I once had an agent say they "didn't connect with my writing style" which instantly had me like "well what about my style does this dude not like?" It drove me nuts for a while until I thought about all my beta readers who did like the "style" (voice/narration or whatever) and so, I guess that agent just didn't, and that's ok! There's a ton of popular authors who write in "styles" I don't like. It was nice enough they gave feedback at all, I just wish it was something more concrete/specific.
Yes! It's good to remember that a rejection is just one agent's subjective thoughts--not necessarily a death knell for your project. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for making this video! This is perfect timing for me. Im currently querying agents and have gotten both forms of rejection. One reply jumped out to me as a personal rejection because the agent explained that she didn't love the opening chapters as she would like (which I'm totally fine with, I can fix that). I noticed that same agent also said "they are stepping aside." A few agents also said something similar along those lines. It always stings to get a no, but getting some personalized replies lessens the blow. Good luck to other querying writers!
So happy to have found your videos. The way you break things down is perfect for my attention span and you answer all of the questions going through my head whole watching! I recently received a rejection that said "I'm sure another agent will snap this up soon." I didn't quite know what to make of that. But the agent's letter did contain wording from one of your examples. Thank you again for this video, I'm grateful for this resource.
Great post. I'm just starting my querying journey and the first agent who rejected me actually took the time to add a personal note. He said my writing was strong and the story was compelling but he just wasn't passionate enough to move forward with the work. Even though it stung, I was encouraged by his positive comments.
Out of the 55 rejections I got on my last manuscript’s round of queries, there was a huge variety in phrasing and sifting through for anything of value was a nightmare. That being said, applying feedback I got from an agent made my prose actively worse, so there’s certainly something to be said for relaxing into the process when you know you have what you want to present. It really is a subjective industry!
Never mind anything else, Alyssa!! 9.93K SO NEAR to 10,000 Subscribers!! good luck in getting to the milestone. You deserve it! Thanks for your help and advice in all the videos. M
Thank you for an excellent video! I recently got a VERY helpful rejection, where they said I was doing too much "telling" in my first chapter. They were absolutely right! I reviewed that chapter and highlighted all the parts where it was going outside of the actual scene and talking about the MC, her home state, her parents, her cousin's peculiarities ... I removed it all, and it flowed much better. Then I added a little back, just to give some details. I think it's a much stronger opening to the story now. Mind you, I have gotten many responses that were essentially, "Thanks but not a good fit." Fine. I get it. Even though, as you said, I did do my research and sent it to that agent BECAUSE it seemed like it would be a good fit. But it's all subjective and personal. You have to keep pressing on.
My first small batch of queries went out, over a one month period, beginning in mid-March. To date, no replies. Very glad I you posted this informative video though. Knowing what to expect and how to interpret responses will be very helpful if, or when, they arrive. Thanks again. My sense of anticipation continues to rise. Hoping for any response at all. : )
I've been querying for years now. Onto my third book and I've received all of these types of rejections, but still haven't gotten a request for a manuscript. I did like some of the personal rejections though, really helped me clean up my dialogue and blocking in two of my earlier books.
Most of my rejections are form. Not a fit or didn't connect. I can understand it. You are so right; it is like dating. They have to feel the passion for what you are writing. There are many great books out there that I am not passionate about, so it's not surprising that an agent would not be passionate about my writing, even though I am. Subjective rejections are not objective assessments of your writing. I learned long ago, if you are going to be a writer, you need to keep your ego in check.
Thank you so much! I've received all the rejections you mentioned but here's a personalized one I received after a full request in case someone else finds it useful: "Thank you for sending me the manuscript, I so appreciate the opportunity to consider the novel. There's a lot to admire here, the world building in particular, but unfortunately as I read I didn't feel the story to be as propulsive as it could be. The early chapters in particular felt like the remnants of you writing your way into the world, and I didn't feel they were there, necessarily, for me, the reader. Is there a way to get more quickly to your inciting event? Similarly, 98k words is long for a novel (80k being about average), and at that length I'd want to feel that every word was earned and necessary. It did feel like there might be more cutting to be done here. So all that said, I'm going to pass, again with gratitude at having seen it. Wishing you the very best in finding the right rep for your work."
