Rejection Stats

[paravil]

We all enjoy reading Nathan's query stats, so I thought we should post some stats of our own. I think it'll be interesting to see, but we also occasionally need to be reminded that we're not alone in our rejection.

I'll go first:

Genre: literary fiction
Total queries sent to date: 9
Queries still awaiting a response: 2
Rejections to date: 7
Form rejections: 5
Personalized rejections: 2
Requests for pages: 1
Requests for manuscript: 0

You might also want to add a note on whether you re-tooled your query, and at what point. After three rejections, I revised the query (yet again), and finally got a nibble in the form of a request for pages. It may be time to sharpen it up a little more.

[taylormillgirl]

I have to say this: Congratulations to everyone in this thread for *making it* to this stage! I'm still in revisions, and I long to join you...but it won't be anytime soon.

[JustineDell]

Genre: Romance
Total queries sent to date: 8
Queries still awaiting a response: 4
Rejections to date: 3
Form rejections: 3
Personalized rejections: 0
Requests for pages: 0
Requests for manuscript: 1 (this one just happened yesterday)

After the first three querys I sent out last year got rejected, I re-wrote (thanks to you guys!!) and sent out 5 more just this past week. The request came from that new query.

~JD

[aspiring_x]

Genre: YA Paranormal
Total queries sent to date: 3
Queries still awaiting a response: 1 (don't expect to ever get that one back:)
Rejections to date: 2 (but really 3)
Form rejections: 2 (but one was tricksy, thought it was personal until i checked it out on query tracker :)
Personalized rejections: 0
Requests for pages: 0
Requests for manuscript: 0

THEN I figured out I wasn't ready to query yet... and my query letter sucked anyway. Now... edit. Again.

[paravil]

Congratulations on the manuscript request, Justine.

And yes, those rejections that initially appear personalized but aren't sting a little more than your standard form rejection.

[jordynface]

Genre: Contemporary YA
Total queries sent to date: 28
Queries still awaiting a response: 10
Rejections to date: 16
Form rejections: 15
Personalized rejections: 1
Requests for pages: 1
Requests for manuscript: 1 (a different agent than the one who requested a partial)

My stats have me a bit discouraged, honestly, but I'm powering through.

[casnow]

Sadly, I thought my first novel was ready, but it wasn't... the stakes just weren't high enough (although I still think it would make a great screenplay).

Here are the stats:

Sent out 3 months ago:
Queries: 31
No Responses: 18
Form Rejections: 8
Too Busy Rejections: 3
Requests for partials: 1

Out of the 11 rejections, 8 replied withing 1 week!

I found that I actually appreciated the fast form rejections and too busy replies - it didn't leave me hanging... but the fact that nearly 2/3's find themselves unwilling to reply is very annoying to me... at least have the courtesy to hit reply and paste in the form rejection... it takes 5 seconds.

[christi]

Mine are depressing.

Genre Urban Fantasy

queries sent: 41
queries replied to: 13
rejections: 13
no response: 28
requests for partial: nada
requests for manuscript: nada

It could be the word count. It could be the genre. It could be the complicated plot. Beats me. No rejections have been personalized.

[Nick]

no response: 28

Just curious, but how long ago did you send out those 28? Personally if they're fairly recent I would count them as "No response (yet):". If they've been sitting for a while...

[jordynface]

no response: 28

Just curious, but how long ago did you send out those 28? Personally if they're fairly recent I would count them as "No response (yet):". If they've been sitting for a while...

How recent would you say is recent enough to count queries as "no response YET"?

[Lunetta22]

I haven't sent anything out yet. I was told my first book wasn't good enough, so I didn't even try. This time I am determined even if I hear that again. I need my stack of rejection slips!

[juniperjenny]

SO depressed - it's nice to see I'm not alone in this slog!

Genre: MG Fantasy-adventure
Total queries sent to date: 14
Queries still awaiting a response: 9
Rejections to date: 4
Form rejections: 3
Personalized rejections: 1
Requests for pages: 1
Requests for manuscript: 0

I queried the agent of two of my friends - she asked for six chapters, but that was a few weeks ago. I retooled my query after sending out 7. Got THREE rejections yesterday. Ugh.

[christi]

no response: 28

Just curious, but how long ago did you send out those 28? Personally if they're fairly recent I would count them as "No response (yet):". If they've been sitting for a while...

Some are four weeks ago, then some are more recent. I've not written them off yet. Some say to give them four to six weeks. I just got another rejection this morning.

[Ryan]

Funny because I was thinking about starting a "Cry on my shoulder-Bang head on pillow" thread of some sort.

Genre: Memoir
Queries sent: About 10-ish?
Request for Proposal: 2
Requests for Manuscript: 0
Rejections: 4 or was it 5 or 6?
Never hear anything: 5?

Pretty nerve wracking stuff for sure. It's like you open your inbox and part of you is disappointed there's no new messages then you are almost glad you don't have to deal with rejection.

"I was a tough guy with thick skin until I started writing and sharing......"

Ryan

[marilyn peake]

Wow ... Congratulations to everyone here who received requests for pages with so few queries sent out! That's awesome! My understanding is that many published writers send out 100 or more query letters before getting an agent.

Ryan - My understanding of queries suggests that you may be doing a lot better than you think. 10 queries are considered a tiny amount to have sent out, and a request for partials from that tiny amount would be considered very, very good!