Waiting on agents

[Madhairday]

I wondered whether anyone else is in the pit of submissions and might like to join me. I was on a thread like this a couple of years back when I wrote a YA (I had some interest but it didn't end up going anywhere) - and now I've written an upmarket commercial fiction (up lit) book and just about to start submission rounds. Part of me wonders if I am mad, going through that hell again, the rejections and the waiting, but I know I'd be cross at myself if I never gave it a try, especially as I've had extremely positive feedback from readers so far.

So here I am, collecting myself up, trying to craft a synopsis that simultaneously sounds alluring and yet reads as a plain old synopsis, and a covering letter that sings. Then there's the researching of the agents. I have just one in mind so far, so a long way to go with that.

Anyone else want to join the ride?

@BecauseOfIndia if money is tight and you'd have to borrow then don't do it would be my advice. Learn by doing with a reflective mindset. The economics and probabilities of writing are flakey and from a business perspective, borrowing to invest probably wouldn't make sense in this industry. Possibly reconsider when you feel you've reached the limits of what you can learn for free.

Good luck.

Hello @BecauseOfIndia, I am at a similar stage, sending out submissions in batches and waiting for a few rejections and any potential feedback before I approach my favourite agents. I am not familiar with the traffic light system but assume it's a similar approach?
I am similarly strapped for cash so any advice has to be of the free variety, and I haven't done any courses. Oh, and it's my first novel.

I saw your other thread about the agent 121 which sounds like a lucky and exciting opportunity! I hope it's useful for you. 🙂

I'd missed your post, @Coucou2021 - thanks for resurrecting the thread! It's good to hear from others going through the same thing. @Drybird2020 do hope you hear something positive soon! Also a hello to @BecauseOfIndia - I do agree with Zilla that probably best not to get into debt over something like this with the flakiness of the industry. There are so many good course books etc and online stuff you can work through and improve your craft on your own nowadays.

So I've not really heard any more. I have had two more rejections, one form and one who said it was 'intriguing' but not right for her list. Not sure what to make of that really. At least I've had nothing negative. In the meantime I've just got a deal for my next non fiction book so I'm delighted and working on that.

I must admit I've been thinking lately about just self publishing the fiction. I've self published a book of poetry and short stories and it's done ok for its market so I know how to do it. But part of me feels like that would be giving up. I've queried 12 agents now. What do you all think in terms of how many to give up at?!

12 is nothing. For commercial fiction there are at least 50 reputable agencies to try before giving up!

I've sent out 12 so far. Received my first rejection just now, from an agency I submitted to THIS MORNING! Not sure what to make of that.

That was a quick one, @Drybird2020! They must have been working through their emails. I wouldn't read anything into it really. Good luck!

Thanks, @CatJumperTwat. I think I will try more or I'll always be cross at myself for giving up. Was just on a bit of a downer the other day. One of my beta readers has come back and said the book is brilliant and really hooked her so that's been an encouragement.

Received my second rejection today, a form one but reasonable, explaining that it's a very commercial agency.

I'll send out two more submissions tomorrow, I think. Kids are back at school so I will have some free time.

Is this thread still going? I'm in this position right now! I've contacted 5 agents so far, one rejection that said she liked it and liked my style but had similar clients and no time to take on more, and one acceptance directly from a publisher but it was hybrid and they wanted me to pay 2k so I asked around and turns out its all a bit dubious so I declined it, now wondering if I did the right thing!
It's a chapter book I've written for 6 to 8 year olds ish.

Hello @MagratLancre, I am still here 🙂. A personalised rejection with positive feedback on your style is encouraging. Are you going to submit to more agents?
I am gearing up for another round of submissions. I've had 6 rejections, 5 havent responded at all and one has asked for the full MS request but said that it will be another 6 weeks before she has time to look at it.

