Q - June 11, 2026
Rejection: June 21, 2026

Thank you for writing to us. We have considered your submission carefully and I am afraid that we have decided not to offer you representation.

I am sorry I’m not writing with better news; we are always conscious of the disappointment our decision can elicit. This is a highly competitive and subjective industry and of the thousands of writers querying us annually, only a handful become our clients.

There is rarely a quick, easy answer as to why your work is not the right fit for us. While we don’t have the capacity to offer individual feedback, we are happy to offer some general advice. We understand that this may not be appropriate for you specifically.

There are lots of reputable companies and freelancers offering mentoring, editorial and submission assessment services. Accessing them can be expensive, but it’s worth noting that some of them offer discounts or bursaries for low income writers. Organisations like The Arts Council run various programmes to similarly support and encourage talented writers of limited financial means. Professional advice is not a way of guaranteeing future representation or publication, but if you think it’s a potential way forward for you on your writing journey, we have no hesitation in recommending:

Kitty Walker (https://kittywalker.co.uk/). Our former employee Kitty is an independent literary consultant/editor for adult and children's fiction and narrative non-fiction. Her focus is primarily on pace, structure and characterisation.

Roisin Heycock (https://www.roisinheycock.com/) is an independent development editor of fiction, YA and children’s books. She is a former employee of Faber & Faber, Oneworld and Hachette, specialising in structure, character and style, with a market focus.

We have no financial interest in recommending either business.

If professional advice and/or editing is not for you, you might consider some of the thousands of free online videos and masterclasses that exist on every aspect of writing, or joining an online or local writers’ group.

I wish you the best of luck.

Kind regards,
Nicky

It is a bit tricky to comment here, when my e-mail can be received by someone else named Nicky. I also can't really click "query sent" as it won't be received by Ludo, and since Nicky isn't on Query Tracker... Well.

Q: 1/6
Form Rejection: 1/12
Literary Fiction 76k

Q 12/17/2024
R 03/01/2025

Adult dark fantasy

Form letter with offer of services.

NA/R

Q 10-31-23
X 11-7-23