EMBRACING REJECTION

IT HAPPENED AGAIN YESTERDAY 
The dreaded rejection letter from a literary agent. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm actually glad I got a rejection. I realize that literary agents are busy people, but too many of them have resorted to the: I'll only respond to queries that interest me excuse for not writing back. Even a standard rejection message would be appreciated.

AGENTS TELL WRITERS TO BE PROFESSIONAL WHEN SENDING QUERIES, but how professional is it to ignore a business letter asking for representation? And that's exactly what a query letter is--a business letter from someone who has been writing their novel for several years and taken the time to research agents who have signed clients with similar books. More and more agents are accepting email only queries and the SASE has become obsolete. Like most writers I keep a detailed list of agents that I have queried. The list consists of the date the query was sent, the agency, where they are located, the agent's name and if the query contained sample pages and/or a synopsis. As soon as I hear back, I write down the date and add YES or NO. YES, if they've requested a sample or whole manuscript and NO if it has been rejected. I have to admit that more than half of the list is filled with question marks.

A literary agent who I sent a query to last September (five months ago) had requested 30 pages. I didn't hear back and placed a red question mark after her name on the list. Out of the blue, the other day, I received an email from her apologizing that she had kept the query so long and she would have an answer for me in a week. I suppose she was wondering if I was still looking for an agent and I wrote back to thank her for her message. I told her that in the interim I had made some changes to the manuscript and developed a stronger platform.

THE MARKETS ARE CLOSING FOR NEW WRITERS
Most large publishing houses are now closed to unsolicited manuscripts, which leaves the writer with two choices--find a literary agent or self-publish. I've heard so many horror stories from writers regarding self-publishing that I have no desire to try it. 

WHAT CAN A WRITER DO TO GET AN AGENT TO NOTICE HER WORK?
The query is the first thing an agent sees, so make sure it's perfect. Before you write the query research agents' blogs and websites to see what they want and personalize your query to each agent. Make a connection by telling the agent why you have selected their agency. Was it something they said in an interview? Have they represented authors' books that you love or do they specialize in helping unpublished writers find their niche? Let them know if you met them at a writers' conference or if they were recommended by another agent or author. 

Pitch the story in 3 to 10 sentences, but don't give the ending away. It should read something like the blurb on the back cover of a novel. Introduce the main character and explain something interesting or different about him/her. What is the main character's goal? Write an exciting incident that propels the plot into motion.

Polish the query and make sure the spelling and grammar are perfect. If their blog says they don't like gimmicky queries, don't start out with: What if... Tell them if you have published short stories or articles in magazines or newspapers. Enter writing contests and tell them if you've won any. If you have a solid platform tell them why you are the best person to write the book.

Don't query a mile-long list of agents at once. Query a few, then wait a few weeks to query a few more and write a question mark beside the names of the agents you haven't heard back from.

DON'T GIVE UP!
Whenever I receive a rejection I allow myself a few minutes to feel sorry for myself, then I remember that I have a darn good manuscript with a fresh untold story and I will find the right literary agent some day. 

I always respond to a rejection to let the agent know that I appreciate he or she taking the time to get back to me. We're all busy and, unfortunately, social media has deprived some of us of manners. No longer can a writer believe the adage: No news is good news.