Posts tagged Query letters

Nice comment to my “Rejection” post.

msquared91 said: “Don’t consider it rejected. Consider that you’ve addressed it ‘to the editor who can appreciate my work’ and it has simply come back stamped ‘Not at this address’. Just keep looking for the right address.” - Barbara Kingsolver

So close … another rejection letter.

T.,
Thanks for querying me, but unfortunately I’m going to pass on
representation. I agree that your story sounds right up my alley! But it’s
just too long (about 20,000 words too long). It would be difficult to sell
this because of that.
Best,
Amanda

I’m sure glad no one told Jo Rowling that without even trying to market her 700 page novels (with no pics) to 10 to 12 year olds. I’m thinking that 110k word novels for 20 and 30 somethings is a typical length (about 300 to 340 pages). I’m just a bit frustrated right now.

“If a publisher [or agent] declines your manuscript, remember it is merely the decision of one fallible human being, and try another.” —Sir Stanley Unwin

Since mid-March of this year, I have been sending query letters to agents all over the country (and parts of Europe) in hopes to get representation for my first novel. I’ve sent around 50 query letters and have received two positive responses. I have posted here the most promising response, which ended as a bust. However, they provided me with enough feed back and suggestions to make me go back and rework certain parts of the novel. These letter at least give me hope that my work has potential. I just need to find the right agent for it.

I am not at liberty to publish on my blog the names, e-mail addresses, and address of this literary agency. So, I have either marked those through (as you can see) or simply cut them out.