Sent an email today as of 2/8/2019 for a query.

Submitted the day the notice on her website said she reopened to queries (1-21-19), but got a form letter saying she was still closed. There's still a message on the site saying she will reopen on 1-21, so I don't know if I should requery or not - I've no idea if she got the query, and I don't want to be a nuisance, so I'm counting it as a CNR. :shrug:

@Yamisui -- That's a form letter. I received a similar form yesterday on a mid-2018 query with first chapter, 75% and all is the same, but "talented storyteller / writer" was used 3x instead of "interesting premise" etc., and Tia Mele suggested I work with a line editor to improve my craft. My form ended: "Again, you are a talented writer, and as you work on your craft and polish, polish, polish you are bound to succeed." Feel good stuff, but not helpful when it's form.

Profile Update: Open to queries.

EQ: 12/3/2018
Partial Request: 12/4/2018 (50 pages + synopsis)
ER: 1/7/2019

At first glance the rejection seemed to contain useful critiques, but then I Googled some of the phrases and realized it was quoting--almost verbatim--an interview Paula Munier gave years ago. I think her assistant did the ol' ctrl+c, ctrl+p from the interview to put together a form letter. (All of my communications were with an assistant named Tianna Magnone; never Paula herself.) Here's what she wrote:

"Thank you again for letting us read your opening pages. Unfortunately we are going to pass on this project.

We're afraid we don’t think we could sell the manuscript as it now stands. We don’t think that it’s ready to shop, at least not for us. The overall premise of your story is interesting and we like the development of the characters in the sample pages. However, we found that we didn't connect with the voice of the manuscript as much as we'd hoped and that is why we ultimately decided to pass. You're about 75 percent there, which far exceeds most of the material we see, but publishers are looking for work that is 95 percent there. So we can only take on projects that are 90 percent, and help take them to that 95 percent level. What this boils down to is an attention to detail in terms of point of view, tone, dialogue, setting, and sentence quality.

Thanks again, and we wish you the best of luck with your writing."

I've received a lot of good critiques from agents--both for this project and past projects--and "sentence quality" has always been one of my strengths. If anything, the issue I see with my current project is with pacing, not writing style. Oh, well.

YA dark fantasy, 98,000 words

EQ: 10/29/18
ER: 1/3/19 from lit assistant Tia Mele
It just wasn't a good fit. No hard feelings! I appreciate their time and consideration.

YA sci-fi 93k

EQ: 6/10/18 Contemporary Romantic Suspense
CNR: 12/28

Profile Update: Closed to queries.

EQ 12/3
ER 12/9

Adult Fantasy 129,000 words
By far the most helpful feedback I’ve ever received through a rejection, and has given me an entirely new vision on my first couple chapters.

EQ: 09/26/18
Nudge, it's been over four weeks: 10/29/18
Withdrew query to send to Gina (DVpit like): 11/16/18

Contemporary Romance/WF, 70k

EQ: 9/10/18

Saw today she wrote this article https://careerauthors.com/truth-about-the-slush-pile/ and talked to her a bit

Re-sent 17/10/18 based on that article/our convo (long shot but who knows!)

NA F, 90k

EQ: Emailed first 10 pages - romantic comedy

EQ: 8/27/18
CNR: 10/4/18
80k Sci-Fi Humor

Profile Update: Profile reviewed. No Changes.

EQ - 8/31
nudge sent 9/29