upper mg horror

Q 6-25-24
X 7-4-24

8 day turnaround rejection, in full, by an underling:

Thank you for writing to us. We have considered your proposal carefully and I am afraid that it is not going to be one for us.


I am sorry not to be writing with better news; of the thousands of submissions we receive annually, we do, in fact, only request a handful of full manuscripts.



We realise that our fast reply may seem harsh. However, rest assured that we read submissions as and when they come in, and this enables us to respond quickly both to writers we decide to take further and those we don't.


We like to offer some advice in our turn-downs and have done so in the paragraphs below, but we recognise that it might not apply to you.



If you would like professional advice on your manuscript, there are many reputable companies offering reviews and mentoring, like literary consultancies, literary development charities, or freelance editors. Services like this can be expensive but there are those that offer discounts or other support for low-income writers. You should research the best option for you. We recognise that such services may not be accessible, useful, or the right fit to all who submit to us - and they are by no means essential to securing a book deal.


Kitty Walker https://kittywalker.co.uk/ is an independent literary consultant/editor, working with adult and children's fiction and narrative non-fiction. Her focus is primarily pace, structure and characterisation. She is a former employee of Eve White Literary Agency. We do not have a financial interest in recommending her services.


Many writers, published and unpublished, also find it useful to join a writers' group. Writers' groups are an excellent place to share work-in-progress and hone your craft. It is likely that a writers' group meets somewhere near you. Many writers’ groups meet online, as well, if you are not able to join one near you.



I wish you luck with finding an agent elsewhere.



Kind regards,
Nicky

YA Fantasy 80K

Query: 02/06/2024
FR: 10/06/2024

Literary Fiction 70k

Email query: 24/05/2024
Form rejection: 03/06/2024

Form rejection includes a link to specific editor who happens to be an ex-employee of the agency, and despite the disclaimer, that always feels a little scummy.