Hi, I'm new here and just wanted to wave hello to everyone.

I'm sat nervously waiting for an agent to get back to me about my book, and it's so hard going through this process alone, plus I could do with some advice!

I finished my novel (historical fiction) in April, although to be fair I sent it out to agents 2 years ago thinking it was finished then and got lots of lovely rejections with detailed feedback which I've been working on since then. It's a much, much better book now.

So, back in April, literally the day after I sent it out, a lovely agent wrote back saying she was very interested indeed, and requested a full. After a very exciting, but agonising 2 months I got a 'no' back but she was hugely complimentary, and gave me yet more feedback. I got to work on doing another re-write and asked her, I think 3 weeks ago, if she would re-read it bearing in mind the weaker sections were fixed and she said she would (she indicated that it was just these sections which had stopped her). So I'm now just hoping to God my re-writes are good enough (although, typical writer, I'm now re-reading it myself and seeing bits I could have just improved that bit more. But they're only the odd paragraph here and there). It would be an absolutely dream if she offered me representation.

Meanwhile, I've had a couple of other rejections, one of them absolutely horrible, which basically says I don't have a chance, can't write for toffee, etc., which has really affected my confidence, despite the reaction from agent number one. I know this is a very subjective business, but I struggle to see how one agent could write saying I'm hugely talented and the other could say I'm rubbish, and as much as I absolutely believe in my writing and my book, the message from the second agent is sinking in and I've had a weekend of wanting to give up writing and go and hide in a hole.

I'm just a bit stuck. If agent number one rejects me again, I think the right thing to do would be to send the whole thing off to a consultancy for an independent assessment, the hope being it would be positive/constructive and any weaknesses remaining would be aired out. But I'm scared now they're just going to come back and be very negative too. It is with about 8 other agents, so just hoping one of them might request a full too. I just need to find a way to get my confidence back, I think, and to give my book the best possible chance of making it.

What would other people do in my situation? Having it edited will be very expensive, but I think maybe worth it. Has anyone else had such wildly different responses from agents? Sorry this is so long, has helped just to get it all off my chest, as I've been so upset this weekend in particular. Thanks in advance.

Hi Fiona, and welcome to WW.

Different WWers will have different views, but if you've been getting that much positive feedback along the way, I would certainly wait till you hear from the other agents. Yes, it's not nice to have rejections, but you're obviously writing at a level which people think is "nearly there", and I should think it's quite likely that you'll get some steerage about why they're rejecting it, IYSWIM.

(Talking of which, have you considered doing direct submissions to publishers that take them? It's a bit problematic because if an agent is then interested, they may not be too thrilled to hear that it's already been rejected by some of the places they'd want to send it... on the other hand if the novel's got this much interest at this stage, it might be worth a punt - and then you'd approach agents saying you've been offered this deal, and are they interested in representing you?)

As to a report... As you say, it's expensive. And it is only one more opinion - though of course hopefully a knowledgeable one, and a more in-depth one than you're going to get from agents and editors.

I think in your place I would decide depending on what the rest of the agents say - or if it's a mixed bag of responses, perhaps send it out to a second batch.

If they're all saying the same thing, it's relatively easy to deal with... assuming you can see what they mean, and know what to do about it. You may also find that some time away from it means that you yourself can see all the little creases, and iron them out without spending lots of money.

If it's a mixed bag of responses then it's harder to know why this novel just isn't quite clicking with so many agents/editors, and a more detailed overview from an editorial report might help. That's perhaps true too if they're all saying the same sort of thing, but you're baffled about how to solve it.

The other use for a good report should be that you learn quite a bit about writing - and your writing - in a wider sense. That should help a lot with the next novel...

Thank you so much for your response; it has given me lots to think about. I hadn't thought too seriously about sending it direct to publishers, because as you say I'm worried that if I get nowhere and am then taken on by an agent, I will have shot myself in the foot. But I think certainly if I keep getting rejections from agents I will do that.

I feel like I've had a huge knock to my confidence and I need to find ways of getting past that. Rejections I can cope with, but it's when they're so damning that it has such an impact. I know I have to focus on the positive responses rather than the negative and just keep going, and I have recently had a 2 month break from my book (whilst agent number 1 was reading it) and that has thrown light on the bits which need work, but I do think I'm now at a stage where it's just about as good as I can get it alone.

I think for the moment I will wait to see what the other agents say and go from there. And in the meantime, down some valium. :-D

one of them absolutely horrible, which basically says I don't have a chance, can't write for toffee, etc., which has really affected my confidence,

Sorry, I saw that bit, and sympathised hugely, and then forgot to say so...

That's very nasty. No agent is responsible for massaging our egos, only for saying "yes" or "no", and they're entitled to their opinion, of course ... but some are better at expressing negative opinions than others, some are more arrogantly sure they're right than others, and one or two are just down-right horrible, or even certifiable.

And, it seems to me, fundamentally very unlikely to be true, because of this:

I sent it out to agents 2 years ago thinking it was finished then and got lots of lovely rejections with detailed feedback

You know as well as I do that agents don't bother to give lovely, feedbacky rejections to the vast majority of subs. They only do it for writers who they think have definitely got something, and they hope will make it some day.

So Horrible Agent is just, plain wrong - and you've got evidence to prove it.

