xakara

I have to say that although I'm grateful beyond words for the resources on the internet, there's such a thing as too much of a good thing.

The fact that new novelist stay sane and mildly coherent with all the contradictory advice out there is a miracle. I salute my fellow pre-published newlings out there. Yes, pre-published rather than unpublished, it's all in how you language a thing.

For those of you out there with your heads spinning on everything from ms format to agent vs. unagented submissions; take a breath, step back, and refocus. I know that it's confusing so instead of trying to guess which advice to follow, customize your queries and ms to the specific people you're sending them to.

You should already be looking up agents/editors online for the titles they've published, and what they're currently looking to take on. Along with this, if you search you'll usually find a blog or agency site blurb that will tell you exactly what the agent/editor wants. If its not specific, then there is often a email or address and/or number where you can mail or call and double check which format they want.

Take notes and then you can take an easy breath that format of all things will not be the obstacle you have to overcome.

A comment on rejection...

Don't be afraid of it. Fear of rejection is in fact a fear of not being liked. Agents and editors don't know you, they don't have a chance to like or dislike you based on a few pages you sling their way.

They're not in the business to like or dislike you and most know that you're probably a wonderful person who makes great chocolate chip cookies. But their business is to look at what you have to offer and decide whether or not they're the one who can sell it. If they aren't that person the best thing they can do for you is tell you that and let you move onto the next person on your list.

It's better to have a definite 'no' in a week than a tenative 'maybe' that drags out for months and then still ends in searching for someone else.

Now I freely admit that I've never received a form letter rejection and I can't speak to what it means to not even warrant a personal response. However, statistically its just a matter of time if I cast my net wide enough. Some agents and editors simply do not have the time to personalize their replies. Worse, many who have bothered in the past have gotten nasty or snarky replies in turn that don't make it seem worth it.

If you really think your form letter was wrong then try an empathy building skill. Anyone with a friendlist of 100 or more send out a bullentin and asks everyone to email you and expect a speedy reply. Now spend 8 to 10 hours fulfilling all your other obligations because they're urgent and then get go to deal with your email box and begin to reply. You start to get a sense of how busy these people are and why any response at all is at leat the blessing of knowing your query/pages were received and have been evaluated.

This is not to say that your project, your baby that you've sent out into the world isn't important. The time and creative energy we spent on our mss is worth a reply. But where we're worried about one ms, the person or people we're eagerly waiting to hear from have twenty sitting on their desk and 200 queries still to answer. Being anti-social and unloving of being rushed, I sympathize with the stress of the situation.

But back to rejection itself...

If everyone you know likes you from work to your neighbors to the guys at the corner coffee shop, then you're the spawn of satan and I'm not talking about you. For the rest of us, there are many people we see regularly who don't like us. Most don't actively dislike us, but they don't care one way or another what's going on in our lives. But they see us and interact with us and don't feel obligated to hang on our every word without reason.

Editors and agents are the same. They have a very brief moment in time to encounter our writing and must make a "snap" decision. And they haven't even met us in person! So just like your life goes one when they guy who makes your morning latte doesn't smile and ask about you day....you're life will go on after an agent or editor turns you down. Embrace the process and don't let it own you.

I've received compliments and enthusiastic praise on my writing since my first AP English class from friends and virtual strangers alike. It's grown more enthusiastic and interested as my writing and subject matter have matured. I don't have to impress and woo every agent and editor out there. I just need one of each who agree (maybe five if dealing with junior associates who need approval from a committee, but still,) with personal teachers, random professors, contest judges, unobligated internet readers of varied blogs/threads, and my admitted semi-obligated friends.

The people I've encountered aren't from other planets so they can't be that hard to find others of similar opinion. The same is true of many others. As long as we keep looking and keep polishing our style, we'll eventually get the right words in front of the right eyes and things will go from there.

Ramble over, discuss amongst yourselves. (All four of you)