On Rejection

As you have probably guessed from the title of this entry, I've heard from the agency. They don't love me. In fact, two agents at two different agencies don't love me. And a magazine doesn't love my short story, either. So all in all, kind of a "You're a loser!" week on the writing front.

But that's okay. Rejection is part of the game. Like they always say, "If you're not getting rejections, you are not submitting." That's true for people who are just starting out. It's true for authors of most calibers. I'm just guessing here, but I'm fairly certain that there are only a few working authors who don't get rejection slips any more, and I'm fairly certain most of them have boxes full of them from early in their careers. Every now and then, a fluke will happen and the stars will all align and a brilliant new sun will blaze in the sky without a single rejection notice, but those moments are rare.

Here's a run-down of the events of the past two weeks:

The agency I really wanted to have represent me--the agency I emailed my query letter to back in December--held a contest, one that they compared to a "speed-dating" event. Hopeful authors had a one-hour window to submit their names, after which entries were closed. From the entrants, one hundred twenty-five names were drawn at random. Those people were invited to submit three pages of their finished novel. I was one of the fortunate few. (I feel like I should insert a smiley face icon here!)

A couple of days later, the field was narrowed to twenty-five, and those people were asked to submit ten pages. Again, I was in the running. (Would another smiling icon be too much?) The following week, the field was narrowed once more, this time to the top fifteen. Again, I was invited to submit, this time the first three chapters. When the next announcement was made, the agency would ask three contestants to submit their completed manuscripts.

This is where the dream ended for me. I got the email that told me that I was not among the three finalists. The gracious note basically said, "You did well, but we're not interested in your project at this time. Feel free to submit something else." So there it was, in black-and-white. They've looked at my book and don't want to see it again.

Not wanting to let any grass grow under my feet, I submitted a query letter to my second-choice agent that same day. Four days later, I had my rejection email from her.

The magazine I submitted to? They have an automatic notification to let you know when they've opened your submission. The rejection notice was time-stamped one minute later.

That's my fortnight in review. Rejection, rejection, rejection. And you know what? With all those rejections, I feel more like a writer!

Why An Agent?

In this time of tremendous changes in the publishing industry, many people might wonder, "Do I really need an agent?"

My answer is, "Yes." Just like I would never dream of buying or selling a house without a real estate agent, I would never dream of selling a manuscript without a literary agent. There are so many aspects in the world of publishing that are complete mysteries to me. Agents know and understand contract law. They are familiar with publishing houses and with the editors at those houses, allowing them to submit directly to the right person at the right publisher. Any book can generate offers in other fields: foreign sales, ebook editions, audiobook editions, and occasionally, movie rights. Negotiations. Complications. Disagreements. Difficulties. My head starts to spin when I think of all the things that could go wrong. My solution for dealing with them: Magic Fairy Dust.

But with the world shortage of Magic Fairy Dust, I am left to more mundane solutions, and the solution I like best is having an agent. A good agent is a guide through the mean, labyrinthine backstreets of the publishing world. His or her job is to make my job easier. And if you're really lucky, your agent can also be your friend.  

Here's a video in which Lucienne Diver from the Knight Agency explains what literary agents do and how to find a good, reputable agent. She covers most of the issues I had thought of, then adds a few that had escaped me.

And so, the Great Agent Search continues. More about the progress on that front next week. Until then, keep reading! And keep writing!

Now What?

Those of you who have been following me since the beginning know that, on December 31, I sent a query letter to a literary agent, asking if she would like to look at my novel. No groveling. No begging. Just a simple letter asking the woman who is the agent of some of my favorite writers if she would like to take a look at my novel.

The thing I think most people don't realize is this: once you hit "send," the simple task of acquiring an agent becomes a waiting game. According to the submissions section of this agency's website, potential clients should hear something within four to twelve weeks. They also suggest that, if you haven't heard anything within eight weeks, it may be advisable to resubmit your query letter using a different email address.

Tomorrow, it will be nine weeks since I sent the query. I've allowed one extra week, due to the fact that I submitted during the holiday season. After all, agents are people, too, with families and festivities. But I've decided that, if I haven't heard anything by tomorrow evening, I need to resubmit. I don't want to appear to be anxious or pushy, but I'm beginning to wonder if my query letter was lost in the Electronic Mail Room.

Ah, the glamorous life of a wannabe writer. :-)

In the meantime, because I was very bad last week and didn't blog like I was supposed to, here's a poem. I hope you like it!

           

Does writing come from the head or the heart?

 

As infants, as toddlers,

We don’t know how to communicate in any way

Except from the heart—

We live by our emotions.

We cry when we’re hungry.

We laugh when we’re happy.

We scream when we’re angry.

And someone answers our needs.

Life is simple.

As children, as teens,

We are taught how to communicate, how to write,

And we are taught that communication is governed by the head—

We live by our intellect.

We are taught the rules of grammar.

We are taught the rules of composition.

We are taught the rules of research.

And the simplicity of communication is crushed out of us.

Life is complex.

As adults, as writers, as authors,

A new understanding dawns on us:

Words must be governed by the head, but felt in the heart.

For the words to communicate, the syntax must be logical;

For the meaning to be clear, the words must be carefully chosen;

The words must work together and follow the rules in order

To communicate.

But we also know that, without emotion,

The words make no connections.

Without feelings, the words fall on deaf ears.

Without passion, our words will not be read—

And for a story, for a poem, not being read is

Death.

Writing is ruled by the head and the heart.

It cannot exist with only one and not the other.

Choose your words carefully,

Structure them well,

For it is the duty of your words to reveal a bit of your soul to the world.

And in the complexity of our writing,

We will find that people will answer our needs.

And our lives will be multifaceted: simple and complex and logical and emotional

And meaningful,

All at the same time.

Write well,

And you will be fulfilled.