Since I started querying agents who take my genre last Thursday, I’ve had requests come sandwiched by rejections: rejection, partial request, rejection, full request, rejection.
Unlikely as it may be, I’m hoping the trend continues, because that ratio would be pretty darn good.
As you’d expect, the requests made me feel like the Success Kid (see the meme I’m sticking in this post), but the rejection letters reminded me I’m not an adorable toddler with sand on his chubby fist. Rather, I’m an adult with a novel that, statistically speaking, has a very low chance of landing an agent. So, I sent off the partial and full manuscript as requested, but I’m trying to stay grounded by focusing on my “day job” and continuing my efforts to polish my manuscript.
By polishing, I mean going at it with a power sander. My word count when I sent my queries last Thursday was 82,000. It’s now 79,000. It’s surprising how much more streamlining I can do while working on a tenth draft. I didn’t think the word count fluctuations mentioned in my fist-ever blog post would stay true for so long—above 80k, below 80k, and repeat.
It’s almost time to cry like Peter Parker.
Congratulations! And best of luck to you! 🙂
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Thanks-
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Fingers crossed for you!
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Thanks!
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Congratulations!
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Thank you~
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I feel like you must go on 9gag… Such memes, so wow
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Success Kid demands to be seen.
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Way to go. Congratulations. Just a tip though, if you are talking with an agent maybe don’t mention how badly you want to have Jesse Pinkman’s baby. Things might get awkward.
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Only if he gets clean.
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Poor thing. You know that’s never going to happen.
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Congratulations! And who cares about statistics? Publishers want to publish good stories, and I’m sure yours is one of the ones they’ll want. 🙂
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Wait, it has to be good? Why didn’t anyone tell me?
Time to go Peter Parker it up.
Oh, and thanks!
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Congrats!
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Thank you!
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Good luck! That IS a good response rate. You must have researched the agents well.
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Thanks. I look up agents who represent my genre and look over their website. Then I may or may not check out their blog and/or twitter. Good times.
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An Abraham Lincoln in a writing field.
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Because I have an awesome hat?
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Probably, but losing the little to win the more.
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Fingers crossed for you 🙂
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Thank you–
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All the best!
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Thanks!
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Wow, a full and a partial in your first five responses! Very well done, A.D. But we know you work very hard and you’ve got the approach of a true professional. I think you’ve got a good shot at this 🙂
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Thanks. Now I’m just worried my manuscript doesn’t deliver. I’m thinking it’s a bit saggy in the middle, so I’m working on that now.
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OHOHOHO!
Congrats on the requests! I just have one other thing to say, Be careful on how you edit your query ( I know you probably are but mneh.). I’m going to be honest and say I know nothing about query’s BUT I do know how editing down a description of a big piece of work, the tone of the query might not match the actual content of the story.
I only use this one reference I have; I had to write this massive essay of 15 pages (not double spaced ) and before the actual write up – give in a basic summary. My summary was amazing the professor said; yet the essay was just subpar.
I think I said something somewhat insightful; I want a cookie now.
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The tone of my query matches my manuscript, I think. However, I’m not so sure about the quality of my manuscript living up to the expectations my query creates. Hence, the polishing.
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You’re so much further along than most. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you.
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I’ll see about having the road repaved for you.
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I say go ahead and feel like the success kid for at least a day or two. Congratulations on this good start.
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Thanks. I’m not sure I felt that way for even that long. I’ll try to have a belated Success Kid Day in the future.
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Good for you!!! Sounds auspicious 😀 After reading your “about” I am wondering if you homeschooled or unschooled as a child? Just curious (or nosy). My youngest, now 20 and in college, was unschooled. My older three sons went to public school.
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Thank you. I’m a product of public education and too much television. All of my international travels occurred when I could legally purchase alcohol, so I wasn’t a military kid or anything like that (though that sounds like it would’ve been cool; I probably would be an awesome JAG now if that were the case).
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JAG = ??
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Judge Advocate General. Military lawyer.
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Loving your modesty and sense of humor. I understand about separating your lawyer self from your writer self because your lawyer self, of course, could never live with a fiction! Best of luck with those queries!
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Thanks.
My writer self definitely made it hard to write properly for law exams.
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Good luck with the agents. You know, you can tell us about the most horrible ones here, it’s not like they’ll ever read this, but if they did, this could be your revenge. I was reading your “major influences” by the way and, boy, are they light hearted. If I wrote down my major influences it would seem like I just climbed up from hell.
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I haven’t experienced any agents being horrible yet–thank goodness for that.
And, yeah, even when I do watch (or write) heavy topics, I like it sandwiched with humor.
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Congratulations! =)
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Thanks. 🙂
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That sounds like a great response rate to me! I’ve queried over 60 agents this round so far, and I’ve gotten 4 requests. Good luck!
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I’ll be praying for you. Don’t give up.
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It’s helpful to read about others going through this process I’m just beginning and realizing I probably still have a lot of editing to do. I enjoy science fiction and look forward to reading your book some day. Thanks for following “Anything is Possible.”
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