I'm now up to 6 full requests and 4 of those have turned into rejections. What sucks is, I've received no feedback other than a stock answer along the lines of "loved the work...can't offer representation" or "enjoyed the read...can't see an editorial vision" 😪 How do I interpret this?
Thank you for this episode. It provided a clue to the personalized rejections I've received. I've been encouraged that almost 40% of the rejections were personalized. Of those, about 60% referenced time in some fashion -- my topic is breathtaking in its scope. But that's NOT what they were pointing at. I made it sound too complicated, i.e., time-consuming, for the agent to feel confident about representing the work.. My focus must be raising the agent's confidence that they know how to make my material a success. That's not an obvious conclusion based upon the actual words, but I'm quite sure that's the intent of them.
I've literally ONLY gotten form rejections, with one SLIGHT personalization once: the agent mentioning it was my pages instead of the query that she didn't connect with (the other version of her form rejection mentioned "pitch" instead of "pages). I've also gotten a partial that resulted in a form rejection, and currently have a full out! 🤞 Because of the agent who mentioned my pages, I actually rewrote my first chapter. However, the full request came from an agent who had read my ORIGINAL first chapter... It's truly wild out there, y'all. And it really, really does come down to personal taste.
Finally had a chance watching this video. Only one agent was a bit personal but no solid reason as to why she rejected it besides the typical 'cant connect with it'. Still a few more to come up before I tackle the next one. Decided to do it in short bursts. Giving me a chance to formulate my letter more in hope this will get a response.
Great topic. I just discovered your channel, Alyssa. Curious, how does everyone keep track of all their contacts with agents? Spreadsheets, paper and pencil? Topic proposal for Alyssa. What's your opinion of using sites like Upwork, Fiverr, etc. to find editors?
If an agent says the piece isn't as strong as they hoped in order to champion it but invites you to query future projects to them, is it personalized, a form or both?
What if the agents respond with ‘not a good fit for me, but keep writing.’ What does that mean? Do they actually think you have potential, or is it a stock rejection couched to lessen the blow of the no?
"Keeping Writing" is always a realistic, helpful answer because writing is essentially developmental in nature. William Goldman (Princess Bride, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid author) said that he showed NO SIGNS of talent, even as an editor of his college literary magazine. You never know when you will catch lightning in a bottle. Or, as one person said, "If you can see the flaws in your own work, you probably have good taste in writing (because you can distinguish good writing from poor), and your skills will eventually catch up with your good taste." Happy writing!
I’ve received many agent passes because they weren’t drawn to the material. In most of those cases, the letter ended with something like “please consider me for your next project.” I always thought it was part of the form rejection letter, but after watching your video, I’m beginning to think it’s not. Is inviting to submit future projects standard in rejection letters?
If they truly didn't like your style of writing, then that element would likely be removed from the query letter--so definitely keep them in mind when you complete other manuscripts!
Hi Alyssa - I've received quite a few rejections that tell me that though my writing/manuscript is "strong," it isn't the right fit for them, though I haven't received any specific critiques as of yet, apart from two who read the full manuscript (mentioned this in another video's comment). Do you know if these would be personalized or form? Hopefully personalized, given that I hope they don't throw out false compliments like that, but you would know more than I would. And if so, should I still have hope in querying, given I'm batting at nearly 80-0 now? Sorry this is so long but I hope you have time to read. Thank you so much for your videos!!
I sent out my first batch and only got one personalized rejection from an agent who specifically mentioned not knowing how to market my novel despite its great concept and writing. Does this mean I'm screwed and have no chance for publication? Would other agents feel differently about a story's marketability?
I don't think so! Agents have personal connections with different editors, so this agent just obviously didn't know the right people to sub your MS to. But another agent might well know the perfect editor to sub to.
