Got an agent, didn't get a publishing deal

[everythingcrossed]

Just that really - I thought that getting an agent was the hardest part but turns out I was wrong . I've seen a few people on other threads in a similar position, does anyone want to join this one for a bit of mutual moaning, consolation, support getting the next book done?

@HollowTalk

OK literary fiction is different - I'm in the crime genre.

Your first book does sound really interesting. I hope she loves your second book and hope that she can get you a two-book deal using both books. Best of luck!

Thanks, @HollowTalk, fingers crossed!

@Time40 - that is very tough indeed. Are you still writing?

@everythingcrossed - thanks. I did keep writing for a long, long time after the second book failed to sell, but in the last couple of years I have slowed down, and I haven't written anything since last year. I'm starting to think that, after an entire lifetime of trying to make it, perhaps I have given up. I'm not sure yet. I'm trying to plan a new novel but it's going extremely slowly, and I'm not feeling terribly inspired.

[quote Time40]@everythingcrossed - thanks. I did keep writing for a long, long time after the second book failed to sell, but in the last couple of years I have slowed down, and I haven't written anything since last year. I'm starting to think that, after an entire lifetime of trying to make it, perhaps I have given up. I'm not sure yet. I'm trying to plan a new novel but it's going extremely slowly, and I'm not feeling terribly inspired.[/quote]
That’s very inspiring, @Time40, even if you feel uninspired — I admire a dogged belief in your own talent.

I’m thinking ahead to what I want to do if this one (my second) doesn’t sell either. My agent has mailed to say she’s reading it, and my friend/first reader (a well-known novelist) has taken it on holiday with her.) I’m trying not to think about it.

What genre/s do you write, @Time?

Wow I needed this thread! Hello everyone - some familiar names in here! I am firmly in the same boat, 8 months on sub with my first. I’ve kind of given up on it being taken up but holding out hope for it maybe finding a future life if I can write something else that gets taken on for a debut. Trying to stay positive, anyway! Had some lovely comments among the rejections so far that have spurred me on. Just finished first draft of my second and resting it for the summer in hopes I will have fresh eyes for refracts in the autumn, and have had an idea I like for another so jotting down ideas for that now. It’s a long old road with no end in sight so trying to enjoy the journey and not get too despondent about the lack of success 😭 Good luck to all! And no, I haven’t showed my agent any of my second yet but have kept her in the vague loop on my progress. It’s the same genre as first so hopefully she will like it - it will be worrying if she doesn’t!

Welcome to this not terribly desirable club, @jacqelinedaniels. Well done on your second novel - can anyone give me some ideas for getting my second done? I feel so unmotivated and bogged down by it all.

Hi @everythingcrossed, I must say it’s nice to have others to commiserate with, despite it being, as you say, an undesirable club. I was really struggling with my second too for a long time (and first draft is a long way from being finished - I may well come back to it after my break and be horrified by it - but it felt like I’d make big progress so hoping it will be in the right direction at least.) But what really helped me when I was feeling stuck with it was stripping the idea right back and getting to the essence of it. I was stuck because I’d set it somewhere too complicated, and had all these pointless secondary characters who had nothing to do with the story that was gradually emerging, and a lot of the story wasn’t what I originally thought it was going to be at all. So I cut the lot, ditched about 60k words and several characters, started again in a totally different location and didn’t look back. I think I really have to write my way in. I don’t actually mind cutting vast swathes, either, which is just as well 😂

Hmm, I've also made life unintentionally difficult for myself by setting the novel in a country I know well but a part of it that I don't - there are reasons for this and I thought I'd be able to do some research trips but covid . I think that is holding me back (I hope that's what is holding me back because it's fixable).

Ditching 60k words - .

It sounds like a lot but some of it has definitely found its way into my working draft albeit tweaked somewhat, and I can think of a few more bits I’d like to add back, tweaked again, when I go back to redraft and edit. I honestly don’t mind if it gets me to a place of understanding the story, it isn’t wasted. It is quite freeing actually. Good luck, maybe a location shift might help you too then.

I'm in this exact situation too. Signed with my agent in January 2019, went out on submission around May 2019 and then... nothing. Plenty of flattering feedback but no deal. I was gutted at the time (remember one very miserable afternoon walking around Soho in tears when my agent made it clear over lunch that it wasn't going to get picked up) but by that point I was already well in to a first draft of a new book. I'm luckier than some of you it would seem, in that I still have a good relationship with my agent and she's wildly supportive, as are the agency as a whole. So I have still felt a part of something, during lockdown and while I work on my new novel. I have sent it back and forth to my agent several times during the last year and a a half, and sent off the newest draft this morning. Fingers crossed for second chances!

While I am cheered that so many of us are in this situation (cheered is probably the wrong word… comforted?), I am hoping for brighter times ahead for us all.

I’m currently wondering how long I leave it before I decide I might be being ghosted. Who has been in this situation, and what did you do?

My agent is lovely, and really supportive when she does reply to questions, she just often doesn’t reply. Is she just busy, or trying to send a message? I can never decide!

Hi @jacqelinedaniels and @Hotpinkparade, good to hear of your experiences, though agree it’s not a group many maybe wanted to join. Actually surprised by this thread, that there are quite a few of us in same position, previously I haven’t really encountered anyone, and certainly not in real life - I don’t really know/ speak to other writers day to day so it can feel quite isolating.

