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The Steve Laube Agency

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The Steve Laube Agency

The Steve Laube Agency

Helping to Change the World Word by Word

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Home » Rejection

Rejection

Why Does It Take Editors and Agents So Long to Read My Proposal?

By Steve Laubeon October 28, 2024
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Recently, a writer posted this question:

I submitted a proposal to a publisher 6 months ago. The guidelines said that a response would be provided at the end of 4 months. At the end of 5 months I sent an email query to confirm that they had actually received the submission–still no response. Now I am at the end of 6 months.…Do I give up?

I wish I had a magic wand to solve this problem for every writer.

Outnumbered

The simplest answer is that the agents and the editors are outnumbered by the amount of writers who want their manuscripts to be considered. I’ve written about the stats before, but agents can get a couple thousand submissions every year. And it only got worse when email became a cheap way to contact an agent or an editor.

“But it only takes a couple minutes to read mine,” cries the writer.  That may be true; but when the queue is backed up and there are 100-200 things to look at, the task can seem enormous.

Don’t forget that both an agent’s and an editor’s first priority is with their clients or their contracted authors. Those proposals and conversations are always going to be reviewed first. They are top priority, every time.

The Evaluation Process

I try to set aside time to go through the unsolicited pile. It isn’t “scheduled” per se, but happens when there is a lull in the otherwise chaotic week. (Often it will be on a weekend.) But when I do, I’m moving very fast, especially with email submissions. Poorly written cover letters, clichéd ideas, badly written manuscripts, and the bewildering ones are going to be eliminated fairly easy.

It is the ones that are “okay” or “interesting” that get me to slow down. As I’ve said, I see a lot of really good proposals. But I can only get behind the great ones. That is a wholly subjective decision. And it is not infallible.

Angry Writers

The hardest thing is deciding how to reply to the ones for which I have no interest. What few realize is that there are writers who take offense to a “no thank you,” no matter how gently it is written. I get vicious and hateful replies in return. Ad hominem attacks that can be shocking. I’ve had people call and scream at me on the phone saying awful things. I’ve received letters or emails claiming everything from my obvious lack of intelligence, to my entrenched greed, to my even more obvious lack of spiritual character. (Spawn of Satan?)

Or when I attempt to give a short tip or piece of advice, I get a reply that argues with my advice.

After a while, it can wear on the agent or editor, who think, Why bother? (Yes, even agents “argue” with an editor when receiving a rejection letter too! But at least we normally don’t yell.)

The default is to simply not reply at all. It is unfortunate that a few loud and coarse people can ruin it for others. However, each one in our agency attempts to continue to be gracious and helpful when we feel we can. (It is nice to have a writer tell me years later how much my rejection letter helped them to knuckle down and learn the craft!)

To return to the example from the beginning of this blog, six months is most likely a “no thanks” by virtue of obsolescence (if that is the right word). It may be a fine project, but it just didn’t stick in the mind of the agent or editor. Or that idea has been superseded by something bigger and better.

Advice

Most agencies and publishers have some sort of guidelines by which proposals can be sent. If there is a time frame listed in those guidelines, you are free to contact that company as a follow-up. We agents do this with publishers all the time. But don’t expect an answer, or expect them to look up your submission to see if it is in the queue.

If double or triple the deadline time passes, consider it a silent “no thank you.”

By the way, as a literary agent, my record for longest wait for a proposal to be accepted for publication is 22 months. Sent in the proposal, and 22 months later the editor called to make an offer. Both I and the author had archived the idea and moved on to other projects and contracts. When I called the author, she had to pause and ask, “Which book is this again?” Good thing the author is a professional and did not sit around waiting for an answer!

You might think, That isn’t real. You made that up. I promise, it happened. To underscore that this can happen, a couple months ago an editor contacted me, writing, “Well, I’m embarrassed to say that it’s taken me this long to get to the proposal you sent to me….” It had been 377 calendar days since I had sent the proposal. A full year. At least the editor replied with an apology!

I’ve lost proposals before. Moved the email into the wrong folder or placed the physical proposal in the wrong pile. Hate to admit it, but I’m not perfect. (Confirming the above designation as one of Satan’s minions.)