Hello @MagratLancre and @Drybird2020 I'm also still here as well! I've had 6 rejections and one full MS request that resulted in a hugely disappointing near miss. They said they loved my novel but wanted me to change the ending, and in my view - turn it into a naff thriller. I wasn't prepared to do that so we agreed we weren't right for each other. It was so upsetting to get so close but I don't regret it and do now understand what people mean about finding an agent that really 'gets' your book.

I've just been accepted on to the Arts Council Freereads scheme, which means I get my manuscript read and critiqued by a professional reader. I'm going to wait for their feedback before I start the next round of submissions. I just hope they don't tell me the ending is rubbish!

@BecauseOfIndia that sounds like a great plan. I'm still editing mine. Good luck @MagratLancre and @Drybird2020

Hats off to you, @BecauseOfIndia, for sticking with your book and refusing to change it in way you weren't comfortable with. That's real integrity and shows the faith you have in it. I hope the right person sees it soon!

I've just had a rejection from an agent I submitted to last week. She said she was intrigued by the concept and enjoyed reading, but didn't fall in love with it.

Sorry to hear about the rejection @Drybird2020 but it does at least sound like a positive one (if a rejection can be positive...). It shows that you are on the right track. Before the full ms request all I received were form rejections, which is soul destroying & gives you no idea as to whether your book has promise.

It would be interesting to know what genre everybody is writing in - mine is literary / historical. The agent who rejected it said he wanted 'more' from it - more action!! A big revelation!! It's set in the 1800s and is to do with a miscarriage of justice. Most of my beta readers said the ending made them cry, which was what I was aiming for. Ironically, said agent tweeted yesterday that he is looking for original and thought provoking stories that take him somewhere he has never been before. That is exactly what I sent him and he wanted me to change it into a historical version of The girl on the train

@BecauseOfIndia did the agent want you to include a massive twist based on the unreliability of the narrator? 😆 That seems to be the standard ending nowadays!

I write YA. The last one was contemporary/speculative and I'm now working on a YA murder mystery.

an agent was interested in my unfinished book. it's literary fiction. the first chapter was in an anthology & 2 chapters are in literary journals. oh i was a runner up in a guardian contest 10 years ago.
the agent rejected me w something like "you write beautifully but" she didn't like my main character
it's a coming of age tale & one of the lead young women occasionally has sex, uses recreational drugs & is unapologetic about her choices

good luck to everyone

@Drybird2020 Yes! Something like that. What's the point in re-writing books that have already been written?! It drives me mad when they say they are looking for original stories and then they want the narrative to follow the same old arc.

Like so many people who start out in this you think having a really original plot is a plus, but I'm really beginning to believe it isn't. I personally don't want to write a book that someone picks up at an airport, reads on holiday and then chucks in the bin, forgetting they ever read it a week later. I want readers to be moved, to learn something, and be left with questions. That's what all my favourite novels do, and many of them have been commercial successes, so it is possible. I'll just have to keep on plodding!

Can I join in?

I've struggled to find books to compare it to so wonder if agents can't see a place in the market for it? I also worry the synopsis makes it sound far more complicated than it reads. It's dual timeline and I found it really hard to give both storylines their due.

I feel almost exactly the same as this, though I have three intertwined plots rather than a dual timeline. Getting it down to one page was not really possible.

I’ve sent it out to lots of agents (more than thirty since May). Bizarrely I’ve only had seven responses, all rejections. Two were personalised both letters said they could see a market for it, but that it wasn’t for them.

I’ve just sent off for a copy of The Writers’ and Artists’ yearbook to see if I can find something in there. I might try small publishers instead. I had an offer from one for my first, but the terms were so poor that I turned it down.

I know making a living from writing is a dream, but it’s a hard one to drop…

Hello! I thought I'd come back and see how people were doing and it's great to see some new people on the thread. I'm no further on really - I've just had a few rejections, mostly saying something like they liked my writing or liked the concept but didn't fall in love with it. Sigh - you know, the usual! I'd got to a stage with it where I haven't bothered sending it out in months, but my beta readers keep telling me to keep trying, so I think I'll try another round and maybe some small publishers too.

