Querying and Rejections
Let me start by saying, I am not a published author nor have I secured an agent- currently my book is being beta read! This means that I am working on creating a list of agents and understanding what makes up a query letter. Obviously I am not an expert, but this is my two cents on the whole thing.
Query letters need to be personalized to the agent or publisher (yes there are publishers who accept manuscripts from non-agented authors, but look at submission guidelines!!!). This means that you have to look at the agents history, wish list, and their client list. Find books in the same genre as you and look for that authors agent! It takes extra effort, but it is important to personalize your query, and really it isn't that hard, the rest of the letter will be the same (unless you are changing the genre depending on the agent- in my case I can list my book as Action, New Adult, Commercial Fiction, or Upmarket Fiction. This will change based on what the agent is looking for).
After you have your agent list and you have personalized the letters, that is when the most nerve wracking part begins! You now get to start sending out letters. From what I have researched (again not an expert, nor have I don't this yet!) the most common method, and the best approach, is to batch send the letters. Send out 5-10 letters at a time, and make sure you track the queries!!! You can use dedicated sites (Query Tracker being a popular one) or you can create your own document/spreadsheet (I will be using Query Tracker AND a spreadsheet, just personally). Wait until you have gotten responses from everyone in the first batch before you send more letters (you can always personalize/craft the next batch of letters in the meantime). In some cases the agents will not respond, but the radio silence is a response in and of itself. Look at the submission guidelines to understand this. If the guidelines say that it will take up to 6 weeks to get a response, and you wait the 6 weeks with no response, that is a rejection, mark it down and move on. This part takes the longest and is the part that scares off a lot of new authors, but you got this!!
Rejections are probably the most painful part of the writing process, but it is necessary. Not every agent is a good fit for your book, and that is okay. I think that I am an outlier in that 1. I am excited for the rejections, and 2. I don't care if I get rejected. There are some reasons for that. For point 1, I know that each rejection puts you closer to an offer of rep. It isn't personal, and it doesn't mean my writing is bad. I am confident in my writing ability, and am happy with the book I have created. If an agent doesn't gel with my writing, that's totally fine. I guarantee you have not loved every book you have ever read, but someone liked it. To point 2, I can not stress enough how little I care about being rejected. I never set out to be an author, I have never once enjoyed writing full length books. I have always been a short story girly, and also tele/screen plays. However, I am also mentally ill and in one of my manic episodes I turned a screen play I had written into a full length novel. At that point I figured I might as well try to get it published since it is written! My point being, I did not set out to become an author, if it happens that's super cool, if it doesn't then I won't lose sleep over it. I personally will submit no more than 100 letters, if at that point I don't find an agent, then I'll stop. I know that sounds like a lot, but it's really only about a year of work/waiting, since most agents have 6-8 weeks response caps. I don't think I would recommend setting a cap on your own querying process, but for me it works.
I understand how the rejections sting. You think you created this fantastic book, and I believe you did! That doesn't mean everyone will love it, and that's normal. I know people who feel so many ways about the publishing process. My aunt was super against self-publishing, and wanted to go the traditional route. I have personally read her work, and I think she is a genuinely good writer, however, the fear of rejection has led her to avoid traditional publishing and is now actually working on self-publishing her first novel. My mom writes but is entirely against publishing in any sense because of the fear of rejection. I just don't care. They wanted to be writers, and they love writing. I love writing but am okay no matter what happens. I mean this blog is me screaming into the ether!
Take the rejections in stride. They aren't a slight against you or your writing. Some agents will give you feedback about your letter or your sample, and do take that into account, but also feel free to not take it to heart. There is an agent out there for you, it may just take some time to find them. As long as you believe in your work, that's what matters. Every author has been rejected, it's just part of the long process, but you will get through it!
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some outlining to get back to!
-Elizabeth
