The 13th Rejection

Starting March 13- end April 13

How's the new blog post title "The 13th Rejection"? I'm playing around with new titles because I don't like plain "Rejection Rate." Have any better titles? Let me know!

Someone asked last month what my actual numbers were, instead of just percentages, and why I give percentages. My mind works best in fractions and percentages (one thing my mathematically-minded father was able to drill into my non-scientific brain). Each month, I answer about 300 queries and the partials depends on how many I have requested. This month, I've read and replied to about 50.

This month, based on queries, I rejected 86% of queries, much lower than it was last month. That's 259 queries that were rejected based on the query letter. Remember, as busy as agents are, we are looking for any reason to reject your query. You put all that effort into your manuscript, make sure you put just as much effort into the query letter. Go to sites such as Query Shark and ask your critique group to critique the letter (you DO have a critique group right?). There are many contests going on all the time, check out blogs for contests for query critiques. These are invaluable because the critiquers will probably be professionals and will give you honest advice (as honest as if you had paid a professional, which is also an option for you).

Based on partials, I requested to see more pages (50, 100, or the full ms) for only 6%. Out of 48 partials, I requested to see more pages on 3. I read only one full ms this month. Why the higher query numbers and low partials numbers? The queries were good and/or contained excellent ideas/plots/characters. But the partials weren't ready yet and/or started in the wrong place. The biggest reason is that I wasn't drawn in right away: VOICE.

But you've all heard this before. I talk about voice in every other blog post and spout the importance of the first sentence, first page, first five, first fifty pages in all the other blog posts. Someone hasn't been paying attention. Use your critique groups. Get professional critiques. Take classes. Etc. Etc. Etc.


Queries have been replied to up to March 29
Partials and fulls have been replied to up to March 6

Happy writing!

Rejection Rate

Lucky 13th day again! Time to report my stats of query letter rejection. For those of you who are new, every month I report how many query letters I've rejected for that month, and offer a few words of advice/observations for the month.

This month, I rejected 82% of queries, a huge difference my previous 70%. Don't be too discouraged, a good number of these queries were completely the wrong genre for me, not a reflection of query quality. This number is good for showing how many people don't do their agent research or haven't perfected their queries yet.

Perhaps a better number to look at is how many partial manuscripts I've rejected, and how many I've requested. This number shows you how many people's manuscripts aren't ready when they query (for a number of reasons, but that's an entirely separate post--and book). This month, I also saw a huge difference in my numbers. 95% of partials were rejected, which means I only requested additional pages from 5%.

Discouraged? The beauty of this business is that there is always room to learn, and there are always people wanting to teach. As an agent, I get discouraged sometimes too, always wanting to find that ms that I will dream about, can't stop talking about. Remember all the books you probably read in a year; how many of those books will you talk about nonstop weeks after reading? That's what I'm looking for--that ms I'll LOVE.

Don't think the query business will pan out for you? It can, if you keep at it and learn from failure. I signed one author this month who I found just that way--through queries. I signed another this month, and I found her--or she found me--at the San Fransisco conference. So, to up your odds, query and attend conferences. You'll learn a lot both ways.

So now, things I've thought about/ learned/ realized this month:

My eyes sort of glaze over when I see "vampires" in the query. I think it's dried up in the YA world, but I'll consider it for adult Paranormal or Urban Fantasy. Make it original. Make it sparkle (but not in an Edward Cullen's fairy sort of way).

That said, don't start your query telling me how different or awesome or how sick I am of seeing vampire queries. Present your query. It should speak for itself.(This goes for everything else. You don't need to spell out why your book is needed in today's climate. We're agents--it's our jobs to know these things.)

Be clear if the book you are querying is self published already. In which case, the only thing we care about are numbers, no matter how awesome your query is. Because that's all publishers care about. General rule of thumb, if book sales aren't at least 5,000 in the first 6 months, neither agents nor publishers will look at it. And if it's older than 6 months (without spectacular sales), it's old news. (Very general rule of thumb, and it varies depending on who you talk to.)

Sign your name, not just your initials. It's all well and good if you want the name displayed on your book to be your initials (it works, just look at JK Rowling), but when signing your query letter, please use your first name. I like to know who to address it to. I'd feel awkward composing an email as "Dear JK."

I seem to be getting a lot of queries for superhero novels lately. Whatever the reason for the sudden influx, and whatever the age group, I don't represent superhero novels. To me, they belong in movies, comic books, and graphic novels. Leave the novels to the sparkly vampires. (Not saying it won't pan out for you, there are people out there who will like it--love it, sign it, buy it, give you lots of money for it--you'd just really, really, really have to sell me on it.)

I'd like to know a little about you, gentle readers. On this Lucky 13th day, what good things have happened to you this month? This can range from selling a book, getting represented, getting a partial requested, attending a cool workshop, finishing a page, getting inspiration from a walk--anything really.

Happy writing!

Rejection Rate: Take 3

It's that time of month again: lucky 13th has come and gone (today's the 14th, you very smart readers, I know, but better late than never). And here are my rejection stats and advice for the month.

This month has been a little more productive than last month. While I didn't request many more partials based on the query alone (okay, actually I requested 1% more this month than last month), I did request more partials based on the first 20 or 50 pages. I read 3 full manuscripts (2 more than last month), but signed only one client.

