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(Thanks kboatman)
I queried on 2/17, followed up around 3/6...nuthin'. I am the queen of bad timing, I suppose.
Update: Received rejection 5 hours after email submission of literary fiction:
Thanks for your query.
That is does not capture my interest enough to agree to represent the work, my rejection is based on my personal, arbitrary, (snotty) opinion and nothing to do with your talent nor ability to be published.
I wish you well with others.
Michael Murphy
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Sent a query letter with Chapters 1,2,5,6 attached (total 55 pages). His guidelines said to attach several chapters, one of which had to be be the opening chapter since he likes to see how the book gets started.
Michael-
Thank you for your query.
The book business is undergoing some dramatic shifts. Mostly what has happened has hurt my ability to place smart first fiction. I have a bit of a stockpile right now and choose not to take on more until I find good homes for the writers I currently carry.
I wish you well with others.
E Rejection 10/4/10 (even later at night!), with a simple "I am quite simply the wrong agent for your book."
I don't represent YA
email response 5-25-10
H.B.
Thank you for your query.
My reasons for declining to represent your work start with the fact that I'm very close to the straw on the camel's back point. I have taken on only 2 new clients in the last 9 months. Too many more will stretch me too thinly.
You deserve a fuller explanation than that. But, I am sorry to say I really do not give any more of myself these days than a basic "Thanks but no thanks." I love to engage writers, but finally I had to accept in doing so, I am either eating up too much of my time or I've made far too many unintended enemies when I try to critique or make other suggestions (most really just want my "yes" or "no").
I have been trained the hard way to go Vanilla when replying to queries.
I do wish you the best with other agents.
Michael Murphy
{My name in blue, the rest a form letter. Despite the "coolness" of the letter it is still a from rejection.}
"Thank you for your query.
I will decline to represent the work.
You deserve a fuller explanation than that. But, I am sorry to say I really do not give any more of myself these days than a basic "Thanks but no thanks." I love to engage writers, but finally I had to accept in doing so, I am either eating up too much of my time ( I receive 20-200 queries a week) or I've made too many insta-enemies on email when I try to critique or make other suggestions (most really just want my ‘yes’ or ‘no’).
I have been trained the hard way to go Vanilla when replying to queries.
I do wish you the best with other agents."
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