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Original poster

How do you stay sane while querying agents?

877 replies

CakeRage · 09/05/2019 20:03

I finished my first book earlier this year (after saying for years I was going to write it), and started submitting to agents 3 weeks ago.

I’ve had a couple of replies, both really encouraging, but ultimately both rejections, and I feel like I’m losing my marbles. How do you keep it together while waiting? Not sure I can take the emotional rollercoaster Confused

The first agent replied within hours to ask for the full manuscript, emailed again the following day to say she was halfway through and absolutely blown away by it, then a few days later to say she did love it, but thought it needed a few changes making. I revised the whole thing (10,000 extra words of work), then she replied just to say it wasn’t working, and she wouldn’t be taking it further.

To be honest I’ve been pretty gutted by it. How do you stop the little judgy voice in your head which tells you you were an idiot for getting your hopes up?

The second agent replied to say she was really impressed by my writing, but didn’t feel I was a good fit for her list at the moment, and recommended another agent (different agency) who she thought would like it. I handled that one much better, even though I guess it was more of an abrupt no.

Please tell me how you cope with this stage - or come commiserate with me at its horribleness!

(Sorry for my crazed rambling - feeling all my feelings this week!)

OP posts:
Hellomatey001 · 16/08/2019 11:09

Cake,

Have you heard back from your full ms request agent?

Boilingfrog · 16/08/2019 11:50

Wow, sending it to kindle is a great idea, cake. How are you feeling now about your new idea?

No word from either of the fulls. Watching on twitter both the agents who have it have had amazing things happen in their career not specifically related to their agenting, for which I am delighted for them but am like ‘aargh will someone read my book now and get back to me!!!’

I have entered for a short story writing class that is competitive entry, a life-writing class that is competitive entry and of course the cb prize - but tbh I think thousands of people have! So have produced lots of new work that was for these which felt good and now just getting on with new book.

Going to take a week and find a lot of new people to send to, but it takes a lot of time and research and emotional engagement to do submissions right, doesn’t it?

Original poster
CakeRage · 16/08/2019 16:05

I haven’t heard from either agent with the full, no. I actually keep forgetting about the first one it’s been so long. That was mid May, so going by the 4 month thing I’m planning to nudge if I still haven’t heard a couple of weeks into September. The other one was from June, although she was very upfront about the fact she wasn’t going to start reading straight away, so that’s the one I think might still have a vague hope.

Feeling pretty good about book 2 now though, Boiling! I’ve planned the whole thing out and I think it definitely has legs. Started writing a couple of days ago and I’m 1500 words in. Still not quite at the sweet spot where I get carried away writing and churn out loads at once - that happened at chapter three with the first one so fingers crossed!

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PreparingForDisappointment · 17/08/2019 10:29

Surprised to get a form rejection yesterday from an agent I'd contacted over three months ago and long since moved to 'expired' on my spreadsheet. Friday afternoon inbox clear out yet again!

IndefatigableMouse · 18/08/2019 16:07

I've been making a list of SFF agents in an Excel document in between bouts of editing. There's only about 20. Eeep. I have probably missed some but even so.... A lot of them quite clearly like literary fantasy/magical realism more than the full on epic fantasy (which is what I've written) too. Or they specialise in SFF and I have a contemporary women's WIP I'm working on as well (which I'm not going to mention, I know you need to focus on one genre initially) so in an ideal world they'd be open to both.

It's a tricky business finding the right agent!

Has anyone taken part in any of the #pitmad days on Twitter?

CaptainBrickbeard · 18/08/2019 19:41

I sent my full manuscript to Kindle and loved reading it like that - it felt like a real book! I’ve sent off the full today and trying not to think about it now!

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CakeRage · 18/08/2019 22:18

Good luck Captain! Grin

Preparing - I’ve had a couple like that. I actually quite liked that they took the time to reply (even though it was a no) way after I already assumed as much!

Mouse - I don’t really understand the pitmad stuff - I’m a bit Twitter incapable, if I’m honest. I know that agents like you to be on if if you get picked up and it puts the fear of god into me! I understand social media in general really well, but Twitter just seems to be its own beast Confused

Is it something a lot of people do?

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Original poster
CakeRage · 19/08/2019 16:17

Just when I was bemoaning the lack of replies, in plops another rejection, waaah.

It was one of the digital publishers, so they had the full from the off (not one of the two I’m waiting on). The reply was personalised and had a fair bit of feedback, mostly good, but their main concern was that there wasn’t enough emotional depth for readers to engage with my characters and root for them. Which is fine, except in my feedback session, far and away the thing people liked best was the characters, because (you guessed it) they really engaged with them and were rooting for them. Very frustrating! Confused

Also frustrating is that the people I know who've read it keep contacting me and saying ‘you really need to do something with that book’, ‘you need to get it out there’, ‘when will it be published, I NEED to pass it on to my mum/sister/masseuse/fish’. Pretty sure they think I’m just not trying hard enough. Hmm

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PreparingForDisappointment · 19/08/2019 16:22

Aargh, that's frustrating, Cake. Did they give any sign that they would be prepared to consider other work (or a revised version of the submitted novel)?