This video is pretty helpful. Have you ever thought about making a video on non-native speakers submitting novels to English publishing houses? Cause I happen to be one of them, and I seldom see people speaking about this, which seems odd to me (I can't be the only one, there must be plenty of us!). Apart from "get your manuscript polished but like really carefully", I can't find suggestions of any kind. A literary agent once told me that as long as the agent's website doesn't specify "no authors from abroad pls", I'm fine. Also, what would you think about a rejection that goes like this: "I've reviewed your submission with [the agent] and I'm sorry to report that we aren't wholeheartedly connecting with your work, despite its many charms. We hope you find someone who is passionate about your project and confident in their ability to position it." It is kind enough to sound like a personalised rejection, yet I don't understand the point of letting me know that the agent's assistant brought the novel to the attention of the actual agent. Also, they said "position it", so I gather that perhaps they found the plot... too complex? The synopsis was too abstruse and maybe... scared them?
I have a video on publishing internationally here!: ua-cam.com/video/K2U3KFXTkFk/v-deo.html Plus, if you're interested, one of the questions I answer in this video addresses writing as a non-native English speaker: ua-cam.com/video/Zz-Y4-ALb_0/v-deo.html As for the rejection, it does sound more like a form rejection letter, as they don't offer specific comments on what they liked/disliked (which could include language like "I enjoyed the MC's narrative voice, but found the LI's characterization to be lacking.") The specification that the assistant brought it to the agent could just be their way of letting you know that it wasn't just rejected immediately, but that the agent as well read your query!
I’ve had so many non responses that I’m on the verge of quitting. I’ve sent in one last query and I’ve decided that this is my last one. I’ve tried everything. I’ve taken the advice that Alyssa has given such as personalising the query letter and I’ve used key words that I’ve pulled from the agent profile, I’ve changed the concept, the execution, I’ve changed the synopsis, this book has changed my personality for the better and I’m still getting non responses. This has left me broken, but at the end of the day these clowns who are not responding don’t know what they are missing out on and it’s their loss.
I start my journey for querying since 2020. I send in 4 agencies and the one was rude but the orhers Three answer me with the first example. It suprise me that they answer actually because I knew well ihow difficult to find agent in market If you are new writer. Bur i apreciate it and i keep try. I send a lot in the next one this agent who reject me i aske her some tips how She treat this Author that she add in her list. I Take her advices and i send i. Other agents. It beautiful to see how this progress of querying can make u learning things and make u stronger until you find the right match agent for u.
Yes, ideally when you find an agent who offers you representation, it's because you have a query letter that has been tweaked to perfection! Best of luck :)
@@AlyssaMatesic Thank You Alyssa. Its good for writers to see the twio sides. If the agent want to love the progress. We should do it too like writers.
If it's been more than a few weeks, I would recommend sending a follow up email within the same email thread just to remind the agent--sometimes things get lost, so it doesn't hurt to remind them!
I've recently had the and responses, which are both MUCH better than boiler-plate rejections. One interesting note: both responses came very soon after I sent the agent my manuscript. I think this is the biggest compliment of all, in many ways. If the agent responds very quickly then I think the writer is doing almost everything right. The only thing missing is that last 5% of improvement, or luck.
After reading on line and on seeing videos that it was incredibly difficult to get an agent and was akin to winning the lottery I actually did sign with an agent for my first novel. It was the 31st agency I'd queried, a NYC agency that is well established. So I thought I was in, I was actually going to publish my novel! Then the agent couldn't find a publisher after sending my manuscript to 21 of them and he told me pretty abruptly that he had to move on. He did say he'd be interested in looking at my next project though, so I suppose that's something...I haven't sent him anything new yet. I guess my point is that even if you do manage to sign with an agent, which in itself is very difficult, it doesn't guarantee anything, that was a crushing realization for me. Not to mention that I now have this manuscript that I think is good and an agent thought was good sitting abandoned on my desktop because I just assume that no other agent is going to be interested in it after one agent already queried it to so many publishers without success. I also noticed during my query process that the number of agents who didn't respond at all outnumbered the ones who did. Writing is not for the faint of heart. Sorry, this was a bit off topic. Thanks for the video though, it was very useful.
This is a really unfortunate but somewhat common story in the industry, and I'm really sorry that it happened to you! I will say, don't be too scared to requery that story of yours, as the market is constantly changing--something that couldn't sell in 2012 might be a big hit in 2017! I'm glad this video helped, and I wish you the best of luck on your future projects!
