Eight submissions and two form rejections so far

[GiveYourHeadAWobble]

I submitted to eight agents early last week and so far have had two form rejections.
I was expecting rejections, but the standard form rejections have thrown me a bit. I really thought I'd get more personalised, encouraging rejections, not the "don't give up the day job" vibes that I get from these form rejections.
Ugh!
Has anyone else been in the same situation and, if so, what came of it?

All of the successful writers you've heard of have been where you are.

What genre are you writing in, OP? That can make a difference.

The genre is middle grade.

What @Watchkeys said is true. I don’t know how many rejections I’ve had over the years, but it is probably over 100. Definitely well over 100 if you count the deafening silences! Keep going. The author David Peace (The Damned United, the Red Riding quartet) was not only rejected, but got told “please never sent us anything ever again”. He didn’t stop, neither should you.

I had no idea that happened to David Peace!

Did you ever get an agent? Are you still writing? It feels like a soul-destroying process at the moment, and I really believe/d in my book.

You might have to give your head a wobble, @GiveYourHeadAWobble

Handling rejection is like handling minor trips whilst you're walking. It doesn't mean you can't do it, it happens quite frequently, and you just have to carry on regardless.

I’m still writing, @GiveYourHeadAWobble. I write YA so not very different to you. I did get an agent eventually, but she couldn’t place my novel and we parted company. I think that probably happens a lot.

Would you still write, even if agents and publishers and bookshops didn’t exist? For me, the answer was always yes, so it doesn’t occur to me to stop.

I do need to give my head a wobble. I'm wobbling it! I just feel, I don't know... I feel a bit foolish for believing in myself!

Well done for getting an agent! It must have been hard to part ways, but I think very few people get an agent so that was a huge achievement in itself.

I think I still would write even if bookshops etc did not exist, although I can't see myself starting anything new any time soon. I feel very sore about the rejections. I feel as though my writing will be wasted, and it took years to do.

I feel a bit foolish for believing in myself

This doesn't have anything to do with believing in yourself. This is 2 people out of 7.89 billion who didn't feel that your writing was what they were looking for at the time when they read it.

It's like losing self belief because you baked a cake and then someone says 'No thanks, I've just eaten.' It's nothing to do with the cake or with you.

https://www.onlinecollege.org/2010/05/17/50-iconic-writers-who-were-repeatedly-rejected/

Nothing’s ever wasted, @GiveYourHeadAWobble . I know it sounds a bit trite, but it’s true.

And rejection is one thing, one agent not wanting to take you on, fair enough. I do, however, think it’s unforgivable to simply not answer. I know everyone is busy, but honestly.

That's very true.

Reading about those writers who were rejected is eye opening!

Yes, I wish all agents would respond, even if it's a no. People spend years on their writing.

I’ve sent 17 queries out since end of May. 3 form rejections and 5 coming up to the 8 week period beyond which they say to assume it’s a no if you haven’t heard by then.

I have polished my query letter each time and cringe a little bit when I read back some of the first ones I sent as they are quite rambling. I also spotted some massive typos in the sample chapters I sent to about the first ten - not sure if a rejection factor or not.

It’s so hard, I said to DH a form rejection is like failing an exam but not knowing which questions you got wrong or how much you failed by. Did the agent give up at the covering letter? The synopsis? Two pages into the MS? Or did they read the full sample and were teetering between a no and requesting a full?

Woujd love to get a full request, even if it comes to nothing, just so I know I’m not completely on the wrong track!!

Also agree it’s shitty not to answer. It would literally take less than 30 seconds for an agent to forward your MS to an assistant asking them to send a rejection. At least then you’d know rather than waiting 8/12 weeks until you realise you’ve been rejected. The time you spend putting together a query, it’s basic decency to send a response. I absolutely hate the agent/querying writer dynamic in that regard.

I so agree with the point about not answering. There's an arrogance at play it feels to me, the amount of agents who say - 'Get professional feedback on your ms first' - as if that's an affordable option for everyone. For those of us that can't afford ms assessments, editors, mentoring, agent 121s etc, it is virtually impossible to get real feedback on our submission.

For anyone on a low income The Good Literary Agency is arts council funded and committed to giving feedback on every submission. Their feedback was a gamechanger for me. I had redrafted and rewritten my opening pages so many times, assuming they were the problem, but they told me that my writing was faultless but that they weren't 'gripped' by my wider plot - in other words - the synopsis was letting me down. Reading it again I could see that it sounded really boring, whereas my plot isn't, I just hadn't realise how important that part of the submission would be in agents deciding to request the full.

Sadly, for the newbees - even when you do get a full ms request they don't all give feedback either!!

This is exactly how I feel - what exactly is putting the agents off? Do I change my covering letter, synopsis, hook, or do I change my first three chapters?
And if I make those changes, would they make things better or worse?
I'd love a full request too!

It does seem cruel, doesn't it? I've spent over six years writing my book and I'm sure a lot of people spend a lot longer on theirs. A straight yes or no would be really appreciated!

Thank you for recommending The Good Literacy Agency. I had no idea they gave feedback on every submission.

Keep believing in your book! I've had tons of rejections over the years, some form, some encouraging, one 'I think it's a mistake to pass on this but I'm still going to pass'.

When I self published I got 5 star reviews, people really enjoyed the story. (I didn't make money - but they loved the story) Remember you are being read by a very few publishing readers who are under time pressure. Their opinion is not the be all and end all.

I sent my first three queries ever last night so just waiting for the form rejections to roll in. I haven’t tried querying before (I have several previous novels in drawers) because it’s common knowledge that almost nobody is successful. But then you don’t know until you try.
I suspect the form rejections have to be very terse as they get so many crazy stalkerish mails.

Good luck ReadRum!

and thanks for tip about Good Literary Agency, very helpful!

I had a lot of rejections , I did give up - I took up planting veg and running instead . A Uni friend of mine though kept going and is now published - small independent publisher . I’m not sure that it is how she dreamed it would be - but she is still writing . Another friend sent the self publishing route and another lady ghost writes.

keep going as long as it added something to your life - when it doesn’t that’s when you stop . Good luck

I know it’s soul-destroying not to hear, but everyone (or virtually everyone) takes enormous pains over their submission, and agents get so many submissions!

My own agent has a demanding FT job handling the authors she already represents (sending out to editors, negotiating contracts etc), and reading her submissions slushpile is something she does in her ‘spare time’, outside the working day, on the tube, at home at night — and when she was just starting out and building her list, she had a FT job as assistant to a senior agent at her agency (how many start out). Some agents get 1000 MS a month.

Also, I hate to say this, but once you get an agent and they start querying editors with your book, a significant number of editors never reply either!

I think it's a bit like saying 'We put so much work into producing our advert, it's rude of people to take no notice of it'

It's not rude. People have other things to do. Their life isn't about you.