@CakeRage, I decided long ago I was being ghosted, but I was not terribly persistent. I’d say if the agent still is replying and is positive and supportive when she does then that’s a good sign - I guess they are all very busy and probably prioritising other stuff while you are getting on with writing your next book. I notice you said you had finished second though and working on third - has your agent seen your second novel/ are they planning on submitting that? Assuming it’s your first that has been in submission a while, apologies if I have misunderstood.

@hotpinkparade, sounds like your experience has been really positive - what genre are you writing in? Also good you have managed to get another novel drafted so quickly. To be fair to my agent, I think she probably realises I write pretty slowly, for a variety of reasons, including other commitments (job, kids etc) so probably intuited correctly that after failing to sell the first novel another one wouldn’t be immediately forthcoming..! Also envying you the lunches in soho (even though that particular one sounds miserable), I only met my agent once in the flesh as don’t live in or near London, so that does maybe make it a bit harder to forge a relationship.

At what point will you consider self-publishing?

@celestebellman I'm writing literary fiction. I do feel like I've struck lucky with my agent, and have thought that all along! Not through any wisdom on my part, I actually first applied to someone else at the agency and they passed my work along. But I feel we have a good relationship, have indeed met several times and even a few nice lunches / parties... These things do exist! Sorry to hear some of you feel you've been ghosted, I would be so gutted if that happened. But the only way is to keep plugging away...

As for self-publishing, it's never appealed to me. I'm not writing the sort of thing that's at all likely to cultivate a rabid online following (I know that this does happen in certain types of genre fiction) and I'm a pretty terrible self-publicist. Also the chances of putting something out there for it to sink without trace just seem even more dreadful than traditional pubishing.

Yes - I was hoping to experience getting to the point of the fancy literary launch parties/ nice lunches etc, but alas was not to be! (Probably quite different in these post covid times as well). Despite this I did actually think I had a good relationship with my agent at a time - spoke on phone and emailed a lot, and she was really helpful, understanding and supportive so part of my disappointment at subsequent apparent ghosting is because I actually thought/ think she is a nice person. I guess my inexperience in these situations has probably played some part in allowing things to drift.

I totally share your view about self publishing. My confidence in my initial novel has taken a bartering following all the rejections, despite some lovely feedback I am very aware of the imperfections, so I would not want to publish it myself. If I wrote something I personally had complete confidence in and could not find a publisher I guess I might consider it, only to have something to share with family and friends as I don’t have the time/ skills/ personality for self publicising. Also writing ‘literary’ fiction.

Battering not bartering!

@celestebellman It’s my second actual book which is on sub, but the first one to have representation, if that makes sense? I have another full draft which my agent has read and likes, but wants to hold off editing until the last couple of answers come in. Then I’m about half way through another. It’s tough though, at the moment. I do kind of feel like what’s the point of writing all these books if they’re not going anywhere?

And I have tried self-publishing. I self-pubbed my first, unrepped book after it was rejected a bunch of times and although I wouldn’t rule out doing it again, I have felt underwhelmed by the whole experience. I’ve had fab feedback when people have actually read it, but getting them to read it in the first place hasn’t been easy. I think it takes a whole skill set which I’m not sure I have.

I think it's probably all a matter of luck. There must be loads of excellent writers out there who haven't had a break. You need to ask the right person at the right time and for that person to be in the right mood. I'd been hammering on the door for years until I got my break. And my publisher wants a minimum of three books in my series which is great. But I think it was pure luck I got the deal. I've waited long enough for it. I'd say never give up, because I didn't. I bet I queried more people than flipping JK Rowling did!

@cakerage, that makes sense - well I guess if your agent has already said they like the next book and just waiting to edit that sounds positive for ongoing input so I wouldn’t think you are being ghosted necessarily. Sounds really frustrating still waiting for the final answers on the book on submission.

@waterhorse123 it certainly seems the case that most people have needed to be persistent and wait for their breakthrough, and many successful writers have unpublished manuscripts languishing in a bottom drawer. It sometimes seems such a gamble though, putting in so much time and effort without any guarantee of success…. Sounds like your hard work has really paid off now though, that sounds so exciting. Also inspirational to hear positive stories.

Thanks @celestebellman - the ghosting worry is just because I’ve had no reply to my last two emails. I felt ok before that, but I sent one at the end of June, and then a follow up three weeks ago, and nothing. So I’m not really sure what to do now. I know summer can be a bit mad, with kids at home and holidays and stuff so I don’t expect immediate responses or anything but it has literally been two months.

Would you consider ringing her, Cake?

Hi @CakeRage yes that does sound pretty annoying. I am quite avoidant so would probably send one more email …. but then maybe consider ringing as suggested?

@FittedSheet - any feedback on your manuscript yet?

I’m also an avoider, plus having to ring strikes the fear of god into me! I guess I will have to if it comes to that, but might try one more email first.

Hopefully just busy!

I get the impression they are always frantically busy, and I’m sure wouldn’t abandon a client who has real potential even if offers aren’t immediately happening for the one on sub. Not that that helps with your stress levels, it’s horrible feeling confused and possibly ghosted like that. Hoping you get a reply soon, @CakeRage, and she has just been on hols or something x