@@AlyssaMatesic Thanks so much for you response and your advice. I'm not sure about the ethical conundrum of mentioning the manuscripts history to agents in future queries but I'll figure it out and I will take your advice and give it another shot. Thanks again!
Thanks for the insight for first-timers. An agent's rejection can't compare to that hottie in college that kissed you once, then walked away, and later begged you to marry them. I received my first rejection this AM, within 24 hours of submission. Little does she know that she's made it to my Xmas card list for not dragging her feet. My kind of girl.
Would the sentence “SPLASH! has a fun premise and I enjoyed reading your text” be a part of a form rejection or is it personalized? “Thank you so much for thinking of me. SPLASH! has a fun premise, and I enjoyed reading your text. Unfortunately, it's not the right fit for my list at this time, and so I am going to step aside for now.”
My experience, and the experience of most fellow writers, is that you just don't get a response from most agents. It's rejection by default. This means the ones who always say they respond to all queries also. Sorry, most agents just really don't care
Hi, so does this mean my query is good, but she's not use to the subject? Hi (Author) - Thank you so much for contacting me about representation. Unfortunately, I don’t think your book would be quite right for my list at this time. Publishing is very subjective, of course, and I’m sure another agent will feel differently. Thank you for thinking of ( agent ). I wish you all the best of luck with this project. Best wishes, (agent)
What does it mean? “Thank you for giving us an opportunity to consider your work. I’m sorry to say we don’t believe we’d be successful in placing this novel in today’s highly competitive market.” Not up to a standard?
Hey Alyssa, I have gotten all three types that you mention here. Here is my analogy: it is like being back in high school and needing a date for prom, but you have no idea what this person really likes or wants, and their replies are pretty cryptic. One comment that gets under my skin on form letters says something like, "please know that I am very particular about what I will accept..." I know they are trying to say that they are very selective, so don't sweat the rejection, but I find this reply offensive because it states that your personal work doesn't measure up. I also find it hard to believe that a form letter is faster than a one-sentence rejection letter. One last thing I would point out is the rejection letter must be written in such a way to douse any hope that you will resubmit this work to the agent. The phrasing is done to make sure you understand that this is the final no. I don't know this for sure, but that is what I think the motivation is. It stops the author from thinking: if I made my character less melodramatic, could I resubmit? I think this is another reason they limit any critiquing in their replies. Nice video though. Thanks for your time to make all of these.
Send two manuscripts from two different emails, (with different VPN's phone, etc) and see if you get rejection letters at the same time, chances are their submissions program is set to automatic, and you will probably get the same letter.
I've received all three responses mentioned in the video...but I've also received a fourth and fifth kind of response. The forth I was told my voice was strong and then the agent made a pass at me. The date we went on was a nightmare from HELL! (Disclaimer which part above is true?)
I once had an agent say they "didn't connect with my writing style" which instantly had me like "well what about my style does this dude not like?" It drove me nuts for a while until I thought about all my beta readers who did like the "style" (voice/narration or whatever) and so, I guess that agent just didn't, and that's ok! There's a ton of popular authors who write in "styles" I don't like. It was nice enough they gave feedback at all, I just wish it was something more concrete/specific.
Yes! It's good to remember that a rejection is just one agent's subjective thoughts--not necessarily a death knell for your project. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for making this video! This is perfect timing for me. Im currently querying agents and have gotten both forms of rejection. One reply jumped out to me as a personal rejection because the agent explained that she didn't love the opening chapters as she would like (which I'm totally fine with, I can fix that). I noticed that same agent also said "they are stepping aside." A few agents also said something similar along those lines.
It always stings to get a no, but getting some personalized replies lessens the blow. Good luck to other querying writers!
Thank you for sharing your querying journey!
So happy to have found your videos. The way you break things down is perfect for my attention span and you answer all of the questions going through my head whole watching! I recently received a rejection that said "I'm sure another agent will snap this up soon." I didn't quite know what to make of that. But the agent's letter did contain wording from one of your examples. Thank you again for this video, I'm grateful for this resource.