I'm thinking about self publishing too. I have a book of poetry self published and it did okay. My traditionally published book didn't do a whole lot better. I'm seeing more and more that you need to be with one of the big publishers who will really push your book, and it just seems so out of reach. But I guess it must happen sometimes!

I do keep hearing authors talking about TikTok and having some success through that platform. I am a bit horrified at the thought of it, probably because my young adult DC would be horrified if I was on there trying to promote books - anyone here use that?

Interesting conversation here about what agents really want. When they say they want something unique that will make their heart sing, they actually mean they just want something that will sell, don't they - so the same old tropes. I'm just reading the latest book of a well known psychological fiction author and it's dreadful, truly. What happened? It's as though she just rushed it out and didn't bother finishing it. It all feels very commercial and without any heart at all. Makes me quite sad about the whole thing.

Welcome, @TheCurrywurstPrion and other newbies!

@Madhairday I know how you feel about the submission process, I'm at a similar stage and finding it hard to get motivated for another round.

I think you are right - nobody seems to want to risk trying something new at the moment. A lot of what I see out there is samey and predictable.

Do you know much about self-publishing? I am beginning to think I should at least look into it. TIKtok is a bit of a stretch for me but one should. Keep an open mind, I suppose...

@TheCurrywurstPrion rubbish to have so few replies but at least you do know there's a market for your novel. I would just keep plodding on - someone will love it. They say you shouldn't give up until you've queried 100 agents (by which time I'm sure I would be half mad with all that rejection ....).

I'm a member of another online writing thread and the person who runs it (a proffessional editor) posted a long diatribe the other day about how we should all stop moaning about agent rejections and accept the fact that agents are only looking for commercial books that they can sell. All well and good - but look at a novel like Hamnet, that has sold millions and I wouldn't call it commercial. I love it but everyone I've lent it to couldn't get beyond the first chapter. I know Maggie O'Farrell is well known but it does show that there is a market for beautiful, thoughtful and original books.

I liked Hamnet, @BecauseOfIndia - such amazing characterisation. Needs to be read slowly to take it in and savour the words. I think there definitely is a market for well-written and thoughtful books, but I think @Drybird2020 is right that agents are reluctant to branch out. Several of my rejections said things like 'Beautifully written, but not commercial enough, sorry,' - one said 'We can't fault your writing at all and we love your characters, but we are not sure it's right for the market at present.' So it leaves me unsure as to what to do - keep trying or give up? It's such a frustrating process.

I do know a lot about self-publishing. I've done it myself but I also work as a proofreader/formatter/designer for clients who are self-publishing (to amazon KDP in particular) so I've done a lot of research into it. I could easily get my book out there, but something in me is holding back in hope...

I'm a member of another online writing thread and the person who runs it (a proffessional editor) posted a long diatribe the other day about how we should all stop moaning about agent rejections and accept the fact that agents are only looking for commercial books that they can sell

I think it’s worse than that though. They’re not just looking for commercial books that they can sell. I’m starting to think most of them are looking for us to do a crucial part of their work for them.

I’ve had some work published before and I have finally plucked up the courage to get in touch with one of my very few contacts, who is very generously looking at my submission with a view to helping with it.

From what my contact says, the hook and the book comparisons are crucial. Also it has to slot into one of their categories, even if it doesn’t really fit. Those are the things that will sell the book, so agents are taking the shortcut of making the author do that work for them.

I had been hoping that my lack of comparisons was exactly the kind of knowledge that I, as an author, could expect to get from the agent, who by definition ought to be the one with the knowledge of the industry. Looks like that’s not how it’s going to be.

No wonder new authors without contacts have such a difficult time getting a foot in the door.

Hi everyone! I have decided to go ahead and self publish my children's chapter book after lots of rejections all basically saying its a great book bit doesn't fit in their lists right now...so I have to do the marketing myself but I'm a book blogger and librarian too so I know a lot about how that works. So yep, made the jump eek!

Good luck, @MagratLancre ! Please do let us know how you get on.

@MagratLancre good luck! 😊.