Well, I got a rejection from the lovely agent with The Secret Agent Contest. Man, she’s fast! I sent it off on August 25th and she got back to me this morning. It stings, but the pain is less sharp now. I think my skin is getting thicker as I hopefully get closer to the agent who will be mine!
It was a nice letter so I can’t really complain. She didn’t think the conflict came in soon enough. By chapter 5 which is like page 48 is when the first bit of an “attack” happens so I didn’t think that was too far for the conflict. I do build the world, set up the mystery a bit and then it’s “attack”. Maybe I need rethink the beginning, but at the same time, this is the first time I’ve gotten that bit of feedback, so maybe I should just leave it alone.
She also said she felt like Ryan (one of my mc’s) was whiny and self-indulgent-lol. I smiled when I read that because Ryan is a bit self-indulgent when it comes to the female mc because they have known each other all of their lives and he picks with her kind of like a brother, he's over protective of her, and he's secretly in love with her. He is a bit of an a-hole but that’s how I want him—a slight a-hole who has a big heart and would do anything to keep the people he cares about safe. I guess I can’t really do much if some people don’t like him. It’s impossible for everyone to like what you do and who you create. I like him and I made him to be a bit self-indulgent (not whiny) and a bit of an a-hole.
So, back to waiting and writing, and waiting some more ;-)
10 comments:
Sorry to hear about your R, but at least she didn't keep you hanging. I'm thinking of entering the next one.
Way to stay positive about the whole situation, though! Kudos!
Sorry about that....but we all know that's the way this business is, so hang in there. It's cool that she gave you specific advice. I suggest letting that sit on the backburner and revisit her comments in a few weeks. I learned a lot from comments I got from an editor and an agent. It may be you just need a few lines that increase the tension earlier on, rather than the conflict you describe.
Thanks you guys. Tere-I'm definitely trying to stay positive. In the mean time, I'm going to finish editing the second book of this series and then start a whole new book. Not sure which project I'm going to do just yet, but I'm excited about them.
Tricia-you're right. I think I will let it sit for a few weeks and maybe I can tweek the conflict or at least increase the tension earlier, maybe.
Thanks again guys.
When I started writing with the quest for publication...I never ever realized how subjective it could all be. This one person thinks this way, but the next may love your character!! I think we have no choice but to keep trying....keep submitting...keep the hope alive that someone out there will love your story as much as you do.
Thanks Stephanie. I am keeping my head up and steadily submitting to other agents. I know I'll find one for my career who will love what I write.
Aw man! I FEEL your pain. I'm querying too. And I HATE those rejection emails or letters. But like you said, you're hopefully getting closer to THE agent, one step closer. One step closer. :)
Thanks. And hopefully you are getting closer to THE agent for you!
Hey there, thanks for dropping by my blog. :)
I think the idea of letting the comments sit on the back burner for a little while is a good idea. It sounds like you probably don't need to tweak much unless you do decide to have the conflict occur closer to the beginning. It doesn't hurt to step away from the MS for a little while so that you can look at it with fresh eyes.
It's a challenge to decide which comments to address and how to address them, isn't it?
Nice that you got some specific feedback. All my queries have received boilerplate responses.
Thanks Pj, and yes, it is a challenge deciding which comments to address. I'm working on edits to the second book in the series as well as a new WIP. I've got about 40+ queries out there so I have enough to keep me busy while I let Light Bringers sit.
Hi Sherie, most of my queries get form rejects too, but this was a full, so I'm glad she gave me feedback and not just a, "sorry, not for me" type of response. That would have sucked-lol.
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