So, of approximately 600 queries since December, I've signed one author. To put that into perspective, you have a 29% chance of getting pages requested based on your query. A 12% chance of getting more pages requested based on the initial sample. And a .167% chance of being signed.

Things that will significantly increase your chances? Based mostly on bios of people I request and reject, those who have worked with editors, participate in critique groups, and attend conferences, are much more likely to have more pages requested. Why is this? Because they've worked on their craft longer. If not longer, than they have been using the right tools.

Put it this way: two people are building a house. One man is building it based on the other houses on the street, from what's he's observed. The other man took classes, bought the right tools. Which house is going to be sturdier? Last longer? Be more visually pleasing? The man who took classes, right? Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. There might be one man in a million that can build that house with no prior experience and you can't tell the difference between him and the professional. For your sake however, don't consider yourself the exception. More often than not, you are the rule.

This month, I've noticed a change in how I read things. Maybe I'm becoming a "real agent"? Haha, let's hope so. Last month, I think I was looking at a good five pages of a partial before giving it the boot. Giving it a real chance. I don't have the time anymore. More often than not, I don't get past two paragraphs. Sometimes, I actually stop at the first line. When people tell you how important that first line is, they aren't joking. First line, first five pages, first fifty, first one hundred, the whole book. Open your ms, what's happened in the first page? What's happened by the first fifty?

That's my advice this month. It's short, it's bitter-sweet, but maybe it will help. Have a writer/editor friend read your manuscript and give you constructive criticism (or pay for it; this route is invaluable if you find a good editor because they are an unbiased party). Examine your ms at specific points- first sentence, first paragraph, first page, first five pages, first twenty, first fifty. What's happening at each of these points? If nothing has happened by page five, you might have too much back story. You might be starting in the wrong place. If nothing has happened by page fifty (has the main character's life been altered by this point?) then the beginning is too slow.

Happy writing!

Rejection Rate take 2

This past month, starting on Dec 13 and ending today Jan 13, I've kept track of queries responded to, rejected, and requested.  In the past month, I have responded to over 300 queries.  Based solely on the query, I rejected 72% of those.

Wow do I feel like a sucker.  Some writers out there got creative and just plain good at query letters.  A few months ago, I reported my rejection rate at 86%.  However, what isn't good news, is the amount of full manuscripts I have requested based on those partials (20-50 pages depending on my mood): I'll give you a hint.  It's less than five.

Those number still sounding really high to you?  Freaked out?  Ok, here's an example that will hopefully put it into perspective for you.

Imagine you are in a bookstore.  How many books are in there at any given time?  10,000?  Ok, let's go with that number.  You are roaming the shelves.  One in every one hundred you pick up to read the back cover blurb.  One in every ten of those might sound interesting.  You leave the store with one book.  That's basically what agents do.  Except we wade through stuff that isn't ready to be published.  Most of the time though, it simply doesn't intrigue us.  There are plenty of books on the shelf I gloss over because they just don't interest me.

Here are a few personal things about me as an agent, since it may be unclear elsewhere.

• I do not represent Middle Grade.  YA for me begins at roughly 15, as long as the character has an "older" voice (meaning they don't sound MG).  
• I do not represent Women's Fiction.  I do however, represent Paranormal Romance which is a subgenre.
• I do not represent Literary Fiction.  We do, however, have fabulous agents at the agency who do.
• I do not represent Mystery/Crime or Thrillers.  Cozy Mysteries, however, have a special place in my heart.  Mix Mystery/Crime/Thrillers with paranormal and I'm a happy camper.
• "road trip" -  reminds me of the very acidy trip Where the Buffalo Roam.   So it's a no.
• I don't do "sub-real" or "experimental" or anything else that can describe Gravity's Rainbow or House of Leaves. You will, actually, make my day a little worse if you mention them.
• Chuck Palahniuk.  See above.  His stuff freaks me out.  And not in a good way.  (great respect for all four authors and books, it just isn't my cup of tea)

Here are a few pointers to add to my previous post's list.

• I love when writers are trying to build a platform with their websites.  But DO NOT tell me hi, include the link, and expect me to go there.  Still gotta include the query.  And word to the wise, if you have sample chapters on your site, and I'm feeling generous, I will take a look--so keep that in mind if you have no idea why you are getting rejected.
• Passive voice.  Avoid it.  Especially in your query.  If you use it in your query, you probably aren't aware of it, and therefore it probably runs rampant in your ms.  Dead give away.
• Don't rely only on spell check (ms or query).  Have someone take a look at it and careful of your homonyms.
• Very briefly, if you are a debut author, keep your word count within the confines.  I won't look at 280,000 words.  Querying a novel like that only marks you as someone who doesn't know what they are doing.  In the same vein, I'll do the same to a word count I feel is too low.  I like long books, so usually anything under 60,000 words sounds too short to me (actually, 60,000 words sounds too short to me, but I won't judge if the genre is right).  (good guidelines here)
• Please distinguish your genre very clearly, especially between YA and MG.

Starting this month, every month, on the lucky 13th, I'll report my rejection rate and a few pointers I picked up from query letters that month.  I will not directly reference any query letter nor will I take direct wording.  I respect your privacy as a writer and strive to keep that confidence.  These are general tips meant to benefit everyone.  On a happier note...

Happy writing!