Great post. I'm just starting my querying journey and the first agent who rejected me actually took the time to add a personal note. He said my writing was strong and the story was compelling but he just wasn't passionate enough to move forward with the work. Even though it stung, I was encouraged by his positive comments.
Out of the 55 rejections I got on my last manuscript’s round of queries, there was a huge variety in phrasing and sifting through for anything of value was a nightmare.
That being said, applying feedback I got from an agent made my prose actively worse, so there’s certainly something to be said for relaxing into the process when you know you have what you want to present. It really is a subjective industry!
Never mind anything else, Alyssa!! 9.93K SO NEAR to 10,000 Subscribers!! good luck in getting to the milestone. You deserve it! Thanks for your help and advice in all the videos. M
Haha thank you! I definitely couldn't have done it without this awesome community and everyone's support! Thanks for the kind comment :)
Thank you for an excellent video!
I recently got a VERY helpful rejection, where they said I was doing too much "telling" in my first chapter. They were absolutely right! I reviewed that chapter and highlighted all the parts where it was going outside of the actual scene and talking about the MC, her home state, her parents, her cousin's peculiarities ... I removed it all, and it flowed much better. Then I added a little back, just to give some details. I think it's a much stronger opening to the story now.
Mind you, I have gotten many responses that were essentially, "Thanks but not a good fit." Fine. I get it. Even though, as you said, I did do my research and sent it to that agent BECAUSE it seemed like it would be a good fit. But it's all subjective and personal. You have to keep pressing on.
My first small batch of queries went out, over a one month period, beginning in mid-March. To date, no replies. Very glad I you posted this informative video though. Knowing what to expect and how to interpret responses will be very helpful if, or when, they arrive. Thanks again. My sense of anticipation continues to rise. Hoping for any response at all. : )
Best of luck!
@@AlyssaMatesic Thank you! : )
I've been querying for years now. Onto my third book and I've received all of these types of rejections, but still haven't gotten a request for a manuscript. I did like some of the personal rejections though, really helped me clean up my dialogue and blocking in two of my earlier books.
Most of my rejections are form. Not a fit or didn't connect. I can understand it. You are so right; it is like dating. They have to feel the passion for what you are writing. There are many great books out there that I am not passionate about, so it's not surprising that an agent would not be passionate about my writing, even though I am. Subjective rejections are not objective assessments of your writing. I learned long ago, if you are going to be a writer, you need to keep your ego in check.
Exactly!
Thank you so much! I've received all the rejections you mentioned but here's a personalized one I received after a full request in case someone else finds it useful:
"Thank you for sending me the manuscript, I so appreciate the opportunity to consider the novel. There's a lot to admire here, the world building in particular, but unfortunately as I read I didn't feel the story to be as propulsive as it could be. The early chapters in particular felt like the remnants of you writing your way into the world, and I didn't feel they were there, necessarily, for me, the reader. Is there a way to get more quickly to your inciting event? Similarly, 98k words is long for a novel (80k being about average), and at that length I'd want to feel that every word was earned and necessary. It did feel like there might be more cutting to be done here. So all that said, I'm going to pass, again with gratitude at having seen it. Wishing you the very best in finding the right rep for your work."
I'm so sorry the agent passed, but that is some GREAT feedback! Good luck!
@@ArtemisMS it really was! I spent the next month revising my ms as per their suggestions!!
Wow, thanks for sharing this response!
Noted. Thanks for the heads-up and on how to go about it-should you get rejections.
Glad it was helpful!
I'm now up to 6 full requests and 4 of those have turned into rejections.
What sucks is, I've received no feedback other than a stock answer along the lines of "loved the work...can't offer representation" or "enjoyed the read...can't see an editorial vision" 😪
How do I interpret this?
Thank you for this! Looking forward to the slew of rejections before the year is out! 😅
You got this!
Thank you for this episode. It provided a clue to the personalized rejections I've received. I've been encouraged that almost 40% of the rejections were personalized. Of those, about 60% referenced time in some fashion -- my topic is breathtaking in its scope. But that's NOT what they were pointing at. I made it sound too complicated, i.e., time-consuming, for the agent to feel confident about representing the work.. My focus must be raising the agent's confidence that they know how to make my material a success.
