When Your Agent Says "NO", by Hilary Wagner

You've battled through what may be the toughest step in your writing career to date. You landed an agent. You have representation, something to be very proud of. Next step: get published. Okay, an equally tough step...correction, even tougher. 

So what do you do when your own agent tells you "no"? In other words, your manuscript isn't clicking with him or her and they don't think your work is ready to send off to editors or maybe your latest manuscript is a complete bust and in their opinion shouldn't be sent at all.

It happens...and it hurts. 

Whether you've been published before or you're still trying to get published, a great agent is going to tell you when your work isn't up to par and should not be sent off to editors. If your agent truly respects you, they're going to tell you the truth no matter what. Agents only get paid when their writers get published, so a candid agent is truly looking after your best interests. The last thing you want is an agent throwing your work against editors' walls, just in the hopes something sticks, and here's why... many times, once and editor rejects a writer's work, they don't want to see work from that writer again. Of course there are exceptions, but why risk it? You've worked far too hard to land an agent, so listen to them, because once an editor from your favorite publishing house gives the dreaded "no", it could mean no forever. 

So, what do you do?

Talk it out with your agent. What were the major issues? Best case scenario your manuscript is salvageable. Perhaps your storyline went meandering in the middle or there's simply too many characters to keep track of. Some of the best books out there were completely rewritten several times over before they made it into print. Worst case, your agent thinks there not much worth saving and your manuscript will never see the light of day. If that's the situation, as much as it might sting, appreciate your agent's honesty, learn from your mistakes, pull yourself up by the proverbial bootstraps and get going on something new. Whether you spent months or even years on a manuscript you need to move on--as hard as that may be--and many times the best books come out of crushing disappoint and a new found fire.

Okay, but despite all of the above your heart is still dead set on getting this manuscript published, even after your agent says it's a no-go. Agents are agents for good reason, they know their craft, and an editor's thoughts will generally echo what your agent is thinking, but that's not always the case, so if you're still sure your manuscript is solid gold, at the very least compromise. Ask your agent if they'd be willing to share with one or two editors before completely letting it go. If feedback comes back similar to what your agent said, thank them profusely for helping you dodge a bullet! 

Bear in mind, even bestselling authors get told no by their agents or editors. It happens all the time. Nobody's perfect!

Long story short, we all want to succeed in this business and in order to do that we need to hear the good, the bad, and the very ugly when it comes to our work. Some of the most well published writers will tell you they've had some stinkers that have never and will never see the light of day, so don't despair. Once you get into your new story, you'll feel you have a new lease on life. 

A writer friend of mine, who is now a published mystery writer, has a wonderful mantra that we all need to follow. "Never give up! Never surrender!" 

Now get out there and write!

An Agent in Six Months! (or Eleven Years, but Who’s Counting?)

I’ve been writing for almost thirteen years but never consistently looked for an agent until 2009. Because an agent isn’t a necessity in the children's market, I figured submitting to an agent was an extra, unnecessary step. Instead, I sent queries and manuscripts directly to editors willing to take unsolicited submissions, always hoping the next editor would be The One.

In spring 2009, I won a contest at a local writing conference. At the last minute, I’d decided to send in my middle-grade historical novel-in-verse. It was my best work, but I wasn’t sure how it would be received alongside pieces meant for the adult market. My prize included a one-on-one with an editor who specialized in fantasy, sci-fi, and women’s fiction, a world apart from what I’d created. She took one look at my manuscript and asked, “Why don’t you have an agent yet?”

That’s when I started subbing in earnest, sending three to five queries at a time. I combed through blogs like Cynsations, Literary Rambles, and the Guide to Literary Agents, looking for any mention of agents taking on new clients. By May, I'd gotten my first full request. In June I got two more. In July another two. In September, yet another two.

By October, I’d had ten agents request fulls and two ask for partials. One agent liked my story, but felt some significant changes were necessary. I thought through her suggestions but took things in another direction, coming up with an entirely new, stronger ending. In the days I spent revising, two more agents requested fulls, bringing my total to twelve. I contacted the first agent, telling her I’d made changes to the story, though not long the lines she’d suggested. If she was still interested, I told her, I’d be happy to send it along, but I also wanted her to know two more agents were reading the newer version. She graciously told me she’d love to see the story if the other two agents passed. One did. One didn’t.

I found Michelle Humphrey on the Guide to Literary Agents blog and fell in love with her upbeat attitude about the publishing process (“Make rejection pie!” she said). She responded to my query the next day. A week and a half later, she emailed me, saying she’d read my manuscript in one sitting and wanted to talk to me about it as soon as possible. Less than two weeks after reading GLA’s post on Michelle, I had an agent. 

Not long after, I spent a morning reading through the submission records I’d kept over the years. Some information I’d had to fish out of other folders, but for the most part, I'd kept a pretty accurate (though low-tech and messy) list of manuscripts, submissions, editors, agents, and rejections.

Here's what the records showed:

11 years of writing (10 years of subbing)

11 manuscripts

211 rejections from editors (2 fulls and 1 partial requested)

12 contests/grants entered (1 win)

75 rejections from agents (12 fulls and 2 partials requested)

1 yes! (Thank you, Michelle)

Web Ventures

Lately, I’ve been hearing the same thing from a lot of writers seeking publication. “I have to get my website up,” they’ll say, or, “I have to start a blog. I’ll never attract an agent or editor without one.” And, indeed, in writing circles these days, it seems like a lot of emphasis is placed on the oh-so-important “web presence.”

