The Daily Rejection

[JJ Litke]

Wow.

 

[FLChicken]

Congrats, Liz. Amazing news. Best of luck to you as you start the next leg of the journey!

 

[Lonegungrrly]

Yay awesome news Liz !

 

[Hathor]

Fabulous news, Liz! <-- Me

About snail mail query instructions -- have you ever noticed how many of those agents have the same or even better request rates from emails? At this point, I expect rejection anyway, so I might as well make it easy on myself.

Finally got a form R from a query 3 weeks ago. So I sent out another one. I don't feel like much has changed.

 

[Roxxsmom]

Even assuming they are busy this week, it doesn't explain the last two weeks or the way some of them have responded to queries before and after mine, according to QT. Yes, I need to stay away from the data base that drives one mad:

Me too. A couple agents have rejected a bunch of peeps after mine in the queue, but they've skipped mine. Does it mean they've lost it? That it disgusted them so much they're not bothering? They're still not caught up, so I suppose it's still to early to know.

 

[Nova Odyssey]

let's party for Liz!!!

Congratulations on the journey. How WONDERFUL is it going to feel visiting the scenes of your novel(s)!

 

[Nova Odyssey]

Me too. A couple agents have rejected a bunch of peeps after mine in the queue, but they've skipped mine. Does it mean they've lost it? That it disgusted them so much they're not bothering? They're still not caught up, so I suppose it's still to early to know.

Besides the answer that you just don't know, don't overthink it, it could any of the above... Some truly do have a maybe pile. I had one where the agent response time was supposed to be a month. When I nudged he said yes, yes, I remember it, had a lot going on but I wanted to get back to it, then another few weeks later and he gives me all the reasons he's been sitting thinking about it and ultimately passing (it was query with 3 chapters).

But as someone who is still waiting on a bunch of fulls I'm feeling like you- is it that bad you just aren't going to get back to me?! Especially after an enthusiastic "loving it".

You will eat yourself up with all these thoughts. I truly think (at least for me) that you have to let go entirely not to go nuts and just follow up when certain windows pass... Easier said than done.

 

[Hathor]

Me too. A couple agents have rejected a bunch of peeps after mine in the queue, but they've skipped mine. Does it mean they've lost it? That it disgusted them so much they're not bothering? They're still not caught up, so I suppose it's still to early to know.

Or it could be that we've passed through the intern/assistant gauntlet and our queries are awaiting attention from the agents themselves. Yeah... I like that one.

 

[krashnburn]

Yay, Liz!!!!!

 

[Nova Odyssey]

Or it could be that we've passed through the intern/assistant gauntlet and our queries are awaiting attention from the agents themselves. Yeah... I like that one.

that is another good one.

 

[triceretops]

Congrats, Liz, you DID IT!

chris

 

[Roxxsmom]

Or it could be that we've passed through the intern/assistant gauntlet and our queries are awaiting attention from the agents themselves. Yeah... I like that one.

I was hoping that this was the case, but now it looks like both agents have requested fulls from queries that came in more recently than mine did, so it's looking less good.

Unless they're working their way through their list of queries backwards...

Congrats to Liz!

 

[Hathor]

I was hoping that this was the case, but now it looks like both agents have requested fulls from queries that came in more recently than mine did, so it's looking less good.

Unless they're working their way through their list of queries backwards...

Congrats to Liz!

Some agents seem to jump around. I give up. Que sera, sera. Sometimes a little knowledge is worse than no knowledge at all. A watched inbox never fills. Etc.

 

[Fuchsia Groan]

Yay, Liz! Such great news for Channing, and I hope you have a wonderful trip!

 

[triceretops]

An offer for my YA urban fantasy. They'd like me to be part of the first batch of YA titles launched. Very nice comments from someone (senior editor) who actually read the book and "got" it. And wouldn't you know it, I'm having computer meltdown problems right now that's hampered my opening of their attachments for writer bio and such.

Otherwise, very welcomed and happy news.

tri

 

[Australian River]

An offer for my YA urban fantasy. They'd like me to be part of the first batch of YA titles launched. Very nice comments from someone (senior editor) who actually read the book and "got" it. And wouldn't you know it, I'm having computer meltdown problems right now that's hampered my opening of their attachments for writer bio and such.

Otherwise, very welcomed and happy news.

tri

Yey!!!! Congrats

 

[Netz]

Congratulations, Liz - fantastic news! I hope you plan to have a celebratory evening on your trip if you didn't go out last night to celebrate.

Congrats to Tri, too!

 

[Hathor]

An offer for my YA urban fantasy. They'd like me to be part of the first batch of YA titles launched. Very nice comments from someone (senior editor) who actually read the book and "got" it. And wouldn't you know it, I'm having computer meltdown problems right now that's hampered my opening of their attachments for writer bio and such.

Otherwise, very welcomed and happy news.

tri

Great news, except for the computer part. Good luck with that. Maybe you can get access to another computer just to take care of those attachments?

 

[angeliz2k]

Thanks again, everyone! Can't wait to blog about my trip, lol!

And, tri, that sounds great. It's gotta be uber-important to gave an editor who "gets" it. Hope your computer gets over its meltdown-i-ness.

With so many queries, I'm sure agents DO jump around a lot. I figure they plow through a bunch of queries that are just trash and then spend a little more time on queries that might hold promise. Of course, it could all just be arbitrary. Hard to know . . . and that's the most aggravating part of querying (and I doubt agents know just how soul-crushing it is for writers).

 

[krashnburn]

Sweet, Tri!!!

 

[Hathor]

Thanks again, everyone! Can't wait to blog about my trip, lol!

And, tri, that sounds great. It's gotta be uber-important to gave an editor who "gets" it. Hope your computer gets over its meltdown-i-ness.

With so many queries, I'm sure agents DO jump around a lot. I figure they plow through a bunch of queries that are just trash and then spend a little more time on queries that might hold promise. Of course, it could all just be arbitrary. Hard to know . . . and that's the most aggravating part of querying (and I doubt agents know just how soul-crushing it is for writers).

I think some agents get it: the ones who send autoreceipt messages so you know a query went through, the ones who somehow manage to respond to everyone even though others say that is impossible, the ones who blog or tweet that they are up to a particular date...

Checking last night, I discovered quite a few of my queries from 2-3 weeks ago are nonresponders or can respond favorably after quite some time. At least my last batch has some quick, always-respond folks.

Sent out a couple of anticipatory revenge queries this morning just in case

Have a great time on your trip.

 

[angeliz2k]

True, Hathor, I should say "I doubt most agents know". Many get it and put in extraordinary effort.

 

[Antonin]

Liz & Tri - congrats, both of you! Today is cold and cloudy... so I'm just gonna bask in your good news like it's sunshine.

 

[Shandylous]

Liz and Tri, so happy for both of you! Such an inspiration!

Since my birthday is on Sunday, I've come up with a list of gifts:

1. An offer of rep. Seriously, is this too much to ask?
2. A full request. Always nice to get more material out there.
3. A rejection-free inbox. Just that day though. Most of the time I want to get rejections just so I know either way!

Happy Thursday!

 

[Hathor]

True, Hathor, I should say "I doubt most agents know". Many get it and put in extraordinary effort.

Or somehow do what others say they can't do

Speaking of which, from the big batch on Tuesday, I received a form R this morning. And a full from an assistant at Writers House. She saw the synopsis and first five pages and wasn't turned off! Wow, I feel like an actual writer