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Re: Rejection Stats

Posted: September 15th, 2010, 2:34 pm
by John Dillon
d minus wrote:
Quill wrote:I'm kind of surprised how generally few queries have been sent by those reporting in this thread. I'm used to seeing stories about writers who found their agent after 75 attempts. I hope you guys putting your stats up are keeping on sending those queries out!

Continued best of luck to all!
I was one of the early posters on this thread (back in those glory days of last February), back when I had a low query count and a cushy request rate. Now my query count is embarrassing, and my request rate is becoming a sliver in a very dorky pie chart I keep. Of course, the two gluttons of that pie are No and No Word.
Amen.

Re: Rejection Stats

Posted: September 16th, 2010, 1:38 pm
by wonderactivist
I think it's a whole lot easier to post when we have only a few out...so far. I'm on my way to building a bigger rejection pile. First I have decided to not curse in the query, but more importantly, I've read some articles that got me to focus more on what my book is REALLY about, rather than the basic mystery. That part sounds cookie-cutter, I mean what could be less original than a murder and an investigation of whodunit. The article I read said to focus on what makes my book unique. In mystery, that isn't the basic plot line; it's the sub-plots, the characters, and themes. I should have realized that, yes, some genres might have a different query strategy.

Re: Rejection Stats

Posted: September 16th, 2010, 2:59 pm
by wildheart
wonderactivist- If you keep having trouble with your query or sample chapters I'd post them here in the forums. People give good feedback here.

Re: Rejection Stats

Posted: September 16th, 2010, 9:17 pm
by wonderactivist
Thanks, I'll try that. I'm working on the new query but maybe I'll start with the first three pages or something...it's kinda overwhelming to post something online. Can it come down after a few days or does it have to stay up?

Re: Rejection Stats

Posted: September 16th, 2010, 10:11 pm
by Quill
I think you can ask a moderator to delete it. The whole thread would come down. You can also post it in the password-protected feedback forum.

Re: Rejection Stats

Posted: September 25th, 2010, 3:16 pm
by Down the well
wonderactivist wrote:Genre: Mystery

Contest entries: 1
Contests outstanding: 1
Frazzled nerves: 20,000
Redoing my query: By all means, constantly
Good for you, wonderactivist. Though not that important in the grand scheme of things, contests can be a great way to get your work in front of an agent. Good luck!!


My stats:

Genre: Speculative fiction

Queries sent or written: 0
Contests entered: 1
Contests won: 1
Request for full ms: 1
Frazzled nerves: 20,000 sounds about right.

Re: Rejection Stats

Posted: September 27th, 2010, 10:35 am
by d minus
for the sake of this thread's integrity...

updated rejection stats, since I started querying in December '09.

64 queries sent (4 currently pending)
29 rejections
24 no response rejections
2 partial requests (1 > full request)
6 full requests (1 pending)

literary fiction

Re: Rejection Stats

Posted: October 1st, 2010, 12:46 pm
by androidblues
Genre: YA
Total queries sent to date: 8
Queries still awaiting a response: 3
Rejections to date: 5
Form rejections: 4
Personalized rejections: 1
Requests for pages: 0
Requests for manuscript: 0

Of course my query sucked and there wasn't really a plot so I don't blame them. It was a Love, Stargirl like book though.

Re: Rejection Stats

Posted: October 7th, 2010, 7:57 pm
by Netti
Genre: Speculative Fiction/Dystopia
Queries Sent: 21
Rejections: 4
Personalized Rejections(As in they actually put my name in the salutation): 1
Requests for partials: 0
Requests for full: 0

And I'm already dying inside because my top choice was second to reject me.

Re: Rejection Stats

Posted: October 7th, 2010, 9:39 pm
by Jessa
I feel for you, Netti. I sent my novel out to my top-choice agent exclusively and got the rejection back. Now it's time to send it out to the rest of the top tier. And I'm sure that if the miracle occurs and someone is interested, I'll be over the moon. But right now, all I can think is that the one agent I really, really wanted to represent me has no interest in my book.

It's like being a kid in Jr. High again, just hoping the guy you have a crush on asks you to the dance, but he doesn't even notice you.

Except, y'know, I'm an adult now and can drink wine to soothe my battered feelings.

Re: Rejection Stats

Posted: October 7th, 2010, 10:21 pm
by Netti
Jessa wrote:Except, y'know, I'm an adult now and can drink wine to soothe my battered feelings.
Unfortunately I don't turn 21 until March so I get to just feel lousy about it.

Good luck to you!

Re: Rejection Stats

Posted: October 8th, 2010, 3:39 am
by Heather B
Netti wrote:
Jessa wrote:Except, y'know, I'm an adult now and can drink wine to soothe my battered feelings.
Unfortunately I don't turn 21 until March so I get to just feel lousy about it.

Good luck to you!
Move to Australia. I'm 21 and have been legal for years now. I can barely remember what lousy feels like...

Re: Rejection Stats

Posted: October 8th, 2010, 6:17 am
by trirae
Ah what the heck. I'll play too.

Genre: YA/fantasy

10 Queries sent
4 Rejections
1 Requests for full manuscript
0 Requests for partial
0 Personalized rejections
5 Pending Queries

I probably made a classic mistake. I sent out five queries initially in the "small batch" theory. Got one request for a full, so I sent out a few others, but haven't been having luck with more requests. I keep tweaking the query slightly based on query forum advice, and I've got an idea for another overhaul, but I'm going to force patience. I get excited and want to send out to more agents, but I've got a writing retreat coming up, so maybe that will give me a little more perspective.

Today's was the first rejection that bothered me. Agent seemed like a particularly good fit, but on I go.

Re: Rejection Stats

Posted: October 11th, 2010, 11:17 am
by notw
Genre: YA fantasy
Queries sent: 6
Rejections: 3
Requests for full manuscript: 0
Requests for partial: 0
Personalized rejections: 0
Pending Queries: 3

I sent out my first four, then made a few changes to my letter before sending out two more.

Re: Rejection Stats

Posted: October 12th, 2010, 8:55 pm
by Netti
UPDATE:

Queries sent: 38
Rejections: 7
Rejections that actually put my name in the salutation: 3
Wait list*: 7
Requests for partials: 0
Requests for full: 0
Pending: 31




*This is due to the multiple agents at one agency predicament.