Hi folks,
Having embarked on the subbing process (and just received my third standard rejection in two weeks) I'm curious to know how it was for others. If you can remember, what proportion of your replies from agents were standard rejections, how many were personal feedback and how many asked for the full?
Susiex

Having embarked on the subbing process

- or, as some of us like to think of it, the sobbing process . . . sigh . . .

LOL, Poppy
Or, Sodding Process.
Susiex

Round 1:
6 standard rejections
1 personalised rejection
0 requests for full

Round 2:
1 standard rejection
6 requests for full
(Subsequently, 1 rejection of full, 3 offers of representation, and 2 who didn't read it in time before I signed with someone!)

As you can see, the response from Rounds 1 and 2 was somewhat different! - I did some revisions in-between rounds, but nothing major to be honest... so take heart, it really can be a matter of luck, circumstance and providence!

Thanks for sharing, Becky, that's really interesting
What happened for you must be very unusual. To go from standard rejections to a hit-rate of almost 100% is amazing. Your revisions, though minor, must have been right on the nail.
Susiex

Yes, it was a bit bizarre! The biggest change I made was moving a couple of pages from the middle of the novel right to the start - I didn't change a word from the pages themselves, so it was just a structural thing. That might have made a big difference... though it does rather reinforce the depressing view that agents often don't bother reading beyond the first page or two!

Ultimately though, I do honestly believe a lot of it was down to chance - hitting on the right sort of agencies, the time of year, I don't know!

And being an incredibly good writer.
Susiex

You only have to pick a few books up off the bookshelf to remember that that's not always a pre-requisite

Ahem, not that I'm saying you don't fall into the more complimentary category! From what I've seen of your novel, I reckon you'll get there in the end, if there's any justice, whether that takes 5 or 50 submissions. No rhyme nor reason to these things, though...

I sent out 8 subs, had 5 standard rejections, 2 requests for the full, 1 offer and.... am still waiting to hear back from the 8th nine months later! LOL

Appreciated, Becky
Charlotte, this is fascinating. Yours sounds (almost) painless! And it really goes to show what a strange business this is - that what one agent will offer on, another will reject standardly (is there such a word?!?) Wonder what happened to that 8th... Mind you, I'm still waiting on a reply to a non-fiction proposal I sent out, lemme see, two years ago? She said she'd 'get to it when she could'.
Susiex

Snubbing process, more like....

I had six subs out there, got two rejections with no letter, another two with nice positive letters, one never replied and the sixth asked for a full, rejected it, told me to write another book, asked for that full and finally signed me up.

Snubbing process

Like that
Ouch, that process sounds, while encouraging, kind of painful. But you got there in the end - hoorah! I DREAM of nice, positive letters!!!
Susiex

I can't actually remember how many submissions I sent out, but probablly about 10, max, for three different novels. I sent them to both agents and publishers, from whom I've had either
1)form rejections,
2) a form rejection followed by (when approaching with the same material through a friend of the agent!) an interview and positive words but no offer of representation. This agent sorrowfully uttered the memorable words "You write really well... but so many people write well."
3)offer of representation or offer to publish.

I don't seem to get these half-way house rejections where they say something personal in a letter...

Chips, Beans and Limousines was rejected by the two agents I sumbitted it to, then I submitted directly to two publishers and was offered a deal by both of them.

Another interesting take on the process! Seems like publishers can sometimes be the better option. When you say 10 subs max, do you mean ten per novel, or ten for all three novels (hope not!)?
Susiex

No, ten for all 3 novels.