Original poster
CakeRage · 19/08/2019 16:43

They didn’t explicitly say, but gave me the new submissions email address, so I guess they didn’t want to tell me not to submit to them ever again!

To be honest I don’t think it would have been a perfect fit, anyway. They’re very chick-litty and my story is a little darker. Still gutting though.

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LurkingElle · 20/08/2019 10:55

Hello.
Sorry to hear about the digital pub rejection Cake but I think it’s (while obviously very disappointing) still a very good sign that they bothered to give you personalised feedback - they must have been impressed by your writing.
Good luck Captain!
I’ve heard nothing from any agent recently apart from a Saturday form rejection a couple of weekends ago. Presumably lots are/ have been on holiday. Presumably lots will never reply...
I was zipping through the first draft of book 2 (got to just over 50,000 words) but haven’t managed to write anything for the past week or two due to the rest of life inconveniently keeping me too busy!
Going to try to do an average of 1,000 words a day in Sept (have had that intention every month this year and failed all but you never know!!).
Hope everyone else making good progress with latest projects.

IndefatigableMouse · 20/08/2019 19:36

Ahhh feedback can be annoying, Cake! I always say to myself 'take what you find useful and discard the rest' but it can be tricky to put into practice.

I was going to polish my submission this week but an urgent work thing has come up and now I don't really have any time. Argh!

Hellomatey001 · 21/08/2019 11:30

You might know this already, but I have been using querytracker.net to check response times of agents.

Very interesting site with writers giving feedback on agents. Its a bit US centric but they have a link called "success stories" which shows successful query letters and interviews with writers.

You have to register for a really good look, I have not paid, though there is a subscription option.

IndefatigableMouse · 21/08/2019 19:25

Do they have much on UK agents? That’s what’s always made me reluctant to sign up in the past.

Hellomatey001 · 21/08/2019 20:28

They do. I checked on the UK agent I sent to and lots of comments about her.

Sign up was quick and found the "comments" section under each agent profile very useful even if just to get an idea of the time an agent takes. Beware lots of acronyms on site though eg

EQ -enguiry
CNR -closed no response
FR - Full request

CaptainBrickbeard · 22/08/2019 05:49

I signed with my agent this week. It has felt like an out of body experience but every now and then it really hits me. I have barely slept since Monday! I have a lot of editorial work still to do but it is a genuine dream come true scenario and I’m so excited. I really hope this is just the start of some good news posts on this thread from all of us. What I have really taken away from this so far is that it is absolutely a matter of right time right place - my book got in front of the perfect person who was looking for what I am writing and I think that’s the crucial thing. Following agents on Twitter was so useful to me to find that out so I knew she was going to be the best person for me to submit my novel to so that would be my best tip - get on Twitter if you aren’t already!

PreparingForDisappointment · 22/08/2019 07:20

That's fantastic news, Captain! Congratulations! You must be so excited - not surprised you haven't slept all week. What happens now - is your agent going to work through the editorial stuff with you?

Hellomatey001 · 22/08/2019 07:42

Brilliant news Captain!!! So wonderful to have good news on here. Keep us posted on how it all goes!

Hellomatey001 · 22/08/2019 08:02

Sorry Captain, read a tweet about a "wonderful book" today!!

I think I know who they were refering to! Grin

Hellomatey001 · 22/08/2019 08:05

Actually quote was "amazing book" and it feels wonderful to have signed you!

LurkingElle · 22/08/2019 08:24

Congratulations, Captain - wonderful news!!

Original poster
CakeRage · 22/08/2019 10:20

Aw, congratulations Captain! So glad your hard work paid off Smile

You must be over the moon right about now!

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Chirico · 22/08/2019 12:07

Congratulations, @CaptainBrickbeard! When the excitement has died down to the point where you're eating and sleeping again, come and join me on the next nail-biting bit of waiting to hear from editors who're reading your MS. Grin

Do you estimate you have much rewriting to do before then? Are you excited about the revisions? I didn't have much to do when I signed with my agent in July, but I enjoyed doing it -- I saw the value of the revisions, my agent was appreciative of how I made them, and there was a strong sense that we were both making a better novel.

CaptainBrickbeard · 22/08/2019 13:48

Thanks everyone. I have some structural stuff to change but I’m quite excited to do it - I couldn’t put my finger on what didn’t work but now I have someone to stand back and give me that feedback from a professional, objective viewpoint is amazing.

Hellomatey001 · 22/08/2019 15:12

Ironically I sent my first three chapters to your agent Captain on the same day you sent your full.

Now I can tell myself she was too busy reading yours to come to mine....this will soothe me until I get the rejection! Grin