How do you stay sane while querying agents?

[CakeRage]

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

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!)

Ha! I'm the same with the Waterstones thing; I always wonder how each of them can be successful and not me! Although to be fair I only started writing a year ago since being a teen. Some writers take yeeeeears to get published, I know.
I'm going to stop visiting that shop! Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Linguistically could you rewrite some of book 1 to make that more commercial? Unfortunately publishers are in it to make money so they want books that will sell loads and that means commercial. I had to do edits on mine to make it more commercial for my publisher - but next month it will be on the shelves of Waterstones! I should add that it took me four years of solid writing and attending courses and workshops and writing hundreds of thousands of words to get to this point. But I always had belief in myself that I was capable of writing as well as the books I was reading. It just takes a looong time.

Maybe we could be hopeful instead - seeing that there are hundreds of authors published means it's not out of the realm of possibility! And we have people on this thread like LouisaMayAlcott who have gotten there too. So exciting, it must be such a great feeling but also surreal

Keep us posted about your fulls and queries blackrabbit, it's great to have this thread for some support - it's a lonely journey to be on! I'm going to do some more submissions for book 2 today, book 1 has quite a niche plot so it's difficult to make it more commercially appealing.

Louisa - that will be such an out-of-world experience for you next month! I'm really happy for you.

Linguist - I will, if I ever hear anything. I did get a plethora of rejections last week so I can't complain nobody is getting back to me!
Good luck submitting your second book then. I'm thinking mine is not very user-friendly, although one of my rejections did say it had commercial appeal. I think it's a bit too dark, perhaps.

Seconding the ‘definitely start on book 2’ comment!

Every agent who showed an interest in my first book asked what else I was working on, and though book one never did get snapped up it was the half-written scraggly first draft of book two that landed me an agent.

I had the same ‘love your writing but not commercial’ comments, and once I applied the same writing to a (slightly!) more commercial project it all fell into place. Keep going!

Thanks for the encouragement it's great to hear from people who've come out the other side!

When submitting to agents, do you prioritise what they're looking for a lot more so than agents who say they're actively building their lists? I have a few where I'm tossing up who to submit to, because the ones who sound like they're interested in my genre are quite busy, whereas there are other agents who don't seem quite as good a fit but seem keen to build their list.

Hello again everyone,

Just wanted to share my hugely exciting news: I’ve had an offer of representation! An agent that reps some of the novels in my genre I’ve most enjoyed lately so I’m thrilled 😁

Keep the faith it can happen!! Good luck to everyone at whatever stage x

Aw, well done Jacqueline! The dream can happen...
Really chuffed for you.

Well done Jacqueline that is brilliant news!

Amazing news Jacqueline! Huge congratulations

Thanks everyone 😁

I am feeling ridiculously excited about it and trying to remind myself it’s only the beginning of the next step.
Also I believe it’s the done thing to contact other agents you’ve queried even if they’ve not responded to give them about a week to consider, is that what others here have done? Do people ever just say I’ve accepted representation and not give others the chance?

Yes Jacqueline that's what I did. Nobody came back to me to fight for the chance to represent me (!) but they all said lovely things about my book and one agent asked who I'd signed with and told me my agent is very well thought of in the industry which was a nice thing to say. And confirmed to me I'd got the right agent for me.

Before you know it you'll be back here announcing your publication deal! Exciting times ahead. Yesterday I had a box from my publishers full of paperbacks of my book, it was possibly the most exciting moment of my life, right up there with the birth of my kids, and a lot less mess!

Look forward to hearing about your publishing deal!

Oh wow Louisa that must be amazingly exciting - a massive moment along this journey! I hope your book does really well. It must feel magical.

That sounds nice, as well, hearing good things back about your agent. I will send out my emails this morning. Still can’t believe I’m at this point 😭

Congratulations jacqelinedaniels, that's amazing news! The agent sounds perfect, you must be over the moon

Congratulations, Jacq

Hello - I last posted on this thread in November when I was only just starting the submissions process (and was already pretty fed up with it). The moral of the story is to keep going no matter how pointless it sometimes feels - I've now been offered representation from a good agent after all these months of trying and being ignored/rejected. We'll see what the submission to editors process brings but at least I feel that I've been given permission to start my second novel in earnest .

That's brilliant, Everythingcrossed. Well done to you!!

Thank you, that's very generous. Don't give up, you seem far more qualified than me to find representation, rabbit, I'm sure you will get there soon.

Thanks, but qualified schmalified....I'm not any better than anyone else on here! And I do reeeeeeeaaaaaaaally feel like giving up at the moment.x

Honestly, I feel your pain, it is a grueling and gruesome process. But think of all the work you've put in so far and remember you've been shortlisted for a great prize which means your book has massive potential - give yourself a couple of weeks off, maybe find someone to read the manuscript again during this period, and start submitting again .

Yay well done everythingcrossed that is a brilliant update! It really is an uphill slog but so worth it when you finally get a breakthrough!

Thanks, Everything! I will take a couple of weeks off.
My friend who knows people in publishing says their inboxes are mental at the moment and there's no way they are able to read everything.
Continue celebrations your end!

Congratulations everythingcrossed! That's amazing!

Don't give up rabbit, I was feeling so despondent at times and it was the last query I sent out that bit - it really proves never give up!

Congratulations everythingcrossed! How exciting

I only sent off my manuscript to 4 or 5 agents back in February. Heard back from 2 and they were rejections and it dawned on me that my book isn't particularly commercial. I did quit trying to find an agent and I am nearing self publishing my book with professional copy edit and cover - I'm really pleased with it and it does look like the 'real' thing, plus I've felt I've had control over the entire process. However, I am fully aware it will never have the kudos of being published via the traditional route. Still having written a book which has elicited emotion from some of my beta readers will have to do along with the fact that I actually finished it. Congratulations to all those who have secured an agent.