The Next Circle of Hell

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Putputt

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Hello all,

I mostly lurk in these forums, but I really just need to commiserate a bit. I have been on sub since the end of January. I've only received one rejection. But I haven't heard anything in two months. Silence for 8 weeks. My agent is on pregnancy leave so I don't know if I've been receiving Rs this whole time or nobody has responded. I'm getting depressed and losing hope, and it will be really tough if I get all the rejections in one go, like really tough :(

Um, sorry carry on. Good luck to everyone on sub and I hope you guys are doing okay :) Hang in there.

:Hug2: Geez, that's really tough for you. I'm surprised she didn't ask her colleagues to give you updates or anything. But yeah, a lot of things have been put on hold because of Bologna so there might just be no response from anyone just yet.
 

Owlie

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Hey Roly, looks like we went on sub around the same time. I have received only one response--a pass a couple weeks ago. Otherwise, crickets. My agent keeps me in the loop, so I wouldn't assume the worst (like a pile of passes on your agent's desk with no one viewing them). I would think she's keeping up via email on submissions and with people at her office.

Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately?) it's likely there's no news.

And we wait.
 

RRK

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No news is better than bad news! I console myself that if they read it and don't want it they reject immediately, whereas no news could mean a couple of things: 1) they're re-reading it for the fifth time because they're too engrossed to put it down long enough to offer; 2) they read it and loved it and it's on its way to the acquisitions board; 3) they're trying to make sure your offer has the right number of zeros tacked onto the end; or 4) they haven't read it yet. (Obviously numbers 1-3 are the most likely.)
 

krashnburn

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No news is better than bad news! I console myself that if they read it and don't want it they reject immediately, whereas no news could mean a couple of things: 1) they're re-reading it for the fifth time because they're too engrossed to put it down long enough to offer; 2) they read it and loved it and it's on its way to the acquisitions board; 3) they're trying to make sure your offer has the right number of zeros tacked onto the end; or 4) they haven't read it yet. (Obviously numbers 1-3 are the most likely.)

Totally. Particularly #3.
 

Roly

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Thanks everyone :) I feel bad now for writing that because I don't want to give the wrong impression :( I think overall contact is largely if something important happens, so silence would mean nothing's really going on, which is understandable. It makes sense and actually everything's been put in place very well. But I guess sometimes you're just overcome with feelings of anxiety over being on sub and not hearing anything and you start to worry.

No news is good news. Okay lol I think I'm okay now lol Good luck everyone!
 

Smiley0501

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*hugs Roly*

I am waiting for agent to finish reading my latest draft. *waits* *is soooo impatient*

Peggy a deadline seems smart to me. And good luck on sub!
 

Peggy Blair

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Treehouseman, I write mysteries set in Cuba. And I've just finished a historical fiction manuscript set in the 1600s in New France (Canada) and what is now New York. Thanks, Smiley!
 

hester

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Martina, that's awesome!!! Good luck to you and Peggy (and anyone else about to go on sub or on sub who I missed! :D).
 

Sapphire135

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Hugs, Sapphire. I know my agent was really busy these past few weeks. I didn't hear from her for a month or so (granted she told me she'd be busy and I was down the list), but then nudged and finally heard but didn't get another until a few weeks later. It sounds like to me *everyone* is backed up. But! I hope you hear soon and fingers crossed on sub :D

I've heard once from her via email since my last post here. She scheduled a phone apt that she did not keep. There was no explanation why and my email follow-up was unacknowledged.
She is a new agent at an established agency and I don't know what is going on. I would like to think they are just majorly busy, but if they have decided they don't want me, I would rather know outright than be left hanging like this.
I have to say I am feeling pretty down right now over it all. :(
 

Fuchsia Groan

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I'm sorry to hear that, Sapphire. While it's a busy time, you do have a right to know where you stand. I would give her the benefit of the doubt, but continue to follow up periodically (not daily), and eventually call her office and leave a polite message. What do others think?

Did she give any indication in her email of what she wanted to discuss? Also, what are the provisions of your contract? If she wanted to terminate, she would need to give you notice, correct?
 

Putputt

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I've heard once from her via email since my last post here. She scheduled a phone apt that she did not keep. There was no explanation why and my email follow-up was unacknowledged.
She is a new agent at an established agency and I don't know what is going on. I would like to think they are just majorly busy, but if they have decided they don't want me, I would rather know outright than be left hanging like this.
I have to say I am feeling pretty down right now over it all. :(

Gragghh, I really hate hearing stories like this, and I hear it so often. :( I'm sorry you're in this position, Sapphire. With my last agent, I felt that I could just pick up the phone and call them, but I'm not too sure if you could do that with most agents...and I certainly haven't done that with my new agents as it's a young relationship and I don't yet know what they're comfortable with. So if you know she's okay with you just calling her, I would do that. If you're not sure, I would send weekly e-mails for a month and then call. I could be wrong though. Really sorry that you're in such a tough spot!
 

