One Writer's Road to Publication:
Finding The Right Agent
Part II: Twelve rejections, two promising leads, and eyes fixed on the goal!
Link to Part I: My Novel Is Finished
Okay, there’s bad news and good news this month. First, the bad news.
After penning about a zillion rewrites of my query letter, pruning it to utter perfection, I began mailing it out.
Subconsciously, I suppose, I expected the very first agents who read it to marvel, then plead to see the actual manuscript.
After all, the novel is compelling and unique: The characters are intriguing—simultaneously three dimensional and tortured, like they're supposed to be. The mystery component is strong and, if I'm to believe my friends, the book leaves the reader in nail-biting suspense until the bitter end.
I expected my one-page letter to convey all of this. Maybe it did. Maybe it didn’t. I say this because the first few agents I queried didn’t marvel. In fact, they didn’t even want to see the manuscript. Instead, I've received rejection letter after rejection letter. My tally so far? Twelve (and counting...) “This isn’t for me” form letters. Sigh…
I'd liken the experience of receiving five form rejection letters in a single day to entering your beloved three-year-old in a beauty contest and having her place dead last. Either that, or having a tooth pulled on the same day your boyfriend announces he’s been secretly dating your second cousin. Am I being overly dramatic? Barely.
My reaction to all of this has surprised me. See, having written about agent rejection for years, I thought I'd be pretty immune to the nasty emotions that accompany it: self-doubt, frustration, the belief that I'm doomed to be an utter failure.
Going into this, I figured I'd have no problem putting it into perspective. I fully know it's part of the territory and happens to everyone--including the greats. But all the same, it's still difficult.
Okay, so I have the twelve rejections. Big deal. That's just the bad news. The good news, in my opinion, is always best saved for last. See, rejections aside, I've still made good progress. Through a combination of said query letters and networking, a highly regarded literary agent is now reading my manuscript, and an editor at one of the big publishing houses is reading a partial.
This is exciting. But, as thrilled as I am that I've received interest from the publishing industry, I know better than to get lazy. Representation hasn't been offered yet and a contract hasn't materialized, so there are many more seeds to plant. Like all good things, it's just going to take a lot of hard work, patience, and persistence. Oh, and, in this case, more query letters.
So, if I'm finding you in the midst of your own agent campaign, know that you're in good company. Thousands of other writers are currently seeking agents as well. But, by keeping your eyes off the rejection letters and instead on the goal, you'll set yourself apart from most of the others. It’s true. Through persistence, you can get there!
I hope to report more progress mid-November. Keep your fingers crossed!
This Issue
Kate White, editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan, graciously contributed our feature article this month: How to Write a Book When You Have a Job, Kids, or Your Life is Otherwise Crazed.
In her downtime (which surely she doesn't have much of), Kate writes a bestselling mystery series for Warner Books. Next month, in a special Q&A, we'll hear more about her books, writing goals, and how she magically juggles fiction while running one of today's largest women's magazines. Stay tuned!
Our feature Q&A this month is with thriller novelist Rob Roberge. I think you'll be as fascinated with Rob as I am. Enjoy.
Last but certainly not least, we welcome our new subscribers--many of which are subscribing from faraway, exotic places like Australia, Singapore, Germany, Brazil, and Vietnam. Thanks everyone, for your interest in WBM! We’re so glad to have you!
Enjoy the issue. See you next month!
Jennifer Minar
Editor-In-Chief
WritersBreak.com & Writer's Break Monthly
