What To Do After 200 Rejections?
I received a few questions from newsletter readers, and I’d like to share the answers with you.
Q: Is it possible/advisable to query a manuscript that has been on submission before with an agent? It has been heavily revised--even a new title.
A: I could read this two ways.
First, you’re wondering if you could re-query the same (but revised) story to the same agent. In that case, it’s possible but not usually advisable. If they want to see another version of the story, they’ll almost always request it. I recommend querying something else. However, you can always try, and the worst they can say is...nothing.
The second way I could read this: you’ve had an agent and are querying for new representation. Can you send a revised story that’s been subbed by your previous agent? As a lead story, probably not. It sets you up for an awkward conversation during the offer call. “So my ex-agent submitted this story already but…” An agent may still be open to submitting it, but it’s complicated. What version was sent? To whom? How widely? You want your new agent to fall in love with something that has “no strings attached.” If it were me, I’d use this previously subbed story only as backup work. If that. This might be a better conversation for sometime in the future.
Q: Do you offer mentorships outside of the PBChat mentorship?
Sorry, I don’t. That said, I’ve committed to a fourth year of PBChat mentoring. Follow @pbchat1 on Twitter to find out when the application window opens.
Q: I’ve sold one picture book to a small trade publisher, and I’d love to have an agent championing my work on future deals. After nearly 200 queries, I’ve gotten R&Rs [revision requests], several personal passes, requests for more manuscripts, form rejections, etc. on seven different picture book projects but no offers of rep. My CPs [critique partners] think the projects are submission-ready but I’m not getting much feedback from the agents. How would you recommend I bust out of this pattern of requests, R&Rs, etc.? Should I try sell other projects to a publisher and get an agent’s interest that way? Keep querying and hope I finally find the right match? Sign up for more conference critiques with agents? Pause my querying until the world feels less uncertain?
I’ll delve a little into each of these questions, but I wonder if what you’re also asking could be this: Is the problem me or is it the industry?
If so, my answer is: Oh, it’s the industry. Definitely.
You have the right approach. You’re concerned about craft (critique partners); you’re professional and skilled (getting R&Rs); and you’re persistent enough to make it through 200 queries (wow!). It should have worked out by now, right?
Yes! It should have, but sometimes you catch all the rotten breaks.
Okay, what to do moving forward?
In years past, I strongly recommended writers sign with an agent before even thinking about publishers. I still recommend authors query agents first. However, my stance on submitting directly to publishers is softening.
The odds of getting an agent were never great but it’s become more difficult in recent years. During the pandemic, agents received a tidal wave of submissions. It seemed everyone quarantining decided to become an author. To process this workload, many literary agents closed for weeks or months at a time, and little to no feedback has been the industry standard since before covid. No feedback is the norm.
And it’s a tricky time for agents, too. Consolidation at publishing houses means there are fewer editors managing a greater number of projects. Meanwhile the number of literary agents keeps growing. If your agent isn’t well-connected or with an established agency, your submission might as well be wet tissue paper.
I predict some publishers will move to a simple ‘no’ response when rejecting agented queries in the coming years. All this means, is that some agents (especially newer ones) prefer the bird in the hand when it comes to offers.
Does this mean you should submit to publishers before agents?
No. I still recommend querying agents first.
However, it’s not unusual to go through several query rounds with no nibbles. My previous agent’s signing rate was about one in one thousand. This was four years ago.
If you’ve acquired two hundred agent rejections, submitting directly to publishers is a perfectly reasonable approach. However…
1) Please, please research publishers carefully.
2) Keep expenses to a minimum. Some writing retreats cost more than a picture book advance. Not a great investment in my opinion.
3) If you receive an offer of publication, don’t agree to the terms if you want to check with agents first.
4) Research agents carefully, too. You’re still better off on your own than with a bad agent.
Next month, I’ll dig into tips for analyzing agent queries to maximize your chance of success. However, for now take a breath and know sometimes it’s hard even if you do all the right things.
If you love it, push onward. There’s no deadline for success!
For now, I hope everyone has a good February.
Catch you next month!
Hannah Holt