But I sometimes wonder if the significance of web presence is overestimated by those seeking to be published. Granted, if you’re writing non-fiction, where having a platform (a way to reach readers and sell your book to your target market) is considered crucial by many agents and editors, a web presence is probably pretty important. But if you’re a novelist, is it really all that critical to getting your foot in the door?

Don’t get me wrong—a web presence certainly doesn’t hurt your chances of getting an agent or editor. And if you enjoy blogging and designing websites and have plenty of time to do so, then why not? But if you’re not blessed with copious amounts of free time or a burning desire to launch yourself into the blogosphere, should you force yourself to do such things in the name of getting published? I worry there are writers out there pouring time and energy into endeavors that are perhaps not especially necessary, taking away from their time to write, polish their manuscripts, or nail that killer query letter. And many I’ve talked to recently seem convinced that publication will never happen unless they do. Some are even putting off sending out query letters, as they feel they can’t even approach an agent or editor without first being established online.

When I signed with my agent, I had nothing in the way of a web presence—and I do mean nothing. Zip, zero, zilch, nada. No website, no blog, no Facebook account, no Twitter account, no MySpace page, nothing. Basically, I had an e-mail address. The same was true when my agent found a publisher for my novel.

Now, in the months leading up to the publication of my book, I did make a point of launching a website—www.IvysEverAfter.com, if you’d like to check it out (shameless plug)—and I did join Facebook. Both have been great ways to get word of my book out there, and it’s been fun and rewarding to meet some really wonderful people who love children’s books as wholeheartedly as I do. Obviously, I’m also blogging here on Project Mayhem, and what a great experience that has been! So I’m not knocking the web thing. But I do wonder if the importance of having a web presence before being published is sometimes overemphasized.

Having a strong book is obviously the most important thing. Personally, I think if an agent or editor loves your manuscript, it’s unlikely they’re going to turn you down because you don’t have a blog.

But I’d love to hear other opinions on this. Anyone out there who has had their web presence play a major role in being published? Please, share your thoughts and experiences.

-Dawn Lairamore

Social Networking Fail or Save Me from Myself!

What do you mean overcapacity??

It doesn't matter what stage of the writing game you're in these days. From newbie writer, just banging out your first query to published author, pretty much everything you read will tell you the same thing. Get out there! Blog, network, and get yourself on every social networking/writing forum known to man or you might as well just throw in the towel right now, because no editor, agent or reader will know you and you're going to be a monumental failure! Who will want to sell your book when you can't even sell yourself? Gah!!@#$%^&*)*&^%$#@!

I accepted your friend request, what more do you want??

 So, the good little soldier that I am, here is my social networking footprint:

1.    Joined Absolutewrite.com (awesome site, btw) just after I finished my first novel and started querying.  This was in January of 2008.

2.    Started my blog in May of 2009, just after I got my agent.

3.    Sold my first book in July of 2009, subsequently went crazy (see below) with worry     about promoting myself or no one would know who I was and therefore never ever  buy my book.

4.     Joined Twitter

5.     Joined Facebook

6.     Subscribed to every writer's blog and/or website on the planet

7.     Joined YALITCHAT

8.     Joined Enchanted Inkpot

9.     Joined SCBWI

10.   Joined SCBWI Listserve

11.   Joined Private Online Writers Group

12.   Joined Goodreads

13.   Joined AuthorsNOW!

14.   Joined JacketFlap

15.   Joined Chicago Writers Association

16.   Joined She Writes

17.   Joined Book Blogs

18.   Joined Shelfari

19.   Joined Mixx

20.   Joined Project Mayhem

21.   Joined numerous off shoots of Twitter, Facebook, Ning groups and the like...

Are you seeing a pattern here?? How is a writer supposed to write, when we are a member of so many networking groups, because it's so important that we promote ourselves?? These are all great groups/sites, etc., many I would highly recommend joining and I've met lots of fantastic writers, but c'mon, what the heck was I thinking? Did I really think I'd be able to come up with thought provoking commentary on all these sites on a daily/weekly basis? I felt a certain responsibility to myself, that if I didn't make time for everything I was letting myself down! I was letting my book down. Heck, I was letting my family down! Really?

Uhhh...You're doing it wrong...

Okay, that was seriously exhausting (scary) to write. I suppose my point is I had to cut down--severely, not to mention quit wigging out that I was tanking my future if I didn't social network constantly. I've had to force myself to realize you can only do so much. I had a talk with my agent a few months back, freaking about how sales were going to go with Nightshade City (before my book was even on sale) and I was so upset! She told me in no uncertain terms I must chill! She said I must stop worrying about all that. She's seen careers ruined, she told me, because of authors being preoccupied with promoting themselves and their work, constantly worried about sales and nothing else and the preoccupation can become paralyzing to a writing career, which she'd seen happen. OMG! Our job is to write--write books!

Long story short, I needed someone to tell me it's okay to be human. That I didn't have to comment on every post on facebook or every tweet on twitter or read/comment on every writing blog in the known universe. We are not super men and super woman--we are just people--people with kids, and jobs, and classes and bills...and dreams--lots of dreams. So, everyone who feels overwhelmed by their blogs, their friends, their followers, their comments or lack thereof, their likes or friend acceptances or ignores, all I can say is don't. STOP NOW! Click out of all those social networking sites, open up that mesmerizing little word doc icon on your desktop and write! PLEASE! You deserve it. ;)

xoxo -- Hilary