AlexS
Scribe
It was a "Your manuscript has many strengths, but..."
Well, that's a start.
Well, that's a start.
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Received my first response from a publisher!
- Thread starter AlexS
- Start date
Zilver
Sage
Great five words, don't even read beyond those. Never let anything you hear back get you off your game 
pmmg
Myth Weaver
Was it an acceptance?
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- #4
AlexS
Scribe
No
JBCrowson
Maester
To have finished a piece of work, submitted it and not received a no response dismissal are all worthy of celebration. Well done.
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- #6
AlexS
Scribe
Not day passed, and I got my second response!
"You have an interesting story to tell and there’s a lot to like about your approach. But ...."
"You have an interesting story to tell and there’s a lot to like about your approach. But ...."
Karlin
Sage
sounds great. maybe a tweak here and a rewrite there will get you over the threshold
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- #8
AlexS
Scribe
Ok, the third response (this one from an agent) was much more encouraging. Paraphrasing, it was:
"Doesn't work for me, but here's a secret email address that all agents in our agency monitor. Send it there, maybe one of them will take it."
Feels like progress.
"Doesn't work for me, but here's a secret email address that all agents in our agency monitor. Send it there, maybe one of them will take it."
Feels like progress.
Zilver
Sage
Whoooah, keep going!
Demesnedenoir
Myth Weaver
Sounds encouraging. I had a spec script requested by a production company in LA and I got this letter back, and I'll totally paraphrase this since it's been 25ish years.
Oh my God, I laughed outloud! I can't tell you how rare that is when reading scripts. It's almost too funny, you want to give the audience a chance to breathe. BUT vampire comedies don't make money.
Bam! The glowing review was actually longer than that, going into details. The funny thing is, this same producer told me to shop it at the Sci-Fi channel, and just the other day, I saw where Sci-fi or Syfy had a two year run of a vampire comedy where the character had the same name as the character in my spec script: Reginald. The premise was different, and to be blunt, inferior, but maybe I should've listened to the guy, LMAO.
Oh my God, I laughed outloud! I can't tell you how rare that is when reading scripts. It's almost too funny, you want to give the audience a chance to breathe. BUT vampire comedies don't make money.
Bam! The glowing review was actually longer than that, going into details. The funny thing is, this same producer told me to shop it at the Sci-Fi channel, and just the other day, I saw where Sci-fi or Syfy had a two year run of a vampire comedy where the character had the same name as the character in my spec script: Reginald. The premise was different, and to be blunt, inferior, but maybe I should've listened to the guy, LMAO.
JBCrowson
Maester
That's awesome. You absolutely have to send it to that email.
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- #12
AlexS
Scribe
Update: I'm up to 10 rejections, 5 from publishers, 5 from agents. I take it back, it definitely does NOT feel like progress. Mostly low-effort form replies, with no indication anyone actually read my work.
I am currently working on the sequel, and I would lie if I said the situation is not extremely discouraging.
I am currently working on the sequel, and I would lie if I said the situation is not extremely discouraging.
Karlin
Sage
Hang in there. And pick the publishers and agents carefully. Read everything you can about them, their blogs- you name it. It is a really difficult world.
pmmg
Myth Weaver
I can't say my submission to acceptance ratio has been great either. I have a few things out there, but really...its a lot of work to submit and little reward. Being an author is a masochistic exercise. You have to expect a lot of failure and questioning, and blows to the ego. Once in a while, it pays off
xena
Sage
That is huge, congrats! keep going.
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- #16
AlexS
Scribe
Update: It's been 31 rejections and I have officially given up
In what sense do you mean? As in, you've given up on traditional publishing, given up on any sort of publishing, or given up on writing altogether?
Finchbearer
Istar
I believe this is totally utterly normal and common. Average even. Writers keep going, either file it away and start afresh or keep working on the rejected piece and try to figure out what’s stopping it from being accepted.
Prince of Spires
Istar
There are two options I think. Either you haven't found the right publisher (or agent) for your piece, or it's not as good as you were hoping it would be. Both are of course a distinct possibility.
I can only look at my own writing. When I read back my first few stories and novels, I can now see they are nowhere near good enough to be accepted by a trad publisher. They're not bad. They're just average with lots of issues that stand out to the practiced eye. Nothing that breaks the story. Just things that mean it would never be accepted by a publisher. Especially since they have hundreds of stories to chose from.
The only solution? Write the next story. And the next. etc. Practice, seek feedback, and improve.
And in the mean time, either keep submitting the story, self-publish it, or put it in a drawer. The last is a decent choice even if you want to try one of the other two by the way. Shelve it for a while, and in 3 or 6 months, read it again with a critical eye and see if it can be improved.
I can only look at my own writing. When I read back my first few stories and novels, I can now see they are nowhere near good enough to be accepted by a trad publisher. They're not bad. They're just average with lots of issues that stand out to the practiced eye. Nothing that breaks the story. Just things that mean it would never be accepted by a publisher. Especially since they have hundreds of stories to chose from.
The only solution? Write the next story. And the next. etc. Practice, seek feedback, and improve.
And in the mean time, either keep submitting the story, self-publish it, or put it in a drawer. The last is a decent choice even if you want to try one of the other two by the way. Shelve it for a while, and in 3 or 6 months, read it again with a critical eye and see if it can be improved.
TWErvin2
Auror
Prince of Spires provided some solid insight and advice.
Most authors strike out with their first novel attempts. Just the way it is.
Sometimes what an author wrote and submitted just didn't match what publishers (or agents) are looking for, and the rejection has little to do with low quality writing or storytelling. But often the quality of the tale just isn't quite there.
Most authors strike out with their first novel attempts. Just the way it is.
Sometimes what an author wrote and submitted just didn't match what publishers (or agents) are looking for, and the rejection has little to do with low quality writing or storytelling. But often the quality of the tale just isn't quite there.
