Hatrack River Writers Workshop: So near but yet so far

This is topic So near but yet so far in forum Open Discussions About Writing at Hatrack River Writers Workshop.

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Posted by darklight (Member # 5213) on :

*Another rejection thread*

I've had four agent rejections now, three of them have been encouraging, the other was... it was a small slip of paper in an envelope.

This is the last one I got.

quote:
Dear Louise
Thank you for your submission. I enjoyed reading the material but I am afraid it's not the sort of thing I am looking for. This is all a matter of personal taste so please don't feel discouraged because another agent may respond very differently.
Wishing you the best.

With previous novels I have felt very disapointed and sometimes upset by the rejections, and I am very happy with the responses I've been getting for this one. However, I am wondering what I have to do to get an agent to bite.

[One of these days, I will catch all the spelling mistakes before I post something]

[This message has been edited by darklight (edited November 28, 2007).]

Posted by annepin (Member # 5952) on :

It sounds to me like the story has potential, but the match to the agent isn't quite right. Maybe doing more research and targeting an agent that represents books like yours might work.

Either way, I think this is a wonderful rejection letter. She's (He?) clearly drawn in, enough to write you a nice little note of encouragement!

Posted by lehollis (Member # 2883) on :

As the agent said, it can be just a matter of personal taste. Agents cannot take on just anyone. They give themselves room for just so many new authors each year (often that number is zero.) So do what you can for the novel, but I don't think you should take rejections as a sign that change is needed. (It may be, but I mean don't take it that way automatically.)

Posted by RMatthewWare (Member # 4831) on :

My question is: Did the agents reject after seeing a query letter, or did they reject after a partial or full ms.

When I was shopping my ms to agents, most of the guidelines said they only wanted a query. A few asked for a few pages or chapters. None wanted the entire ms unless they requested it. Out of fifty or so submissions, I got one request for a full, which was rejected along with a nice note.

If most of your rejections came as a result of a query, then you might look at the quality of the query. If they rejected the ms itself, then that might be the problem. But if they're only rejecting the query, then the ms itself might be just fine. For me, it was harder to write a one page query than to write a 110,000 word novel.

Posted by JFLewis (Member # 6957) on :

The search for an agent can be very frustrating. Don't let it get you down. If you haven't heard it before, you might want to check out Jim Butcher's story about finding an agent and getting published.

http://www.jimbutcher.net/2007/06/14/how-jim-butcher-got-published/

He was rejected by the same agent that later decided to offer him representation.

Not only does your writing have to be good, it has to hit the right person's desk at the right time and they have to feel very excited about it. Keep trying!