Frustrating or what? I phoned an agency to ask if they wanted to read my children's book. They said yes, so I duly sent it off Special Delivery. Got it back virtually by return of post with a note saying that due to the volumes of work they were receiving they could no longer read unsolicited work. They said their entry in the Writer's and Aritist's yearbook already indicated they were not taking submissions. (I checked my Children's version for this year and it doesn't say that.)

Very annoying to get it returned unread after I rang and checked!!! Especially since it costs a fair amount of money to send it.

Oh well, guess it's their loss... another anecdote to relate when I'm a famous best-selling author in a hundred and fifty years!

Cheers

Stephanie

That is annoying. I've had similar problems with conflicting responses from the same company. A Snowbooks agent was emailing me to express her interest in my novel, while at the same time, another Snowbooks agent emailed me to let me know they weren't interested.

Upon further investigation, they weren't interested, but the run of hope around the houses left me feeling a little insulted.

It annoys me whenever agents and publishers whinge about their slush piles and unsolicited submissions too. That's their job!

Never mind. It's all in the game, hey?

JB

Yip, I just need to keep a sense of humour about it all! Hard when you're spending every morning waiting for big brown envelopes to thud on your mat.

I don't mind rejections when they've actually read my work.

What am I saying? I hate all rejections but expecially when they haven't taken the time to read it.

I agree though, false hope is even worse. Had that happen before with another agency and God, it's awful.

Guess it's all right to feel fed up about it, as long as you keep trying.

Hope you had better luck with someone else JB.

Stephanie.

This may sound obvious, and you probably did it anyway, but you should have got the name of the person you spoke to then addressed your cover letter to them, beginning it something like, "Thank you for asking to see my manuscript ... "

Also, I wouldn't send in a ms by Special Delivery - if that means the agent has to sign for it, this will just irritate them. Ordinary post says you're professional.

It is all a game, in the sense that agents are in business purely to make a living, and don't owe their slush piles anything. But that's not anything to get sensitive about. What writers need to do is keep sending out work to as many agents/publishers as they can get away with, while at the same time being professional, approachable and consistent. Which is also a kind of game but a necessary one until you're in a position to dictate terms - which will be a long time off, if ever.

Terry


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Just realised that sounded rather blunt. But then I do sometimes feel that book writers need to find ways to thicken their business skins. The problem with writing a novel is that you spend so much time on your own, completely caught up in your created world. Then you have to send it off into the shark-infested world of publishing, and it's tempting to become over-sensitive about how it's then treated. Other forms of art - even other forms of writing, such as TV writing - mean that writers get exposed early, and within the process of the actual writing, to the economics-driven judgements that are constantly made about creative work.

Thanks Stephanie.

Yes I did. I had a UK agent request and read the whole MSS. I was very hopeful, and she liked the work but (rightfully) felt the book needed a lot more editing, and the genre wasn't her field.

I took her comments on board and held off on submitting for a few months until I had a much slicker product. The second puiblisher I sent it to in the US requested the full MSS and six months later, offered me a book deal, which I took up and am now waiting for publication.

In all, I had around 30 rejections, about 75% of them positive and encouraging.

Terry, that is so true.

JB

Hi Terry,

I did get the name of the person to send it to and addressed it to them. Unfortunately, that didn't stop me from getting a rejection without it being read in this case.

Have to admit, I always send it Special Delivery these days after the post office lost five (yes five!) MSSs I sent out. Does it really annoy agents if you send it Special Delivery? A few have actually advised me to send it like that.

You're right, it is a lonely business writing, especially when you've invested so much time and energy into it. It's difficult when it means so much to you and you've worked so hard at it to get a knockback without them even reading it.

I've got much better at taking rejection now, but first time it was awful! Thought my first book was brilliant and presumed someone would snap it up. In hindsight, the agencies were right my first book was pretty naive and trite and certainly did not deserve to get published. Still, I'm getting better the more I write (I think!).

