I sent out some submissions for my novel a couple of weeks ago. I did a lot of research to make sure the subs were reaching the right people.

I've had roughly a third of the total submissions rejected so far. All of them made lovely comments like 'your writing is good', 'you write well' and 'you have a strong story' and many of them mentioned my writing website and blog in a positive way. But then they all went on to say thier lists were full/they are not considering unsolicited MS/not quite their list genre/not quite right for us.

Far from being standard rejections these agents have looked at my website and my blog and my work, took the time to write nice things about them, and then still rejected it. I'm confused. Is this 'good' or 'bad'?

Market conditions I suspect

But encouraging feedback - all you can do is keep sending out the subs?

Good luck with it.

I don't mean to go all doom and gloom but I do think that doors are closing at the moment that will hopefully re open in time.

I'd read that as definitely interested in your work

Sarah

That is good. It's especially nice that they've taken the tim and trouble to check out your website.
Just keep plugging away with the submissions, and the writing. The credit crunch will pass, eventually, and when you're submitting your next mss to these agents the chances are they'll remember you. In the meantime, maybe submit directly to Macmillan New Writing and other imprints.



- NaomiM

Yes, it's good in that they went to all that trouble: there's obviously lots about it that caught their interest. It sounds as if it just didn't quite grab them enough, and it's hard for them to pinpoint why, so they fall back on bland difficult climate/not taking submissions. It is such a frustrating thing to hear, because it's not something you can tackle. On the other hand it does mean you're close.

Emma

And you still have 2/3 out there

Sarah

My view is that they're better than standard rejections - though no more helpful to you.
Now is an unholy difficult time. Agents, of course, are still on the look out for new stuff, but what they know they can sell has decreased massively.
I was chatting to an agent at my publishers party last week and she told me that she was turning down 'very good stuff' because she knew full well she wouldn't be able to sell it. When I asked why she didn't at least try she explained that her reputation with editors would be damaged if she subbed too many long shots. And the definition of long shots has expanded recently.
That said, you only need one person who is willing to take the punt don't you? So don't be too diosheartened. And do not start questioning your talent.
I fear too many good writers will be put off during this difficult time. Then again, if you do make it through this bad patch, you'll survive anything.
HB x

Helen, what you say is worrying though, as it suggests they'll only accept mainstream stuff, when most of the runaway bestsellers are rather more quirky (Curious incident, Kite Runner, Lovely Bones.)

I'd hate to walk into a bookshop in a year and be bored at the limited fare on offer. Surely they must take this into account when choosing?

I think the fact that you've had personalised responses is really encouraging! It probably means the agents really like your writing etc but maybe the idea isn't quite strong enough to sell in this tough market. And like others have said, you're waiting on more agents so one might snap you up. I was getting personalised rejections before I finally got my agent so I knew something was 'right'.

Regarding any future Kite Runners etc slipping through the net because of the climate at the mo, we must remember that most literary agents are passionate about literature so if they see an absolute gem, I don't think they'd pass on it. I think a lot of aspiring literary writers who've been rejected will take comfort in the 'credit crunch / all agents are after the money' line and it might be true in some cases but the good agents will snap up something their gut tells them is 'special', regardless of the state of the economy. I hope!

I agree - and don't forget no one is holding a gun to an agent's head forcing him/her to send out a book straight away. I think most agents would rather snap a brilliant writer up than let them get away, even if tactically they decided to wait a few weeks or months before sending their novel out. That said, obviously things *are* tough at the moment, but as far as I can tell, the industry hasn't ground to a stand-still and agents are still looking.

As for your submissions, those rejections do sound encouraging so don't lose hope, just sit tight and wait to hear back from the rest. If you have no luck with those and you're worried about the climate, you can always hang on for a while before sending out more.

Cherys - sadly, I do think we'll see a reduction in the type of book on offer in the next couple of years or so. Agents and publishers are afterall just businesses and need to be as cautious as any green grocer or butcher.
That said, there is money to be made in the odd quirky runaway bestseller, so there will still be room for some. I guess the ratios will just change. No-one wants to be the agent left holding twenty beautifully written but unsellable books do they?
The good news is that all this will pass. It will be very interesting to see what shape the publishing industry is in after this economic black cloud lifts.
HB x

Hi ... sorry to pop in at this point in your discussion. It's just something that I was very interested in as I was just about to start to submit my work.

Is the general consensus to NOT even attempt it at the moment?

SJxx

Is the general consensus to NOT even attempt it at the moment?

No, not at all - at least not if I'm part of the consensus. The book trade still needs fodder: agents need new clients, arguably even more as their existing ones sales dive, publishers still need to put books through the system, bookshops still need books on their shelves. So while the marginal - off-beat, hard-to-sell, bog-standard list fodder thrillers and romance - will be harder to sell, they still need us to write books.

It's worth bearing in mind that agents have always, always said 'in this difficult climate' about good books they're not taking on, because it's a nice, impersonal reason for rejecting it. This is a very difficult climate, but some of those rejections may well be more about the book than the climate. Others absolutely will be about the climate, and 2 years ago they would have taken them on.

I get the feeling from talking to my agent that the nervous don't-dare-move feeling that everyone had when the recession first hit, not knowing what was happening or how to cope, has moved on, and people are back to a belt-tightened version of normal. It takes a while to discover how this new climate works, but they're getting there, finding out how to do publicity now there are no Books editors to speak of, for example, and getting over the shock of having half your colleagues made redundant.

Emma

Thank you Emma.

SJxx

I agree with Emma - it is still always worth subbing.
Things may be difficult, and there may be fewer 'different' books being bought, but there are bound to still be some. Agents can't help themselves when it comes to hoping they've found the next big thing. Some will be more cautious than others, for sure, that's human nature, no? But every agent is on the lookout for 'the one'.
Why shouldn't it be your book that is 'the one'? That's the way I see it.
I read Rebecca Miller the other day saying actors need to have thick skin, yet thin skin. Too little of the first and they don't survive. Too little of the second and they can't act. I thought that could easily have applied to writers.
Only those of us with the right calabration of both will survive this black cloud.
HB x

Fantastic way of looking at it Helen. I'm going to go for it!

SJxx