Rejection #11 (Or: The Rejection That Wasn't Quite a Rejection)

Date Submitted: 8th July 2015

Date Rejected: 7th August 2015

Response Time: 1 month

Response Type: Full MS request. Offer to resubmit.

***

In my last post, I said that I had just sent out my first submission in a long, long time. 

Then, about a hour later, I heard back. 

The agent was actually recommend to me by Martine Bailey, who I met at a book signing here in York. I think that mentioning this recommendation in the opening of my submission email probably encouraged the agent to come back to me to request my full manuscript(!!!). 

After hopping around the flat in a complete frazzle for several minutes, I dutifully emailed back my MS (thankfully newly polished after a recent re-edit), then proceeded to stare madly at my empty inbox for a whole month.

When the response did come it was not The Legendary Call, but an email including a heart sinking "I'm afraid...". But she also wrote that, "We both really liked your writing, and your ideas..." and finished with, "I'd be happy to look at it again if you reworked it, or to look at whatever you might write in the future."

Oh goodness gracious and oh my, but that is good to hear!

It is, by far and away, the best response I've had to date. It still isn't an acceptance and the disappointment of being unsuccessful was all the worse for having handed over my whole manuscript, but the excitement of having an agent be really, truly interested in my writing is incredible. I discussed some ideas briefly with her and thanked her for her time, and her offer to come back. 

It would be easy to be defensive and to argue that, just because one person thinks my book should change doesn't mean everyone would. But I honestly do understand her perspective and (more importantly) want Grey Sister to be as good as it possibly can be. 

So, I'll try to improve my novel. And I will resubmit. And maybe next time, she'll Call...

   

Rejection #10

Date Submitted: 11th June 2014

Date Rejected: 3rd July 2015

Response Time: Over 1 year

Response Type: Form, no further request.

***

A whole year! Congratulations, Rejection 10, you win the latest response award.

It's been a long (long, LONG) time since I last sent out a submission, so it was a surprise to find this in my post box. Clearly my opening chapters have been sat in one heck of a big slush pile.

Meanwhile, I have been horribly absent since I started my new job in February. As expected, I've been very busy with the transition. I've not stopped writing though, and I'm currently preparing myself for a new round of submissions. I'll hopefully write a post about this soon...

Rejection #9

Date Submitted: 28th September 2014

Date Rejected: 28th October 2014

Response Time: 1 month

Response Type: Form, no further request.

***

"Many thanks for sending us the material for GREY SISTER but I'm afraid that we are going to pass."

Is it just me, or is that kind of a harsh way to say no? 

Rejection #8

Date Submitted: 1st July 2014

Date Rejected: 14th October 2014

Response Time: 14 weeks (approx 3 1/2 months)

Form for Response: Form letter, no further request. 

***

Another pre-recent edits rejection. Not a big surprise, especially as this was a big name agency. They did apologise for the late reply, which was very considerate.

Rejection #7

Date Submitted: 29th September 2014

Date Rejected: 7th October 2014

Response Time: 5 working days

Form for Response: Form letter, no further request. 

***

Given that this was a snail-mail submission and that the response came back in less than a week, I have the sneaking suspicion that I did something wrong in my submission... poop.

Nevertheless, the fact that the person who emailed me forgot change the name of the novel when she copied and pasted the form letter, suggests perhaps its not too much of a loss. 

To whoever wrote 'Lloyd's Book of Humour': I'm sorry they didn't like your book either. Perhaps we could form a support group?

Rejection #6

Date Submitted: 14th May 2014

Date Rejected: 7th August 2014

Response Time: 12 weeks (approx. 3 months)

Form for Response: Brief email (form possibly)

***

Argh! How did I forget to blog this one? Much grovelling and many apologies. 

Possibly it has to do with my actually really wanting this agency to like me...

I sent this before my recent edits (and actually I think there were a few other amendments made in between as well). Further evidence that you should be ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN of your manuscript before you submit. Though, I must admit, I did think it was ready. So, who am I to preach?

