Rejections

I have noticed some things about my rejections.

So far, I have only queried via e-mail. I have a response in about half the queries I have sent, and all of those came within two business days of being sent. Regardless of what the agent says on their website, I now assume that if I don't hear back within three business days, I won't hear back at all.

But judging from the responses, I noticed something else. None of them turned me down because the writing was bad or the plot was dreadful or the narrative made no sense.

One said, "Unfortunately you've caught me at a time when the demands of my current clients leave me with very little time to devote to developing new talent." Another said, "Due to the high quantity of query letters I receive, I must be highly selective in requesting further materials to read. Unfortunately, I¹m afraid I must decline on this project right now, but I do want to encourage you to continue submitting."

I am not getting responses that say that I or my writing is crap.

Perhaps people are just being polite. After all, half the agents don't respond at all. But I'd like to think that the value of my work is getting some consideration and that it does have some value. There are countless reasons to reject someone's work other than its writing.

So, keep the faith. I know I am.

Thanks for reading and keep writing.