It IS hard to shrug off, but please don't let it kick your confidence in the teeth for longer than it takes to eat lots of chocolate, do lots of shopping, and spend the evening with a drink or two... or whatever your cheerer-uppers of choice are.

Emma's right, there are different views about this, so I thought I'd chuck mine in too!

I think there have always been good reasons for writers to not lamely accept the common view that agents are gatekeepers to their careers. It's far healthier, I believe, to remind oneself that a) agents work for writers, not the other way around, b) agents are not writers or editors (even if they might have been in a previous life); you are the writer, the one with the talent, knowledge, experience and, crucially, the product. Of course, agents may give useful advice, and they may have contacts, but you should only take it as that, not as judgement on your ability. And in today's climate, I think there is even more reason to question going to agents first, or even later, or even at all. Their role is rapidly diminishing with the self-publishing revolution and many of them are taking steps to shore up their income, and not always in their clients' best interests.

I'd advise always to submit to publishers direct. Yes, of course they more or less say f*ck off on their websites - they're more than happy for agents to deal with the slush. But every publishers' editor I know loves to get a query (with a bit of writing too) that's professional and exciting. If you get a deal that way, then you have the advantage: you can then go find an agent if you really want to, or do what many authors are now doing, hire a contract lawyer instead.

I don't buy the argument that going to a publisher first might piss off an agent: so what if it does? It's your career. If said agent really thinks your book would in fact be great for Random House, say, but you've already been rejected by them, I can't see there's anything stopping the agent going back to RH and suggesting they look again. If agents really are such great gatekeepers (and I don't really think they are), I would have thought RH will be willing to take another look.

As for what agents think of your writing, really, it's irrelevant. If you've developed your ability to a publishable level, then you don't need the view of an agent on it. What you need them to do is help with your career. (And to be fair to my last agent, she never tried to tell me how to write.)

Terry

Thank you, Emma, again. Yes, I thought it was pretty unpleasant of her. I'm sure I'm responding quite emotionally to it, but it just baffled me that she'd read a very small amount and passed a judgement like that, especially as what she wrote contrasted so sharply with other responses. And she looks so lovely on her website. Perhaps not more than a bad day on her part, but still, crushing to be on the receiving end of it.

I have to say, watching the Olympics is doing me a lot of good (and I hope other writers too). Seeing all these athletes who've worked for years and years at their craft, who have a dream and who maybe come last in their events, and then stand there in their interviews and commit to doing better in 4 years time. There's a lot of cross-over, although sadly I don't quite share their physiques.

Thank you, Terry, for your input. All opinions most welcome. Think I need to go and do some research into pubishing contacts, armed with my chocolate and vodka.

Fiona, I used to be pretty passive about my writing career. It's easy to do, especially when, until recently at least, the outlets for our work have been so tightly controlled by traditional publishing. The problem with passivity, though, is that it will eventually feed-back into our actual work. Trying to please agents, publishers, etc, is the sure-fire way to moderate our vision. This is often added to by the fact so many writers don't really know what they want to do with their work in the first place. So, it's easy to let someone else suggest it. One of the perhaps scary things about self-publshing is that no one has to make any decisions except you. Which means you then really do have to face the question of what you want. Is it to narrow down, find your niche, exploit it and try to make some money? Or is it to stay true only to what you're moved to write, even if that takes you across several genres, forms and approaches?

Hi Fiona and welcome! Publishing is not for the faint-hearted, that's for sure, but congratulations on all those near misses. It sounds like you are on the right track

Thank you! I so hope so. I'm slightly tortured by the fact that my entire writing career will consist of lots of near misses and how horrible would that be - almost getting there but not quite!

That should definitely read 'might' and not 'will'!

LOL - I'm sure it will be fine, although you might have a few hurdles to overcome. Fingers-crossed not too many and your excellent feedback turns out well for you.

BTW - I think I met your not-very-nice agent. Naming no names, I am sure there can't be many out there who are almost certifiable - so it must be the same one. At least I hope it is, as I don't want to bump into another one like it if I can help it!

All but the certifiable one I met have been good to excellent, so just ignore the horrid feedback given. It was a one-off and you've had tonnes of excellent feedback.

Hi Fiona and welcome. You've had some great advice here already but will add my 10p worth. Having editorial reports done at various stages has helped my writing a great deal - just in terms of the nuts and bolts. So I would recommend it. Good luck with the submissions!

Hello Fiona, I also share your Christian name. When I was small, few people could pronounce it. Dad said it will never catch on in England as it is a Scottish name, Gaelic in fact for 'Fair' Are you Scottish, out of curiousity? Certainly the name has become widely used

Hi Fiona,

arrrgggh, we feel your pain! Submitting your work for scrutiny certainly puts your emotions through the wringer, especially when you get such contrasting responses. We've all been in your situation, and it can be true that your career may consist of 'near misses' for quite a while (not necessarily because of the quality of your work, but because it just has to chime with the right person at the right time), or it could fall into place quickly.

But persistence is the key, and willingness to rewrite and learn, as you have been doing. So you've got determination, you've got positive feedback from professionals and hopefully you enjoy writing. So you've got all the key elements in place.

I would hang fire on sending it to an editor until you hear back from the other agents, at least. And the best cure for agonising over the fate of your book is to crack on and start a new one!