Anyway, I received a brief email from this (very small) agency quite some time after submitting. Although it seemed pre-composed, it did include statements like, "You're clearly very talented", and that the work had "an intriguing premise". I'd like to flatter myself that not every submission hears that! Ha ha. Such a big head I have!

Rejection #5

Date Submitted: 1st July (/17th July?) 2014

Date Rejected: 31st July 2014

Response Time: 1 month (/2 weeks)

Form for Response: Personally written by agent, no further request.

***

As the submission dates suggest, this was a pretty unusual submission. 

I initially got in touch with this agent over twitter in order to find out which of their agents would be best suited to receiving my submission (pro tip: ALWAYS identify a single agent in submissions. It shows awareness of the agency and consideration in your submission). They replied quickly, with a nice, friendly response and I duly sent off my submission by snail mail, as requested on their submission page.

Then, on the 17th I received a tweet, not from the agency as a whole, but from the specific agent who'd been pointed out to me to begin with, asking if I'd sent my submission. I told her I had and 'hoped it hadn't gotten lost in the post'. She then told me to send it again via email just in case. So off submission version 1.2 went and she immediately replied to say she'd received it.

The rejection I got today was, while obvious a disappointing one, still the most positive one I've had so far. The agent emailed to say,

"I wanted to like this - and I almost really, really do - [but] it did not grab me by the throat..."

It feels like a step in the right direction to at least get a personally written reply. This agency has a strong background in fantasy, though they're not as grand nor as established as many of the more well known agencies. I wish I could have at least made it as far as a full request. I've asked for some feedback, so maybe that will give me something to work from...

End of June Update...

Another month and not much more to tell.

Rejections arrive, new submissions are sent and rejections arrive. The cycle repeats itself, on and on we go. Its just the road you have to travel if you're looking to get published. It can't much be helped.

I was watching a documentary recently about the upcoming Monty Python Live Show, when John Cleese (who I love and think is fabulous, by-the-by) made a comment about the modern era not being "a terribly intelligent or terrible creative one" (57 mins in). Which, for anyone in a position like mine, is both pretty insulting and quite misinformed.

From where I sit, our world and our generation is an incredibly inventive one. Even beyond technical advances, everywhere I look I see people making things, thinking new things, trying to bring something new to the world. The internet is full of authors trying to get published and artists trying to find an audience. There is SO much creativity in our era. And that is precisely why it is so hard to make it today; because competition is at a premium.

It feels sometimes like everyone in the world has written a book (or is making music, or acting, or drawing comics, or making jewellery, or designing clothes, or, or or...). But, as my boyfriend keeps reminding me, just because others are, doesn't mean your work means nothing. Creativity has value in itself. Trying to succeed in making a dream come true is never a mistake. Failure happens. But it doesn't define our attempts. We just have to keep trying.

Rejection #4

Date Submitted: 10th June 2014

Date of Rejection: 16th June 2014

Response Time: 4 working days

Rejection Type: Form, no further request.

***

Although this was the fastest response I've had, my phone decided to stop alerting me to emails, so it was an extra few days before I could read it, which is a little frustrating.

I really liked the sound of this agent, so it was a disappointment not to get any further with my submission. I did find some great author's already on her list though and ended up ordering two books, one of which I've already almost finished reading. So, at least I can fuel my book lust! 

Getting Back on the Horse...

So, my first two months of submissions have been a little rough.

I've had three out of four submissions come back rejected. Of course, this is no big deal. Harry Potter was rejected twelve times and 'The Help' a whopping forty-five times! So really, three is nothing to worry about.

But worry I have.

So I went back over my opening chapter, picking apart every niggle. I re-worked scenes that fell flat, removed unnecessary characters and changed them for ones more central to later plot lines. Thanks to another feedback session with the critique group, I tweaked the opening page to make it clearer. I even went  so far as to change my main character's age to give her choices later in the book more impact.

And I do feel better for doing it. Which just creates more worries. What if those little changes could have meant the difference between a rejection and a request? What if those few little issues cost me an agent? I fear now that I was (and, quite likely, still am) under-prepared for submission. Even though I want to keep trying, a big part of me just wants to put everything on hold so I can edit, edit, edit all over again.