That's not an obvious conclusion based upon the actual words, but I'm quite sure that's the intent of them.
That's a great ratio of personalized feedback to form rejections! Best of luck!
Thanks for doing what you do Alyssa 👍
Thanks for the kind comment!
@@AlyssaMatesic thank you for your kind content, it's really helpful!
I've literally ONLY gotten form rejections, with one SLIGHT personalization once: the agent mentioning it was my pages instead of the query that she didn't connect with (the other version of her form rejection mentioned "pitch" instead of "pages). I've also gotten a partial that resulted in a form rejection, and currently have a full out! 🤞 Because of the agent who mentioned my pages, I actually rewrote my first chapter. However, the full request came from an agent who had read my ORIGINAL first chapter...
It's truly wild out there, y'all. And it really, really does come down to personal taste.
It really does! Thanks for sharing!
Am querying, so this is just what I needed!
Thank you for all your vids! They're fabulous! 🙂
Glad you like them!
Finally had a chance watching this video.
Only one agent was a bit personal but no solid reason as to why she rejected it besides the typical 'cant connect with it'.
Still a few more to come up before I tackle the next one. Decided to do it in short bursts. Giving me a chance to formulate my letter more in hope this will get a response.
Short bursts definitely allow to have more control over fine-tuning your query package! Best of luck with the next round!
How does your self-assessment quiz work? It's only an endless link to the same page, with a prompt to sign up for the news letter.
This one is going to need my full attention, so I saved it to watch later 😎 love the show
Great topic. I just discovered your channel, Alyssa. Curious, how does everyone keep track of all their contacts with agents? Spreadsheets, paper and pencil?
Topic proposal for Alyssa. What's your opinion of using sites like Upwork, Fiverr, etc. to find editors?
I use (paid) Query Tracker and I also keep a Word file :)
@@ArtemisMS thanks
If an agent says the piece isn't as strong as they hoped in order to champion it but invites you to query future projects to them, is it personalized, a form or both?
What if the agents respond with ‘not a good fit for me, but keep writing.’ What does that mean? Do they actually think you have potential, or is it a stock rejection couched to lessen the blow of the no?
Based on my experience, it's a form rejection.
"Keeping Writing" is always a realistic, helpful answer because writing is essentially developmental in nature. William Goldman (Princess Bride, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid author) said that he showed NO SIGNS of talent, even as an editor of his college literary magazine. You never know when you will catch lightning in a bottle. Or, as one person said, "If you can see the flaws in your own work, you probably have good taste in writing (because you can distinguish good writing from poor), and your skills will eventually catch up with your good taste." Happy writing!
I was once rejected by a dead guy. Pretty standard form letter with a sentence at the bottom stating the agent had died.
Me too!
@@maxstravagar weird, isn't it?
@@elizabethmcglothlin5406 yeap!
Probably he had a weak heart.
@@vidyashankariyer7336 what a way to go.
I’ve received many agent passes because they weren’t drawn to the material. In most of those cases, the letter ended with something like “please consider me for your next project.” I always thought it was part of the form rejection letter, but after watching your video, I’m beginning to think it’s not. Is inviting to submit future projects standard in rejection letters?
If they truly didn't like your style of writing, then that element would likely be removed from the query letter--so definitely keep them in mind when you complete other manuscripts!
What do you do when the rejection is they already have a similar author on their list? Is that a brush off rejection?
Hi Alyssa - I've received quite a few rejections that tell me that though my writing/manuscript is "strong," it isn't the right fit for them, though I haven't received any specific critiques as of yet, apart from two who read the full manuscript (mentioned this in another video's comment). Do you know if these would be personalized or form? Hopefully personalized, given that I hope they don't throw out false compliments like that, but you would know more than I would. And if so, should I still have hope in querying, given I'm batting at nearly 80-0 now? Sorry this is so long but I hope you have time to read. Thank you so much for your videos!!
My last rejection letter said that she highly considered my manuscript but ultimately felt like she “couldn’t sell it in this market.” 😩
I sent out my first batch and only got one personalized rejection from an agent who specifically mentioned not knowing how to market my novel despite its great concept and writing. Does this mean I'm screwed and have no chance for publication? Would other agents feel differently about a story's marketability?