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Category: Agency, Book Business, Book Proposals, Common QuestoinsTag: book proposals, Rejection

Unsolicited Proposals: Aka “The Slush Pile”

By Steve Laubeon July 1, 2024
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All literary agents receive dozens of proposals each week. Most are via email these days, but some still come via the post. Last week was a relatively slow week; my office received only 28 unsolicited proposals via email and two in the post. For the month of June, it was around 170 total unsolicited proposals received. (Unsolicited means proposals that are not from our existing clients. We get a …

Read moreUnsolicited Proposals: Aka “The Slush Pile”
Category: Agency, Book Proposals, Get Published, Rejection, SteveTag: Get Published, Pitching, Proposals, Rejection

Your Writers Conference Appointment

By Steve Laubeon April 8, 2024
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[I’ve posted variations of this article over the years. I hope that by bringing it back to the top of the pile, many of you new readers will see it!] __________ You snagged one of those valuable 15-minute appointments with an agent or an editor at a writers conference. Now what? What do you say? How do you say it? What do I bring with me? And what does that scowling person on the other side …

Read moreYour Writers Conference Appointment
Category: Book Business, Book Proposals, Conferences, Pitch, Pitching, Writing CraftTag: Book Business, Conferences, Get Published, Pitching, Proposals, Rejection

Writers Learn to Prepare

By Steve Laubeon December 4, 2023
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Preparation is awfully important if you are planning to climb Mt. Everest. If you show up in a T-shirt, shorts, and flip flops, with a sack lunch, it is likely you will perish during the ascent. The same idea applies to the writer. Preparation is one of the keys to success. There Are No Shortcuts Despite numerous methods for efficiency, there is still no shortcut in writing a great book. It is …

Read moreWriters Learn to Prepare
Category: Craft, Rejection, The Writing LifeTag: Creativity, Rejection, Writing Craft

Handling Disappointment

By Steve Laubeon June 19, 2023
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I do not like to experience disappointment. I do not like rejection, even when it isn’t my personal project being turned down. I do not like to be the bearer of bad news. And yet I do experience disappointment, rejection, and the telling of bad news–every week. That is the nature of the arts. The arts (meaning music, writing, dance, and painting) are comprised of thousands of hours of …

Read moreHandling Disappointment
Category: Encouragement, Faith, Get Published, Personal, Rejection, Theology, Writing CraftTag: disappointment, Encouragement, Faith, Rejection

Fun Fridays – May 26, 2023

By Steve Laubeon May 26, 2023
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When a picture says a thousand words:  

Read moreFun Fridays – May 26, 2023
Category: Fun Fridays, HumorTag: Rejection

Rejection: A Fact of the Writing Life

By Steve Laubeon August 15, 2022
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Rejection is a fact of life. Especially the writing life. As one crusty publishing veteran said: “Welcome to the industry that will break your heart.” Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy, doesn’t it? But let me put a little perspective on it. I admire writers. You put your souls on a few pages and send them to strangers and pray for acceptance. How do you do that, day in and day …

Read moreRejection: A Fact of the Writing Life
Category: RejectionTag: Get Published, Rejection

Responding to Criticism

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon June 18, 2020
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When someone tells me she’s not sure she wants me to read her manuscript, I know she’s not ready for publication. Such sentiment shows a lack of confidence and a fear of both rejection and criticism. Even though readers usually treat writers with respect, a critical word can puncture the heart.

Imagine the wounds delivered on Internet sites such as Amazon from readers who lack that respect. A …

Read moreResponding to Criticism
Category: Book Business, Career, Social Media, The Writing Life, Writing CraftTag: Book Business, Criticism, Rejection, Writing Craft

4 Things I Learned from Rejection

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon February 12, 2020
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Nobody likes to be rejected. Not middle-school dance attenders. Not job applicants. And definitely not writers. Unfortunately, however, rejection pretty much comes with the territory for writers—at least for writers who are brave enough to submit their work to agents or editors for publication. And it hurts. Every. Single. Time. Take it from me, I know. I’ve been rejected hundreds of times, and …

Read more4 Things I Learned from Rejection
Category: RejectionTag: Rejection, rejection letters

Never Burn a Bridge!

By Steve Laubeon December 2, 2019
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The sale of Thomas Nelson to HarperCollins and last week's sale of Heartsong to Harlequin brought to mind a critical piece of advice:

Never Burn a Bridge!

Ours is a small industry and both editors and authors move around with regularity. If you are in a business relationship and let your frustration boil into anger and ignite into rage...and let that go at someone in the publishing company, …

Read moreNever Burn a Bridge!
Category: Agency, Book Business, Book Business, Career, Communication, Rejection, The Publishing Life, The Writing Life, TheologyTag: Agents, Editors, Get Published, Rejection, Trends, Writing Craft
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