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!)

Bear in mind that if you self-publish it will never be traditionally published and if you do later get a publishing deal they will probably ask you to pull your book from Amazon. If you then have reviews on Goodreads (this may be started by someone else) then you can no longer be marketed as a debut writer (which most publishers want for a first book.)

There are massive implications against self-publishing that I hadn't realised until I was traditionally published.

Oh, I didn’t realise that, Hollow. About the other implications I mean. I knew that self-published meant published and that I’d then have to write a new one before I approached agents again, but not about the rest.

Could using a pseudonym help? It’s so much of my effort and life and heart I guess I want it to be read more than I want recognition or anything. Traditional publishing would always be my first choice, but if that doesn’t end up being an option I would hate for it to just be abandoned to my bottom drawer forever.

When I was researching agencies I came across at least one author who was formerly self-published, now traditionally published, and his new publisher had re-issued his self-published books. However, he seemed to have very high sales (100s of reviews on Amazon for individual titles) so perhaps that outweighed the disadvantage of not being a debut author.

Personally I don't have much to lose by turning to self-publishing as I'm writing a series. If I can't interest an agent in book 1 there's not much point sending them book 2.

Chiming in as I have sent to eight, one has the full (someone who I submitted to last year, I decided to rewrite a chunk of it based on an editor friend's advice) but has not come back, one has rejected based on my pitch, and six have radio silence. It's only been a few weeks, but last year I sent to six agents, four never replied at all, one rejected and one asked for the full (the one who now has it).

The thing is, it was long listed for one of the quite big prizes, I did a short faber course with a very prestigious tutor who loved the bit she read and gave me an amazing quote/feedback, and I've only written one short story which was shortlisted for a very good irish prize. I would have thought that these things would have been enough to wangle open a door. The editor friend said she loved it (I really said that it was okay to say where and how it was crap, and I paid her too, didn't want to get her to do creative work for free, so she hopefully felt able to be frank. And was quite brutal about the bits that needed fixing).

God it's so hard, sorry I'm feeling quite a lot of despair today.

I had a rejection on Bank Holiday Monday (someone doing overtime clearing out the mailbox then!) and all 7 others still silent.

I have 20 agents researched and lined up but I'm waiting to see if I get any more rejections and if so, which version of my pitch they received. There are three out there, tailored to different agents' requirements, with varying levels of detail.

It was the briefest version that got the full request, but there's no point in sending that to an agent who wants more detail, just because it had one success.

Welcome to the pit of despair Merryweather!

I submitted to another this morning, so I’m on 5 rejections, one full out, 10 still to reply. And I have another 5 agents to put on my list, but I don’t know whether to send it now or hold them back in case of useful feedback!

It’s hard, especially when you hear nothing. You’re obviously a good writer if you’re being shortlisted for prizes. That’s the bit I didn’t realise before this process and still struggle with. It’s not enough just to be good. You have to be good AND have what they’re looking for.

Sorry to hear about your rejection, Preparing. I always have it in my head that agents only work office hours so I’ll be safe from disappointment on evenings and weekends, but that’s probably not true at all!

Cake, my rejection wasn't emailed by the agent herself, but by an unknown name - I'm guessing the agent had been through the mailbox, taken out what she liked and asked an admin person to send form rejections to the rest. It goes to show we are never safe!

I sent off to a few agents and then realised that i needed to change the beginning. I have had some fantastic advice from a poster from here, and I am really grateful (you know who you are!).

I now see the writing bit as the personal bit, but getting it published like getting a job when there is a lot of competition and I am going to have to switch into a different mindset to try to do that.

OP good luck!!

All my rejections have come from assistants on behalf of the agent, even the lovely personalised one. I assumed that was standard? The only direct replies I’ve had is from the two with the full. I’ve still only had office hours knock backs though, haha.

Thanks moonrocket! Know what you mean about the mindset - it’s tricky, isn’t it?

Feeling a lot better today! It's funny, it really makes you think about WHY we are doing this, doesn't it? I mean in that, if you knew this would never be published, then would you write another book, and why? I think I'm (for today) moving through back into thinking about it as an exercise in self-fulfilment as much as anything and have written 1000 (very rough) words of the next book.

Keep on keeping on!

I often think about the WHY, Merry. Certainly not with thoughts of money - the average debut novel is supposed to earn about £6000. When I think of the hours I have put into it, that's well below the minimum wage.

