At my office, we make every effort to respond to serious queries and proposals. Now, maybe the manufacturer of metal pins based in another country is serious, but we send those emails to the trash bin. Or more accurately, the image of a trash bin on the computer. At least that trash bin doesn’t require Hefty citrus-scented trash bags and is in no danger of attracting hungry bears. And by the way, I’ll never understand how or why the metal pin manufacturer found us, or why they think we’re in the market for such an item, since we construct books, not houses.
But I digress.
I HATE Writing…
My least favorite to write is always a rejection letter. Sending declines even for wildly unsuitable submissions is painful, because that author is trying.
Some authors ask for more feedback, but we don’t offer additional input on a firm decline. Why? Because another agent may LOVE what the author has written exactly as it appears and knows an editor asking for that type of project.
If you’re getting rejection letters, persevere and consider any feedback, even if you don’t agree. You can choose to incorporate feedback, keep trying other agents, or both.
And by the way? When an agent does offer advice, follow up because the back and forth may lead to an agreement for you to work together.
I LOVE Writing…
My favorite letters to write are pitch letters. I relish the chance to praise my clients. I can go on forever about how their writing is prize-worthy, and how wonderful they are as people and professionals. I’m just a bit partial, but I think my writers have the sweetest and most beautiful spirits in the industry.
Writing letters of praise may sound superfluous, but think about Proverbs 27:2:
Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips. (KJV)
My letters to editors on behalf of my writers show I support them and that I have every faith and confidence that the publisher will be successful with their work. After all, I signed the author. An agented author has shown the ability to garner an agent’s confidence. The author doesn’t have to say the equivalent of “I’m the best ever!” because we can instead!
Your turn: What’s the best feedback you’ve received? The kindest rejection letter?
Ask a Literary Agent: Writing Q&A With Steve Laube – Free Webinar, May 13th
The best rejection letter I received was from an agent who gently told me that she loved my characters and my writing style, but that she could not tell whose story it was because of the many points of view characters used. She was spot on! I took her criticism to heart because I was coming from journalism to fiction–fully using point of view was not in my skill set. I didn’t know my voice, so I wrote a column in a regional monthly magazine about true-life events. Discovering my voice and the power of point of view vastly improved everything I wrote. My deep thanks to Danielle Egan Miller for taking the time to explain her justified rejection.
The best feedback I ever received? Easy. I had contracted my first book on my pet subjects of God and Baseball and how they worked together for His good. With documents signed I went to work completing the manuscript. During the writing I realized my book was becoming something else entirely from what the book proposal promised. Instead of something leaning more theological and somewhat academic, I was now being taken on a guided tour of the places in my life where God had used baseball in my life as a teaching tool, one which eventually brought me to a saving knowledge of Him during the 1986 World Series.
I realized I had to contact my acquisitions editor and relay the bad news. I offered to tear up the contract and return the advance. Instead, this editor gave this first time almost-author the greatest feedback he would ever receive. Seven words.
“Write the best book God gives you.”
I have never forgotten. That advice has become my guiding principle in all I write. The editor’s name?
Fellow by the name of Steve Laube.
I’m not *quite* ready to seek agents yet (aiming for next year) but I’ve gotten feedback from other avenues. The best feedback I’ve received is when I’ve been a finalist in a couple of contests: one for a novella anthology, and one for a flash fiction. Even though I didn’t win, it was extremely encouraging to know I came close, and to get the feedback. I was also very happy when a writer friend asked her teen daughter to beta read my YA portal fantasy novel. Her daughter enjoyed it, while also pointing out areas for improvement, which were mainly pacing issues in the first half that I suspected were there, but I needed an outside perspective to help me pinpoint them. Since teen girls are my target audience for that novel, her thoughts were pure gold to me. She also agreed with my other betas, so I’ve been working to fix the pacing problems.
I’ve also gotten some very kind personal rejections on short stories, saying they really liked the story and naming things they liked and where the weaknesses were. I know these people are extremely busy, so I truly appreciate them taking the time to be specific and encouraging. It helps me improve and endure until I get an acceptance, and I have had three short stories published so far!
The letter (email) I hated writing most was on the death of Butch, a sweet Pittie Puppy, from parvo. His brother Oscar survived.
Butch would leap into my arms, “I love you, Dad, do you love me?”
Yes, Butch. I love you, with all of my shattered heart.
Hi Tamela:
The best feedback I have ever gotten was from a fellow professor who sent me a text at 12:57 am. She said, in part, “Sheri, it is 12:57 am. I picked your book up for a few minutes and couldn’t put it down. It’s almost 1 am and I have to teach tomorrow. Thanks a lot!”
The nicest and most encouraging rejection I received in five years of sending out proposals was from you, Tamela! In the end, it was a rejection, but it never felt like that, and the back and forth and encouragement you gave me along the way – even when you ended up passing on the manuscript – gave me so much hope. Thank you for the care you put into those letters, even when you hate sending them. Your heart for writing and authors really shows ❤️
Any rejection, even a form rejection, would be better than nothing. Although when I say that, it is with the knowledge that there are only so many hours in the day, and, of course, agents can’t always be expected to do this! However, in my experience, I value rejection letters with constructive criticism. Did I step out of close third? Did I use double spaces between sentences, or commit any other outdated grammatical faux pas? Or was the rejection based on deeper issues (theology etc)? All of these are helpful critiques. 🙂
The agent responded to my submission saying I had too many viewpoint characters. She requested I focus on one viewpoint character and save the other viewpoints for a series of novels. She said she’d love to read what I came up with and to resend it when it was finished. I asked how long I had and she responded with “however long it takes.” I spent a year on it and came up with an almost entirely rewritten novel. When I looked to contact her again, I discovered she’d quit the agency and had given up being an agent to focus on her own writing. Very disappointing. However, I thank her for her guidance because that book is so much better than the one I handed to her originally. In fact, it’s been a semi-finalist and finalist in a few writing contests.