Friday, January 16, 2009

Don't Ever Give Up

All writers have those weeks, those months, those years, and this past one was mine. I'd been waiting to hear from a certain editor about a manuscript she'd asked me to make changes in more than once. She told me numerous times how much she loved the story and let me know in December she would give me a decision after the holidays. You can see where this is going. She rejected it along with an apology and a thank you for all my patience and hard work in a losing cause. Great comfort that was.
I was disappointed for a while, and perhaps a I felt a bit of righteous anger. But I've had enough rejections over the years to know what I needed to get by this. I immediately send out a query to a publisher I've been wishing I had something to fit. They responded quickly with a request for a full manuscript after ready my query and synopsis. I'm so happy I didn't waste days crying in my cups. Okay, I had a glass of wine. But only one. And tonight I'm having one in celebration.
Now about that rejection I received from that agent today, I have a whole list ready to pick the next one from. I'm not giving up.
I'll be back tomorrow or the next day with an excerpt for my next week's release, A Ruthless Good.

1 comment:

Rowena Cherry said...

Good morning, Susan.

Congratulations on the new request for a full, and the best of luck with the agent quest.

It's obvious to me that you must write a really good query letter, and that you have a super synopsis or you wouldn't be doing as well as you are. So, it is just a matter of time, luck, and finding the right editor.

Are you entering American Title? If you haven't thought of it, you should.

By the way, if you made the revisions and were rejected by one editor in a publishing house, that might only mean that she's got your genre covered for now. You could submit to one of her colleagues in the same house.

Send her a note, courteously telling her that's what you intend to do.

I tried three editors in one house, and it was the fourth (whom I was too shy to try) who loved my work enough to make me an offer.

Best wishes,
Rowena Cherry