Oh, I missed your post PK. Glad to see you're up and about (so to speak). Relationships can be rough, but when it finally works out (as in marriage and kids) it's worth it, though still
tons of work.
Before I reply to Judy, let me say none of my rejections were rude, just short and impersonal and both of those were only on query/sample pages (honestly, it's just nice those agents are sending replies at all).
mware... May I offer you a small lecture?
Yes, always feel free. I can't say how much I have learned from small (or big) lectures from AW members.
I think maybe you are giving up on the query process much too soon. 3 rejects? No personalized comments? pfft. So what?
To clarify, it was three that rubbed me wrong. I've had a dozen on about 2 dozen queries.
Still,
I know that's nothing. IMHO, 100 is really the minimum.
But here's the reason I'm giving up so early: I'm do really well with the self-pubbing. The last two months I've sold over 800 book (90% ebooks) each month. I'm making 50% of my monthly goal to quit working and write full-time (that's a whole other can of worms). But the point is, I'm getting there and I feel like there's a window of opportunity to establish myself.
See, right now not many of the really popular books for MG boys are available on Kindle. This is because most have pictures and require formatting (like Wimpy Kids). So, boys looking for something to read with pictures, always find
Super Zombie Juice in the top 5 and top 20 of the two lists they frequent to find books.
Eventually, the Big 6 will get off their rears and start converting these books, but if I can get a following
before then, I hope my books will keep selling.
This worked for my friend David Dalglish. He writes hard-core fantasy (think Orcs and barbarians) and got a good following before the publishers got all their backlists out; now he has great sales even though his genre is now crowed with titles. I'm hoping to do the same.
I do realize, it may not work--once more boy books are out, my sales my fall--but it's worth a try.
I've gotten so much farther with the self-pub stuff than I ever did trying to get agents and magazine editor's attention.
I tend to assume that the agents know more about the market than I do, so when I get rejected, I figure my premise or my writing just aren't quite "there" yet. I ask myself, "What more do I need to do? How can I get their attention?"
...
If you're not getting any nibbles on your query, it means there's something not working with your query and pages. Do you feel like those are both the best you can do? Or would it be worth working on them again with some fresh eyes?
I admit, I've let the idea that "none of these agents get me" take root. And I know I have years and years of work to get my writing to the level I want. So, honestly you may be right. It might be my writing just isn't strong enough to make agents take notice.
But when I take replies from agents, like "I just didn't find myself laughing outloud..." I think, no duh... you aren't a 12 y.o. boy. Add that to my sales and
candid comments from kids (they don't know I can read these), it seems my currently writing level (with help from a good editor) is good enough to get 4 and 5-star reviews and make sales.
I do still want an agent--all my "successful indie friend"' have them. They get them foreign deals, audio book deals, even movies deals. For kidlit it's even more important with things like library sales, book clubs, etc (that only an agent can get you).
I just feel like (if things continue) in a year or two my sales will speak for themselves.
It's a role of the dice, I know. But I feel like it's my best play right now.
I particularly like the well-researched eskimo with the genie lamp. I wonder what he wished for.
mware. I know how you feel, I've gotten a few "not for me," replies, one on a full request. It sucks. 
)