Nevertheless, I've gotten back to the agent hunt and have two envelopes full of submissions to take to the post office tomorrow morning. I've developed something of a phobia of the bigger agencies, I've found. After all, why would J.K.Rowling's agency (honestly, I've looked into them and everything) have any interest in a silly little book about a library written by a girl who works in a shop? And yet, here I am still writing to agencies with celebrities and leading names on their books.

Such a glutton for punishment.

My confidence hasn't been overly bolstered by my continuing inability to secure myself a real-world job, either. Getting back rejections from agents and potential employers makes for something of a downer. There's been lots of sulks and cheer-up songs blasted in the past week or so.

But on we must press. An agent can't accept me if I don't send them anything, right? Nothing comes from nothing, after all. So here's a little pep talk that's kept me going...

Rejection #3

Date Submitted: 28th April 2014

Date of Rejection: 30th May 2014

Response Time: 23 working days (1 month)

Rejection Type: Form, no further request.

***

This was the first submission I made, so it was a tough one to receive. I got pretty down about it to be honest. 

The submission was via post, but I received an email  response, with my material to follow later. It was considerate of them to get back to me as soon as possible, rather than making me wait for the post. 

Fun fact: every rejection so far has come on a Friday. My guess is agencies clear their submission piles at the end of every week...?

End of May Update...

So, one month after my first submission, the rejections are rolling in thick and fast.

Oh, the glory of failure!

Last night (7pm on a Friday, I mean come on! Give me a break!), I heard back from the very first agent I sent to. Another no, of course. I know I said I was realistic about my prospects, but I couldn't help feeling pretty down about being rejected. It was my very first go-to after all. Cue self-pitying sulk and a large glass of wine.

The trouble with submissions - and the inevitable rejections that come with them - is that you go in totally blind. Most of the responses you get are form letters, typed up years ago to send to every 'No thank you' submission. Without feedback, it's hard to understand why your writing is being rejected.

Are my characters flawed? 
Did I write the cover letter wrong?
Was my synopsis lacking?

Is my writing just terrible?
WHY DON'T YOU LIKE MEEEEEEEE?!?

Of course, agencies are overwhelmed. They don't have time to give critique on every submission. But it's still pretty rough to be on the receiving end, with no hints to help you improve.

All I can do right now is keep trying. But I can't help but wonder if I ought to change something. (Re-write? Edit? Start again? Something!) Ultimately, I am SO proud of 'Grey Sister' and I love the story and the characters as they first appeared. But I realise it isn't perfect and that knowledge gives the rejections room to itch.

 As well as submissions, I've also started writing Book Two in the 'Ellorah' series. It's lovely to be back at the beginning again, planning new plots and creating new characters. I can't wait to explore Thea's story more. 

I hope I have some better news next month...

Rejection #2

Date Submitted: 3rd May 2014

Date of Rejection: 24th May 2014

Response Time: 15 working days (3 weeks)

Rejection Type: Form, no further request.

***

I was better prepared for the rejection note this time and I wasn't so upset as I was with #1. This agency was one of the less specific ones I've chosen and I approached them more for their wider experiences than because they are known to produce a lot of fantasy titles. 

The form letter was a little softer than the first and - though, of course, I know it IS just a standard response - it left me feeling a little more optimistic about my chances elsewhere. 

It probably took a little longer to hear back because the submission was sent through the post, rather than email.

Rejection #1

Date submitted: 30th April 2014

Date of Rejection: 9th May 2014

Response Time: 8 working days

Rejection Type: Form, no further request.

***

My very first rejection. Hurray and Huzzah! I'm part of the big leagues now.

I was more shaken by my first rejection than I thought I'd be. I was so prepared to be upbeat and, though I did expect it, it was still a little unsettling to get that first knock. No tears though, which was good since I was at work when the email came!

This was a large agency, with an established rapour and a big team of staff. I chose them because they represented an author I greatly admire *ahem*, with the dream of being on the same books as a hero of mine.

Que sera sera. Onwards and upwards! Bring on the next contender!