I don't think so! Agents have personal connections with different editors, so this agent just obviously didn't know the right people to sub your MS to. But another agent might well know the perfect editor to sub to.
It’s such a random process. It means keep on writing. Lol
This video is pretty helpful. Have you ever thought about making a video on non-native speakers submitting novels to English publishing houses? Cause I happen to be one of them, and I seldom see people speaking about this, which seems odd to me (I can't be the only one, there must be plenty of us!). Apart from "get your manuscript polished but like really carefully", I can't find suggestions of any kind. A literary agent once told me that as long as the agent's website doesn't specify "no authors from abroad pls", I'm fine.
Also, what would you think about a rejection that goes like this:
"I've reviewed your submission with [the agent] and I'm sorry to report that we aren't wholeheartedly connecting with your work, despite its many charms. We hope you find someone who is passionate about your project and confident in their ability to position it."
It is kind enough to sound like a personalised rejection, yet I don't understand the point of letting me know that the agent's assistant brought the novel to the attention of the actual agent. Also, they said "position it", so I gather that perhaps they found the plot... too complex? The synopsis was too abstruse and maybe... scared them?
I have a video on publishing internationally here!: ua-cam.com/video/K2U3KFXTkFk/v-deo.html
Plus, if you're interested, one of the questions I answer in this video addresses writing as a non-native English speaker: ua-cam.com/video/Zz-Y4-ALb_0/v-deo.html
As for the rejection, it does sound more like a form rejection letter, as they don't offer specific comments on what they liked/disliked (which could include language like "I enjoyed the MC's narrative voice, but found the LI's characterization to be lacking.") The specification that the assistant brought it to the agent could just be their way of letting you know that it wasn't just rejected immediately, but that the agent as well read your query!
I’ve had so many non responses that I’m on the verge of quitting. I’ve sent in one last query and I’ve decided that this is my last one. I’ve tried everything. I’ve taken the advice that Alyssa has given such as personalising the query letter and I’ve used key words that I’ve pulled from the agent profile, I’ve changed the concept, the execution, I’ve changed the synopsis, this book has changed my personality for the better and I’m still getting non responses. This has left me broken, but at the end of the day these clowns who are not responding don’t know what they are missing out on and it’s their loss.
I am curious about agent rejections to non- fiction, self- help, and educational manuscripts.
Started my querying process and have gotten mostly personalized rejections and a partial request. I hope I'm doing something right 😩
Rejections are a part of the process! Congrats on getting your work out there and best of luck as you continue querying :)
I start my journey for querying since 2020. I send in 4 agencies and the one was rude but the orhers Three answer me with the first example. It suprise me that they answer actually because I knew well ihow difficult to find agent in market If you are new writer. Bur i apreciate it and i keep try. I send a lot in the next one this agent who reject me i aske her some tips how She treat this Author that she add in her list. I Take her advices and i send i. Other agents. It beautiful to see how this progress of querying can make u learning things and make u stronger until you find the right match agent for u.
Yes, ideally when you find an agent who offers you representation, it's because you have a query letter that has been tweaked to perfection! Best of luck :)
@@AlyssaMatesic Thank You Alyssa. Its good for writers to see the twio sides. If the agent want to love the progress. We should do it too like writers.
I got one asking for the full manuscript and she would get back to me the following week. I sent the manuscript but heard nothing back???
If it's been more than a few weeks, I would recommend sending a follow up email within the same email thread just to remind the agent--sometimes things get lost, so it doesn't hurt to remind them!
I've recently had the and responses, which are both MUCH better than boiler-plate rejections. One interesting note: both responses came very soon after I sent the agent my manuscript. I think this is the biggest compliment of all, in many ways. If the agent responds very quickly then I think the writer is doing almost everything right. The only thing missing is that last 5% of improvement, or luck.
It definitely sounds like you're on the right path! Best of luck!
After reading on line and on seeing videos that it was incredibly difficult to get an agent and was akin to winning the lottery I actually did sign with an agent for my first novel. It was the 31st agency I'd queried, a NYC agency that is well established. So I thought I was in, I was actually going to publish my novel! Then the agent couldn't find a publisher after sending my manuscript to 21 of them and he told me pretty abruptly that he had to move on. He did say he'd be interested in looking at my next project though, so I suppose that's something...I haven't sent him anything new yet.
