This probably isn’t the best idea. Blogging shortly after receiving a quite perfunctory rejection makes a rant rather too tempting. So I’ll keep it short; Children of the Resolution “undoubtedly has merit”, but it isn’t for them. Once again, the phrase “This business is so subjective” was tagged on the end — and whilst I understand and appreciate their position… yes, I’m disappointed and disillusioned…
Children is a very personal novel. It’s not a high concept genre novel, but I still feel that it has something very worthwhile to say and deserves a chance. I have a sneaking suspicion, however, that mainstream publishing just doesn’t want to listen. This rejection is only one opinion, of course, but from a leading agency — one that’s been sympathetic to my work in the past — it doesn’t bode well.
Next, I will therefore be trying Legend Press — a small, dynamic independent that I’ve dealt with in the past. They were extremely encouraging and expressed an interest in reading more work, work that fit their list a little better (which I think Children of the Resolution does.)
Here we go again…
Gary William Murning Online 
That’s a shame, but good luck with the next publisher. 🙂
Cheers, mate!
Don’t let the first rejection dampen your spirits!
Some people don’t know a good thing when they see it, simple fact of life.
I really wish you all the best of luck with Legend Press.
Good luck with Legend Press Gary.
Gary, You don’t need my advice, but mind if I commiserate?
I received a rejection on a short recently. The editor loved it, but it was too literary for the genre anthology. This has happened three times to me with different stories and editors. Trouble is, the literary erotica market is pretty nonexistent. Editors want genre and genre wants exact styles and plots. I’m told when I use allusions to Rimbaud, readers get confused. lol
And honestly, I never had any good experience with an agent. They’re like a necessary evil but only if you aim at big print houses. Otherwise, I’m not sure what use they are. If you’re getting feedback at all, you’re making progress. I’ve gotten returns with just a “no thanks” stamped on the top of my manuscript.
I’m sorry, Gary. Glad to hear you’re not giving up, though. You’re an inspiration. I mean that.
Hugs,
Lottie
Hayley: I’m feeling much more positive today. I’m determined to see that this one makes it to print. Thank you!
Richard: Cheers — that’s much appreciated.
Teresa: I never say no to a little commiseration 😉 … Actually, I think you’ve hit on a good point there, regarding your use of allusions to Rimbaud. I have a theory that agents and some editors with large publishing houses seriously underestimate the average reader. Everything has to be intellectually safe, well nailed down and picture book clear, because people buying books these days, you know, aren’t what they used to be. Well, I know for a fact that that isn’t true. I suspect you do, too.
Good luck with the literary erotica. I’d buy it! But then you probably knew that already 🙂
Lottie: thank you, love. Maybe that’s what I should focus on — being inspirational 😉 Self-help books sell really well, don’t they? LOL.
Hugs back.
Go for it, and good luck. I sent my first novel off to eight agents and two small-ish independent publishers and got nine rejections. It was the second of the small indies who got back to me last of all and said yes, and they published my second book two years later. Anything else I’ve had published since has been through a combination of chance and luck, but an independent publisher will generally have more time to seriously consider your work. They still receive their fair share of manuscripts, but it’s nothing like the volume received by agents, most of whom are looking out for the next JK Rowling/Ian Rankin/Dan Brown or humourous stocking filler to sit next to your loo!
If all else fails try writing a made up pain memoir with some godawful title like “Why, Daddy, Why?” They seem to be clogging up every book shop I walk into these days!
No! Just keep doing what you’re doing! Self-help books are poison! LOL
David: a made up pain memoir… actually, that sounds like fun! Bad fun, but potentially very entertaining and highly lucrative 😉
Lottie: how about a self-help book for people addicted to self-help books? I could call it… let me see… You Don’t Have To Be a Fucking Sad Bastard All Your Life — something subtle like that. What do you think?
An anti-self-help book! That’s got to be marketable, surely LOL
I think the neighbors heard me laughing at that! 😆
Have they sent for the men in the white coats? 😉
Over a 9 months period, I queried over 120 agents about my last novel, 60 asked to see it, and finally, in the exact same week, 3 agents asked to represent it. Don’t let one or two rejections get you down! 🙂 It just takes time. That said, if you get 10 rejections of your query letter, you need to consider revising it. Good luck!
120 agents?! I’ve been doing this quite a while and I have trouble finding more than 30 or so to send my query letter to!… You wouldn’t happen to be in the States, would you? I’ve tried dipping my toe into that market but it’s pretty daunting.
Actually, this rejection did — briefly — hit me harder than usual. I think because it’s semiautobiographical and, also, because this particular agent had read a couple of my earlier novels and expressed a degree of enthusiasm. I got rather too optimistic. Set myself up for it, you know?
Thanks for the good luck wishes. It is appreciated (and needed! LOL)
Keep going mate. the concept of the book is fantastic and deserves to be seen/heard/read
Thanks, John — I still think, like you, that there’s a definite place for it out there (somewhere!) All the kind words of encouragement certainly make it easier to keep plugging away, though, so thanks for that!
::::Grabs her trusty baseball bat:::…let me at em!!!
She went thatta way!
Children certainly deserves a broader audience–and yes, you do already have a significant fan base. I hope you mention that in your cover letters.
I do — or, rather, I’m starting to. I always have a link to my blog in the email, too, and I know publishers like Kunati and Legend, the Independents I’ve dealt with and, in Legend’s case, am dealing with again, tend to look at websites/blogs if a link is provided. I am going to push this more heavily in future, now, though.