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(((Sapphire))) I know all too well how you must feel. I've been through it with my ex-agent, and that experience has made me a bit less forgiving of working styles that seem to go beyond standard busy periods in agenting.

Personally, I think since it has already been almost a month since she emailed, that's a long time to not get back to you. If an agent fails to respond repeatedly and misses a scheduled call, that's beyond normal busy work. It's a problem — hopefully an easily solved one, but I think you should be planning on your end how to resolve this.

It takes a minute or less for an agent to send an email saying, "So sorry. Please sit tight. I haven't forgotten you and am just swamped with Bologna or London or what-have-you."

Did she email you since missing the call? Also, please remind me, since I'm only here periodically right now (super swamped myself planning my wedding!), are you on sub or still in revisions?

And is she chronically flaky or does this seem uncharacteristic? Either way, it's unacceptable if it continues, but the answer might affect how I'd deal with it.
 
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Sapphire135

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(((Sapphire))) I know all too well how you must feel. I've been through it with my ex-agent, and that experience has made me a bit less forgiving of working styles that seem to go beyond standard busy periods in agenting.

Personally, I think since it has already been almost a month since she emailed, that's a long time to not get back to you. If an agent fails to respond repeatedly and misses a scheduled call, that's beyond normal busy work. It's a problem — hopefully an easily solved one, but I think you should be planning on your end how to resolve this.

It takes a minute or less for an agent to send an email saying, "So sorry. Please sit tight. I haven't forgotten you and am just swamped with Bologna or London or what-have-you."

Did she email you since missing the call? Also, please remind me, since I'm only here periodically right now (super swamped myself planning my wedding!), are you on sub or still in revisions?

And is she chronically flaky or does this seem uncharacteristic? Either way, it's unacceptable if it continues, but the answer might affect how I'd deal with it.

Thanks Fuchshia, PuttPutt, and Quickbread. I am out on submission right now. And -Murphy's Law- right after I posted here, I heard from my agent and all is well.

Does the chronic waiting and feeling powerless and in the dark work on everyone this way during the submission process? I think I am always waiting for the other shoe to drop or an axe to fall or something and when communication breaks down I start feeling all the dread associated with imagining I will have to change agents and start this whole process over.

Anyway, thank you all for your supportive words. It helps to know that I am not alone in this. :)
 

triceretops

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You're not alone, Sapphire. This waiting, wondering and nail biting is pretty much a state of regular affairs in this business. No, your agent is certainly not going to cut you loose. Just pump out another book and have it ready for another round of subs, at least before the initial one wears out its welcome in the big city (if that actually happens).

Bless my agent--she took every finished book I had and has been on the sub trail with me for five years. She'll never give up--we've gotten one sold and three to go. I have another Sci-fi alien versus humanity book that I'm keeping in reserve. I'm glad I went start raving nuts and wrote all those books one after another.

And nobody told me it would take YEARS to sell any of them. When your agent is in for the long haul, believe me you'll know it.

tri
 

Fuchsia Groan

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Phew! I'm so relieved for you, Sapphire! Good luck going forward with your second round.

Does the chronic waiting and feeling powerless and in the dark work on everyone this way during the submission process?
Yes. Yes, I think it does. I have had that dread of things falling apart at all phases of the process — even after the sale — and I don't think I'm alone in that. What if they cancel my contract? What if they hate my revision? What if I don't earn out? What if I never sell anything else? It just goes on and on and on, and it doesn't help that so many writers are "woodland creatures," as Janet Reid puts it.

But just keep in mind, even if the axe does fall, things could be worse. As long as you can write and don't let the process destroy your confidence, this stuff is survivable.
 
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Owlie

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Ugh. Well, I think this waiting is finally getting to me. I emailed my agent and asked if she had any thoughts as to why it's taking editors so long to get back to us. I know she doesn't. She's forwarded our only response--a pass--a few weeks ago and has stayed in touch, so she's not disappeared.

I'm sure no news is no news. But I felt better after writing the email, a bit proactive in this process where we can't really be proactive at all. Lol.
 

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Does the chronic waiting and feeling powerless and in the dark work on everyone this way during the submission process? I think I am always waiting for the other shoe to drop or an axe to fall or something and when communication breaks down I start feeling all the dread associated with imagining I will have to change agents and start this whole process over.

That does seem to be the case. I've been on sub for less than an month and I'm already starting to feel this way, even though I know things are progressing more or less according to plan. I haven't yet had any serious radio silence, but I still have moments when I think my agent will wake up and ask herself what she was thinking when she signed me. Or, I'll wake up and realize I'm part of a terrible prologue where forward progress towards publication was only a dream.
 

RRK

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Another R today. This one from someone who recently tweeted a MSWL that seemed to perfectly describe my book. That's five rejections of the eleven submissions that have been sent so far. Hard not to get dejected.
 
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