I think it comes down to wanting people to read and enjoy my work. I write fanfic and every so often I'll get an email telling me someone has left me 'kudos' - sometimes on something I wrote years ago - and I get such a feeling of joy at the idea of my story having brightened someone's rainy day.

I don't mean this to sound conceited, but I do enjoy reading my own work - especially if it's something written long ago so I have forgotten the little details - so when I write I always have in mind that I am storing up future pleasure for myself.

Lastly, of course, like all of us on this thread, I love writing - I love the feeling when my plot starts to fit together, or I have a brilliant idea for one of my characters. I like the feeling of living with my characters while I am writing - I imagine what they would do in whatever situation I'm in, however mundane. I'm never bored while I'm writing. Stuck in a queue somewhere = ideal opportunity to get a bit further with my plot.

In my experience the assistants have been training to become an agent.

Yes, to the poster who asked about using a pseudonym for a self-published book. That would be fine - it's a win-win situation as if you sold a lot then you wouldn't need to be 'sold' as a debut author, but if you don't sell many or get bad reviews you can deny all knowledge!

Ooh, thanks Hollow! Self-publishing is my backup plan for this book if none of the agents on my list are interested. I’d probably publish it under my maiden name so it’s still mine, if you know what I mean?

In terms of why I write, it’s much the same as has been said. I want people to read my words and find a connection in them. I guess it’s as simple and as complicated as that.

There’s also an amount of validation involved, although I would accept that in the way of reader reviews if I can’t get it from agents

@CakeRage if you do need to go self-published I really recommend joining 20booksto50k on facebook (ran by Michael Anderle) and reaching out to other authors there for support. I couldn't have done it without all the information on there, they're so knowledgeable and helpful. Especially on marketing which I think is where every author struggles wether self or trad.

I'm just about to publish my second, and get started on a new three book series. I don't know how you stay sane waiting on agents! Best of luck to you.

Ah, brilliant, thanks Hundred! That’s a really useful link.

I’m going to do all the research anyway, then I’ll be all ready if I need it

Hi, reading this thread with interest as I am about to submit my first novel in a couple of months.
Just wondering if anyone has submitted to any foreign agents - there are a couple in the USA which for me, might be worth submitting to. Don't mean to hijack your thread Cake but it looks as if a few posters are awaiting responses.

Hijack away! There’s strength in numbers

I’ve only submitted within the UK, but I think I read on another thread that someone writing genre romance had better luck in the US?

Yes, I think my book might have some appeal in the US.

There is lots of work involved in submitting to an agent. I thought I could pop everything into an envelope, send if off and forget about it.

These days, it is done by e-mail with attachments and for me it means that more things can go wrong especially because I am not particularly computer savvy. With some agents you have to sell the book and with some, you have to say which books your book could sit alongside...I haven't got that type of ego!

I haven't submitted the present novel to the US. I did try this with a previous novel (that I thought would have more international appeal). I remember the agents I sent it to took months to come back (rejecting) - I think the longest was 11 months, by which time I had long since written it off anyway.

you have to say which books your book could sit alongside

I found this difficult, for the same reasons as you. I had to 'grit my teeth' to do it, but I found once I had written it, it seemed less preposterous and I'm OK about including it in submissions now.

My method is to have a basic 'query text' which I then modify to suit the requirements/tastes of different agents.

It takes so much belief to say that your books sit along a well known novel, I can just see the agent scoffing at the comparison, it is making me squirm, I don't have much self esteem, perhaps I should find some obscure books for comparison.

Are you writing literary fiction, Daphne?

I would say it could be classed as containing aspects of literary fiction, also partially historical and women's genre with a touch of fantasy thrown in. But there is a core theme that runs throughout the book which could apply historically and in the here and now, hence the book flips backward and forwards between two eras and follows a certain aspect of two female protagonists lives.

It sounds like a novel which blurs genre divisions -are there any novels you'd compare it to; or could you go for an 'x meets y' comparison?

It is a case of steeling yourself to come up with comparisons, even if you feel you're being hugely presumptuous. Remember that, with email submissions, an agent can decide at a glance whether the novel interests them - if it doesn't, they'll hit delete - and most importantly, not give it another thought.

They really won't be sitting there scoffing because you've dared to compare yourself to someone eminent/bestselling. They have far too many submissions to look at. They'll only give yours any thought if it interests them - which is what you want to happen.

I'd try and pick novels that genuinely have something in common with yours, no matter how well known they are. If you choose something too obscure, it might not mean anything to the agent, which would be a missed opportunity to stimulate interest.