Welcome to the Historical Fiction Online forums: a friendly place to discuss, review and discover historical fiction.
If this is your first visit, please be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above.
You will have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed.
To start viewing posts, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

How long should you wait for an agent to get back to you?

Got a question/comment about the business of writing or about the publishing industry? Here's your place to post it!
User avatar
fljustice
Bibliophile
Posts: 1995
Joined: March 2010
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Contact:

Post by fljustice » Tue May 8th, 2012, 4:10 pm

Sorry to hear it, Divia. You're doing the right thing keeping busy on the your other projects. If you still want to go the agent route, don't wait too long to send a pitch out to the next batch. Also pitch the small press publishers directly and if you get an acceptance, skip the agent and get a good Intellectual Property lawyer to look over the contract.
Faith L. Justice, Author Website
Image

User avatar
Divia
Bibliomaniac
Posts: 4435
Joined: August 2008
Location: Always Cloudy, Central New York

Post by Divia » Tue May 8th, 2012, 9:45 pm

I'm always in good company when I"m on this MB. :)

It hurts, but really, it was expected. I suppose everyone has that small glimmer of hope though, right?

I thought about small publishers. My friend who works in comics thought it might be a good thing to try. I'm going to send out the story to a few more and see what happens.

Meanwhile, if I can only get over that writers block on the one story ;)
News, views, and reviews on books and graphic novels for young adult.
http://yabookmarks.blogspot.com/

User avatar
wendy
Compulsive Reader
Posts: 592
Joined: September 2010
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
Contact:

Post by wendy » Fri May 11th, 2012, 12:54 pm

Condolences Divia. Rape topics are always a hard sell. My Dickinson-and-incest book was rejected by every US university press I sent it to, but on the advice of an agent I sent it to the UK and the first British editor who read it said yes. So you might want to try Canadian or UK agents / houses too. Good luck - and don't give up!
Wendy K. Perriman
Fire on Dark Water (Penguin, 2011)
http://www.wendyperriman.com
http://www.FireOnDarkWater.com

Village
Scribbler
Posts: 15
Joined: April 2012

Post by Village » Fri May 11th, 2012, 2:41 pm

Sorry to hear that Divia. I've just submitted to agents and am now accordingly donning tin helmet and bracing for the blitz of rejection emails.

User avatar
LoveHistory
Bibliomaniac
Posts: 3751
Joined: September 2008
Location: Wisconsin, USA
Contact:

Post by LoveHistory » Fri May 11th, 2012, 8:09 pm

Sorry that agent wasn't interested Divia. But it's a step on the road to publication. Everybody who's ever submitted has been rejected. Keep going. Your story will find the right home. :)

User avatar
Divia
Bibliomaniac
Posts: 4435
Joined: August 2008
Location: Always Cloudy, Central New York

Post by Divia » Sat May 12th, 2012, 11:02 pm

[quote=""wendy""]Condolences Divia. Rape topics are always a hard sell. My Dickinson-and-incest book was rejected by every US university press I sent it to, but on the advice of an agent I sent it to the UK and the first British editor who read it said yes. So you might want to try Canadian or UK agents / houses too. Good luck - and don't give up![/quote]

Hmm. Very interesting. Thanks for the advise. :)
News, views, and reviews on books and graphic novels for young adult.
http://yabookmarks.blogspot.com/

User avatar
bevgray
Reader
Posts: 113
Joined: February 2012
Location: Indianapolis, IN
Contact:

Post by bevgray » Tue May 15th, 2012, 1:34 pm

Oh how disappointing for you, Divia. I read a comment over on Passive Voice the other day about persistence being an underappreciated, yet essential, characteristic of a writer.

In addition to trying other agents, you might also look at some of the smaller presses (Absolute Write maintains a decent list of both publishers and agents) as some of them will accept unagented submissions as well as be more willing to take a look at something that is less commercial than current trends.
Beverly C. Gray
Army Brat and Lover of Historical Fiction
Guests are always welcome at my Web Site

maggie anton
Scribbler
Posts: 5
Joined: February 2009
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Contact:

Rejection letter

Post by maggie anton » Tue June 12th, 2012, 6:06 am

I would imagine that in general novels on the subject of rape will be difficult to sell. Certainly you've limited the appeal.

Post Reply

Return to “The Writing Business”