

 

[Rachel Caldecott]

That is tremendously encouraging, Barbara. Thank you.

She's right!!

 

[Robinne Weiss]

Yep, I'd take that one as encouragement rather than discouragement, @Lex Black!

 

[Lex Black]

*{(GONG)}*

*Sigh*

 

[Rachel Caldecott]

My heart goes out to you.

 

[Amber]

Thank you for the support, everyone. Just when I think I've moved beyond this kind of thing emotionally...

One thing: it wasn't an agent that "gave me back my bullet" (I like that analogy, by the way). This was an actual publishing house's open submissions, so I'm assuming this was an editor? Does that make any kind of difference in the process? Just curious.

On the note of process, and again curious, what does this likely mean happened? I'm assuming someone whose job is to sort the slush pile read twelve pages, said, "Yeah, this isn't *total* crap," and passed it to someone higher up who declined it for whatever reason? As in, it fit the gatekeeper's standard of being "good enough" to pass on, but might have been passed on by the next in line because it didn't catch their own subjective interest, or they already had accepted enough of Genre X/Y/Z, or whatever? Yes, I know one can drive themselves crazy wondering about this, I'm just trying to get a better idea of how this sort of thing works.

How is everyone else?

I didn't notice this until now. This thread always has new posts and since I don't know what they're about I hardly ever look in here. As I'm sure has already been mentioned, I imagine it's a good sign to get any sort of attention beyond a form letter. This certainly sounds like an example of that.

My guess is that it is a little different when you send to a publisher rather than an agent. I believe there were times when agents looked for authors whose writing they could sell rather than writing they could sell. I believe publishers mostly looked for writing they can sell. I suspect agents no longer have the luxury to consider whether a writer has promise as they once did. At the same time, I find it likely they are more interested in someone who is more than a one book type of writer than a publisher would.

I hope you noticed all the qualifiers.

 

[Tim James]

*{(GONG)}*

*Sigh*

Chin up. Carry on regardless.

 

[Chase Gamwell]

I’m about to start querying my YA novel in the coming weeks, so I’ll just preemptively chime in.

 

[Rachel Caldecott]

I've just had an agency write and say, "It sounds intriguing and we look forward to reading your work. We hope to come back to you with our thoughts within a month." So I'm daring to hope... and enjoying the sensation while it lasts

 

[Rachel Caldecott]

I’m about to start querying my YA novel in the coming weeks, so I’ll just preemptively chime in.

Good luck!

 

[Lex Black]

*{(GONG)}*

*Pause*

*{(GONG)}*

 

[Paul Whybrow]

 

[Rachel Caldecott]

I'm going through agonies. Ever since I got a letter from the last agent I submitted to saying, "It sounds intriguing, etc" (as mentioned before) I can think of little else. I'm also just a little miffed and puzzled. What if this is a standard note they send to all their authors upon receipt of a manuscript? Then again, is it sent just to a select few? Either way it is designed to get the author's hopes up - which is cruel. Part of me thinks it's also unprofessional. Presumably they liked the synopsis and wrote to me on the strength of that alone. What happens if they don't like the actual ms? Argh!

 

[Tim James]

I would say that getting a response at all is encouraging, that they found it "intriguing" sounds like more than just a standard reply.
I'd give them their month and if they haven't replied contact them again.
"Hope for the best, prepare for the worst", is what I was always told. Does that make me an optimist or a pessimist, I wonder?

 

[Rachel Caldecott]

I would say that getting a response at all is encouraging, that they found it "intriguing" sounds like more than just a standard reply.
I'd give them their month and if they haven't replied contact them again.
"Hope for the best, prepare for the worst", is what I was always told. Does that make me an optimist or a pessimist, I wonder?

You are a 'trust in Allah, but tie up your camel' sort of guy I like! You've given me the exact advice I would give someone else in the same position... just it isn't so easy when it's yourself.

 

[Tim James]

You are a 'trust in Allah, but tie up your camel' sort of guy I like! You've given me the exact advice I would give someone else in the same position... just it isn't so easy when it's yourself.

It's always difficult to take your own advice.