Q: 10/31/25
Rejection 1/13/26 with this note:

Thank you for querying me with [title]. I really like your pitch, and thought the writing in the sample was especially good. Creepy, too - the [object] that appears as [X] first asks for [Y’s] email address genuinely gave me chills. That said, I couldn't help but feel as I read the pages that this opening was comprised of mostly backstory to wade through, and that as a reader I wanted to be thrown right into the meat of the story. (When the word count is 91,000 words (longish), and we don't land on the story as presented in the query letter in the sample, it usually means that there's more cutting to be done.) Of course it might make sense that the backstory here be woven in later in the book but, for me, it wasn't functioning as a compelling enough opening to drive me to request the full.

If the above sparks for you, or gels with other feedback you're receiving, and you decide to revise, I'd love to take another look. If you do revise and I am not open for queries please feel free to email me at [email address] and let me know you have new pages, and I'll send you a private link to resubmit.

I'm sorry not better news today. Please know I'm having to be especially selective at the moment based on how much is in my queue.

All best,

Rach Crawford

Query sent: 9/30/25
FR: 1/5/26

Literary Horror, 90k

Q: 10/9/25
Form Rejection: 1/6/26
Literary Fiction 76k

Q: 8/10/25
CNR: 11/10/25

It was poorly translated from the original Spanish text.