Rejection!

[novicescribbler]

John Grisham received 54 rejections from agents for "A Time to Kill". Stephen King says that he had enough rejections to fill two spikes in his bedroom.
What's the record out there on a novel?
I just started sending my ms out to agents and have received four rejections so far. While I am prepared for the long haul, and am ultimately optomistic, I could use some statistical encouragement as the new ones come in.

[Mlou]

Well, that's a favorite topic of discussion here...about the old Catch 22. Agents don't want you if you haven't published and publishers don't want you if you don't have an agent. One of my friends sent her novel out 100 times and finally, reading that they were starting a new imprint where her book might fit, she re-sent it to the first publisher and they took it. She has published 5 in the series since.
HOWEVER that's the good news. The bad news is that most of us are still struggling to find agents who will say anything other than..."A fine manuscript, well written, blah-blah but I just couldn't fall in love with it."

[Delaney]

It's even worse when they never reply. I sent a couple things out to contests last year and I wasn't even worthy of a real rejection.

[xcheck24]

i didnt get a response to my query that i sent LAST SUMMER

[ksuprincess97]

I'm up to thirteen rejections on my novel, but I have started to get some that were actually helpful, not the standard form letters, so I consider that a positive sign.

[charlesp]

that IS a positive sign

[UnCoolDuck]

It's even worse when they never reply. I sent a couple things out to contests last year and I wasn't even worthy of a real rejection.

HaHa--you and me both, Delaney!

[novicescribbler]

I like the idea of a rejection goal. I'm going to steal the 100 rejection idea. Another form letter today. Sigh. At least they are nice about it.

[hyperfine]

Seems I'm always too lazy to send anything out - it's, uh, one way to avoid rejection.

[hyperfine]

Update: In the last 5 minutes I actually printed off something I've been meaning to mail out.

I'm not a hopeless case yet.

[novicescribbler]

Good job.

My writing partner has been in the business longer than I have and she says that we need to bring something that is going out every week. Slave driver. Anyway, it is a positive thing because now that the novel is finished and my brain is on recuperate, I have things 'out there' that I wouldn't normally have sent out, even if one of them is a poem that was pulled out of my archives and fired off just to meet that goal. Sending the novel out to a different agent counts.

We also have a chocolate prize (Lindt of course) for the person with the most rejections in a week. Form letters count double and acceptances count against you. I am working on magazine articles to meet the weekly goal, which is forcing me to keep my brain from going into hibernation when I pick up the mail. She's a wise woman. Her favorite saying is "Ass in chair".

Patrick McManus said that when he started writing he set a goal of a couple of hours a night (he worked during the day) and he made a pact with himself that whatever he wrote would be sent out. He's a writer that had his start in the fishing/hunting magazines. He found a humor market when he found himself with an extra hour until his time was up, spent it writing a short piece, and then fired it off because he had to.

[charlesp]

i LIKE this chocolate prize for most rejections in a week... it's BRILLIANT, you can't get the rejections if you don't send them out, so you HAVE to send out. And if you send them out you can't complain if you get an acceptance... love this idea.

[calico]

heyyyy.... got my first rejection letter yesterday. i laughed.

stupid fools can't recognize pure genius.

[charlesp]

the FOOLS!! quick, somebody get Calico some chocolate

[calico]

the FOOLS!! quick, somebody get Calico some chocolate

lol, like i'd need a reason...

[Hyker]

Patrick McManus said that when he started writing he set a goal of a couple of hours a night (he worked during the day) and he made a pact with himself that whatever he wrote would be sent out. He's a writer that had his start in the fishing/hunting magazines. He found a humor market when he found himself with an extra hour until his time was up, spent it writing a short piece, and then fired it off because he had to.

So are you a P. Mcmanus fan and member of The Rancid Crabtree
Fly-Fishing & Filosofical Society? Or did you just read his book on writing? What is your genre?

Sorry I haven't been around to welcome you to WT...life intervenes.

[charlesp]

wow... Hyker's here! Hiya Hyker!

I was thinking of James McManus when you mentioned PM... totally different author (wrote a book on poker and murder... interesting if overly referential book)... never read PM.

[hyperfine]

I could go for some chocolate. That scheme is pure genius.

[novicescribbler]

So are you a P. Mcmanus fan and member of The Rancid Crabtree
Fly-Fishing & Filosofical Society? Or did you just read his book on writing? What is your genre?

I am actually related to a lot of people who resemble Rancid Crabtree and I married Retch Sweeney.

My genre is mystery. I have finished the first novel and am making the rounds with it. Now I have to decide whether to:
- write the sequel
- write the next book with a new detective, in case the first one doesn't sell.
- write the next book introducing my detective as though he's new on the block, in case the first book doesn't sell

The sequel is 20,000 words in but I haven't touched it in a month since I have no focus for it. And I'm lazy. And Law and Order was on. And there was a sale on at WALMart. And Retch needed his dinner.

[Peabody]

Hey, another mystery writer! Just when I was starting to think we were a dying breed... I guess I should start reading the introductions forum.

Is your detective a PI or a police detective? Man or woman? Just curious. I like the amateur sleuths myself. Too much realism is depressing.

Let's see if I can beat your list of excuses: My six year old just said "I'm hungry!" even though he just ate breakfast; my 8 year old is sick; I'm getting my 8 year old's virus; if I don't pay my bills pretty soon the phone and/or electricity will be cut off; my current story has too much of my real life in it and I can't think of how to extract it. Okay, let's call it a tie.

[wtrbby]

Just when I thought the rejections slowly coming in the mail one by one were bad enough, I'm now getting them rapid-fire via email... AAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!

[novicescribbler]

I'll just take a peek at my email.

[pierangeli]

During my agent search, I have received 17 variations of "not for us" and 2 positive responses. One was from an agent who doesn't even deal in my genre (despite what my research said) but e-mailed that she liked my first 50 and to send it to her daughter (also an agent). The other surprised me. It was this bizarre query I sent out totally in the pov of my mc and even signed Her Name/My Name...just to see what would happen. I suppose if you're weird enough, you'll attract *someone's* attention

Last night, a good friend of mine actually told me that she received a rejection from the Estate of a dead agent...he was dead, the agency was still alive, but still, rejection. At least all of my rejections have been from live agents.

I keep a minimum 35 query letters/synopsis/manuscripts in the mail every month. It's really hard to feel too heartbroken about one rejection when you know there's 34 more to go.

[pengwenn]

Ouch! At least you're sending stuff out. Good for you.

[charlesp]

I keep a minimum 35 query letters/synopsis/manuscripts in the mail every month. It's really hard to feel too heartbroken about one rejection when you know there's 34 more to go.

that's both amazingly gutsy and depressing... I applaud your tenacity