Do you have a rejection ritual?

[ajcastle]

I do the same as HorsebackWriter, whenever I receive a rejection I send out a few more queries. I feel the same way as her, I just keep on trying. I may or may not find the perfect agent for this book and that will be disappointing. But, maybe I'll win big with the next book. I have nothing to lose trying this time. I don't feel like it's a failure if this book doesn't get published. I'd feel like a failure if I never tried or gave up because of fear or rejection. I hate being rejected, I really do. But, I believe in my work and I believe in my story. I just keep in mind that it is all personal opinion on behalf of the agent or the market at the time. It's not me. At least that's what I tell myself so I don't fall into the gutter of depression. :D

[HorsebackWriter]

   Good for you, ajcastle. 

The divide between writer/art and agent/business is both real and treacherous.

We go into the query process with magic dust (from the creative process) sparkling in our hair and dusting our shoulders, thinking it's about great writing (it is) and great story (it is). BUT, it's also about what's selling, the economic/publishing climate, which editors/pub professionals any particular agent knows, an agent's personal taste in books (aka, "I just didn't love it enough to represent it") and on and on.

There's so much about publishing that's out of our hands, not a reflection on our books OR our writing, although it's too easy to take it out on ourselves, our stories and our writing. (And here, I'm talking well-edited and beta'd and tight work.)

Also, when agents say it's subjective, they mean it, and mean it *literally*. So keep querying, and query widely.

After all, if we're searching for that golden ticket, best to keep buying chocolate bars.

At the least, we have a chocolate feast. : )

Em

 

[ajcastle]

  Good for you, ajcastle. 

The divide between writer/art and agent/business is both real and treacherous.

We go into the query process with magic dust (from the creative process) sparkling in our hair and dusting our shoulders, thinking it's about great writing (it is) and great story (it is). BUT, it's also about what's selling, the economic/publishing climate, which editors/pub professionals any particular agent knows, an agent's personal taste in books (aka, "I just didn't love it enough to represent it") and on and on.

There's so much about publishing that's out of our hands, not a reflection on our books OR our writing, although it's too easy to take it out on ourselves, our stories and our writing. (And here, I'm talking well-edited and beta'd and tight work.)

Also, when agents say it's subjective, they mean it, and mean it *literally*. So keep querying, and query widely.

After all, if we're searching for that golden ticket, best to keep buying chocolate bars.

At the least, we have a chocolate feast. : )

Exactly! We must share a brain or something. ;)

You know, I debated submitting at all, but my husband said 'what do you have to lose?', and I decided -- nothing! And it's true, I have nothing to lose. So, my pride might get hurt a little as the rejections roll in, but at least I can say I put my best foot forward and did everything *I* could to get it in print. If it isn't meant to be right now, then it isn't. I'll try again with my next project. Maybe if that gets published, I can pull this one back out, dust off the cobwebs, use my experiences to edit it again and see if it goes somewhere. But my husband was right (astounding, huh ;) ), I don;t have anything to lose.
Em

 

[ajhoward]

Hi all,

I send out my queries in spurts. That way, I not continually expecting rejections. I give my psychic a rest before I succumb to the onslaught of another wave of rejections.

Thanks for sharing the malady. Might as well laugh at it.

AnneJ. 

[isinglass]

Can I borrow your psychic for a while? 

[SMWendtland]

At first, when I was not receiving any requests for partials, my routine would be to send out five queries, then when those were rejected, revise my query letter and send out five more.

Since then I have gotten my query letter pretty much where I want it, so I wait until I get two or three rejections then send out another batch of 5 to 10.  I am up to 76 total queries sent now, and am waiting to hear back on about 18 of them.  One partial still out there, two partial rejections.  I will keep going until I run out of agents, but I am about ready to start actively querying my other novel just so that I can feel like I am making my headway (and I have the beginnings of two more started, so rest assured I am not just sitting around watching the paint dry -- although the urge to check my email all day long is quite strong :-P)