Stephanie

Good news JB!

Proves perserverence really works!

Stephanie

Thanks again.

I think it depends on the agent Stephanie, but I'm no expert. I'm far too scared to call an agent!

The worst one I had was when Peter Burton at Millevres Press (they do erotic themed books) wrote me to tell me how much he loved my book, but they had so much on, to resend it in a year's time for a contract discussion.

By the time I resent it, Peter Burton was no longer the editor of Millevres, and the new guy was really unhelpful and cold, refusing to even see the work! I think Burton possibly left on bad terms, because I'd expected a warm welcome, not to be given short shrift.

In hindsight, things like this may please you. My book isn't a 'sex' book, it's a thriller with sex in it. I don't think the publishers of Gay Times and several associated porn mags would be the right ground to launch it from. It's more far reaching than that, and I'm very glad my publisher saw that.

So, what can seem like a blow at the time, can later be a bonus.

JB

JB, that must have been frustrating!

Guess it takes quite a lot of rejections to eventually become hardened to it. For my first book I got one reply saying the work had neither the originality nor the quality of writing the agent was looking for! (Yeah, they were right.)

Now, I don't get too bothered when I get rejection letters (as long as they've actually read it), I just contact the next agency and send it out again.

My latest book looks more hopeful. I've had one agency who gave me a second reading after their Reader recommended it. I also have another agency who has requested the entire book. I sent it to them five weeks, four days and two hours ago (not that I'm counting!) They told me it could take up to two months so hopefully not too long to wait.

Happy writing!

Cheers

Stephanie

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PS JB When does your book come out?

it doesn't come out until January 2007. Yes, a terribly long wait, but I'm actually pleased about that. It's given me plenty of time to work through it with professional help, smooth the transitions, fill in a couple of gaping plot holes and generally tighten the story.

It is exciting. An American writer with the same publisher expressed an interest in it when he caught wind of it. Now he's reading it, and if he likes it, he'll give one of those quotes to go on the cover.

JB

Wow JB - exciting times.

So it's an adult thriller with erotic bits? Sounds v interesting...

Stephanie

It will be interesting to see how it does, that's for sure. I wrote it about 2 years ago, and in that time, my skill and my taste has changed quite a bit, so the new draft is more like an update.

The wait is pretty annoying, to be honest. It's like getting the carrot at the end of the stick - only to find that it'll only be edible in two years!

Have you tried the American market? I found it a lot more approachable, and a lot less up its own arse than the UK equivalent.

JB

No, must admit I hadn't even thought of the American market. Could definitely be worth a look.

How do you find out about which agents are reliable? Having recently had a brush with an agency I didn't trust, I don't want a repeat experience!

Know what you meant about your tastes changing. I find if I put aside a book for a few months and go back to it, my feelings about it change entirely!

What sort of books are you writing now?

Stephanie

I looked for agents and publishers on the net, but to be fair, it is a bit of a lucky dip. After my publisher offered me a contract, I bandied their name about to some agents to see how respectable they were. Luckily, they had a good reputation, but you never know. Trust your intuition, to an extent.

I mainly write horror or dark fantasy now. I'm halfway through a new fantasy novel whichj I've been uploading on WW!

How about you? What's your book about?

JB

Hmm, I love dark fantasy, but not quite sure about all out horror.

I write children's books for ages 9 to 12 roughly. My last book was a fantasy book with an unusual main character - she's a bit of an anti-hero, not quite a villain but v conceited and arrogant.

My current book is a children's horror book. I don't see why children shouldn't get scared witless!

Stephanie

<Added>

JB

Just had a quick look at your book. - wow, it's brilliant. It's irreverence reminded me a bit of the Robert Rankin Brentford Trilogy only with much more OOMPH!

Have only managed Chapters 1 and 2 so far but will work my way through the rest soon and let you know what I think. If the rest of the chapters are any way as good as the first 2, I'll be a great fan!

Stephanie