I guess my point is that even if you do manage to sign with an agent, which in itself is very difficult, it doesn't guarantee anything, that was a crushing realization for me.
Not to mention that I now have this manuscript that I think is good and an agent thought was good sitting abandoned on my desktop because I just assume that no other agent is going to be interested in it after one agent already queried it to so many publishers without success. I also noticed during my query process that the number of agents who didn't respond at all outnumbered the ones who did. Writing is not for the faint of heart.
Sorry, this was a bit off topic. Thanks for the video though, it was very useful.
This is a really unfortunate but somewhat common story in the industry, and I'm really sorry that it happened to you! I will say, don't be too scared to requery that story of yours, as the market is constantly changing--something that couldn't sell in 2012 might be a big hit in 2017! I'm glad this video helped, and I wish you the best of luck on your future projects!
@@AlyssaMatesic Thanks so much for you response and your advice. I'm not sure about the ethical conundrum of mentioning the manuscripts history to agents in future queries but I'll figure it out and I will take your advice and give it another shot. Thanks again!
Thanks for the insight for first-timers. An agent's rejection can't compare to that hottie in college that kissed you once, then walked away, and later begged you to marry them. I received my first rejection this AM, within 24 hours of submission. Little does she know that she's made it to my Xmas card list for not dragging her feet. My kind of girl.
Thanks
Would the sentence “SPLASH! has a fun premise and I enjoyed reading your text” be a part of a form rejection or is it personalized?
“Thank you so much for thinking of me. SPLASH! has a fun premise, and I enjoyed reading your text. Unfortunately, it's not the right fit for my list at this time, and so I am going to step aside for now.”
My experience, and the experience of most fellow writers, is that you just don't get a response from most agents. It's rejection by default. This means the ones who always say they respond to all queries also. Sorry, most agents just really don't care
Hi, so does this mean my query is good, but she's not use to the subject?
Hi (Author) - Thank you so much for contacting me about representation. Unfortunately, I don’t think your book would be quite right for my list at this time. Publishing is very subjective, of course, and I’m sure another agent will feel differently. Thank you for thinking of ( agent ). I wish you all the best of luck with this project.
Best wishes,
(agent)
This is the type rejection I’ve been getting. I can’t criticize please keep querying. I have a full list of authors I’m super picky but best of luck.
What does this mean? "However, while there is a lot to be commended, I didn't have a clear editorial vision for the project..." Thank you!
What does it mean? “Thank you for giving us an opportunity to consider your work. I’m sorry to say we don’t believe we’d be successful in placing this novel in today’s highly competitive market.” Not up to a standard?
Hey Alyssa, I have gotten all three types that you mention here. Here is my analogy: it is like being back in high school and needing a date for prom, but you have no idea what this person really likes or wants, and their replies are pretty cryptic. One comment that gets under my skin on form letters says something like, "please know that I am very particular about what I will accept..." I know they are trying to say that they are very selective, so don't sweat the rejection, but I find this reply offensive because it states that your personal work doesn't measure up. I also find it hard to believe that a form letter is faster than a one-sentence rejection letter.
One last thing I would point out is the rejection letter must be written in such a way to douse any hope that you will resubmit this work to the agent. The phrasing is done to make sure you understand that this is the final no. I don't know this for sure, but that is what I think the motivation is. It stops the author from thinking: if I made my character less melodramatic, could I resubmit? I think this is another reason they limit any critiquing in their replies.
Nice video though. Thanks for your time to make all of these.
Send two manuscripts from two different emails, (with different VPN's phone, etc) and see if you get rejection letters at the same time, chances are their submissions program is set to automatic, and you will probably get the same letter.
OMG is your doggie dead...did it jumped out the window?
I've received all three responses mentioned in the video...but I've also received a fourth and fifth kind of response. The forth I was told my voice was strong and then the agent made a pass at me. The date we went on was a nightmare from HELL!
(Disclaimer which part above is true?)