First Rejection
After eleven months of sending my manuscript out to the ether—well, not really the ether, if I could make an analogy here it'd have to be well-calculated and possibly interested ether—I received my first "rejection" letter on Friday.
I have been expecting one now for quite a while, so it didn't damage me at all as a writer or a person to receive Friday's news. Quite to the contrary—it reaffirmed there was someone out there reading my work when I thought no one was and that means more to me than you'd think.
There is some back story to this rejection. When I hadn't heard anything from the first agent I sent Song of the Fell Hammer to, one of my author friends who had just had his first novel published suggested I send it to his agent. The agent in question does not specialize in fantasy or sci-fi. But she said she'd look at it and let me know what she thought.
She read it and called it "beautifully written." But like many submitted books, Fell Hammer needed work. She pointed out the areas she thought needed fixing. I rewrote the entire book and sent it back to her. After two months, this is what she wrote me in the letter:
Dear Shawn,
Thank you so much for your patience while I considered SONG OF THE FELL HAMMER.
I think the changes you made have certainly strengthened the manuscript, and it now flows far better than the original version. Your writing is very descriptive, and I see a great deal of potential here. That being said, after much internal debate, I'm afraid I just didn't feel the necessary enthusiasm to give this the time and attention it will need and deserve.
You're a true talent, so I'm sure that other agents will disagree, and I do wish you every success.
Thanks so much for the look!
Best Wishes,
R
I consider that a very nice "rejection" letter. And although it may be pure smoke being blown up my own arse to soften the blow, I find a lot of merit in what she had to say. I think I do have a strong book. My early readers think it is a strong book and deserves to be published. I also think it has potential.
But more than anything I want a champion to represent and publish my work. I want someone who has inexhaustive enthusiasm after they turn the final page. And I am happy that Agent R feels the same way as well and is professional enough to know what drives her own work.
So, tomorrow, I will be sending my manuscript out to two new agents. It is currently with two other agents and I am awaiting word from them any day. I am still pleased with how things are going, albeit slowly, and that flame of creation and drive to see my work in the hands of others remains strong.
And the process starts all over again.
I have been expecting one now for quite a while, so it didn't damage me at all as a writer or a person to receive Friday's news. Quite to the contrary—it reaffirmed there was someone out there reading my work when I thought no one was and that means more to me than you'd think.
There is some back story to this rejection. When I hadn't heard anything from the first agent I sent Song of the Fell Hammer to, one of my author friends who had just had his first novel published suggested I send it to his agent. The agent in question does not specialize in fantasy or sci-fi. But she said she'd look at it and let me know what she thought.
She read it and called it "beautifully written." But like many submitted books, Fell Hammer needed work. She pointed out the areas she thought needed fixing. I rewrote the entire book and sent it back to her. After two months, this is what she wrote me in the letter:
Dear Shawn,
Thank you so much for your patience while I considered SONG OF THE FELL HAMMER.
I think the changes you made have certainly strengthened the manuscript, and it now flows far better than the original version. Your writing is very descriptive, and I see a great deal of potential here. That being said, after much internal debate, I'm afraid I just didn't feel the necessary enthusiasm to give this the time and attention it will need and deserve.
You're a true talent, so I'm sure that other agents will disagree, and I do wish you every success.
Thanks so much for the look!
Best Wishes,
R
I consider that a very nice "rejection" letter. And although it may be pure smoke being blown up my own arse to soften the blow, I find a lot of merit in what she had to say. I think I do have a strong book. My early readers think it is a strong book and deserves to be published. I also think it has potential.
But more than anything I want a champion to represent and publish my work. I want someone who has inexhaustive enthusiasm after they turn the final page. And I am happy that Agent R feels the same way as well and is professional enough to know what drives her own work.
So, tomorrow, I will be sending my manuscript out to two new agents. It is currently with two other agents and I am awaiting word from them any day. I am still pleased with how things are going, albeit slowly, and that flame of creation and drive to see my work in the hands of others remains strong.
And the process starts all over again.
posted by Shawn C. Speakman | 6:01 PM
6 Comments:
First off, we know that there are books out there that are not well-written, and yet still get published. I am to assume these are books agented by people who would gladly "flip" a book for a good penny, because they can. (whether its good or not, whether they love it or not.) Think of how many of those books may have turned out great if they had been rejected until a finished book turned into a masterpiece.
That is not to say your book belongs in that (lower) class. You do seem to have a definitive talent.
R should be commended for not being one of these agents. Every book deserves a champion...two champions--the author, obviosly, and an agent who reads it and can't believe thier fortune to be the one discovering.
What could be worse than the excitment of finally getting an agent--a real life agent (look grandpa, i can move--think pinocio,hehe) only to find you've just contracted yourself into someone's third or fourth priority.
And the worst case scenario of quality people rejecitng you? The cold hard truth that there is more polishing to do. Your book turns from something that people read and forget into something that people read and it changes thier lives. If this seems overdramatic it isn't. Everyone who loves to write, and defines themselves by thier unpublished desires, can point to authors and books that changed thier lives. I can honestly say that I would be a different person today if it had not been for my early teens and one Sword of Shannara.
[by the way, thank you for sharing your rejection with us right along with your success.]
Mostly everyone who loves these sights also love to write...I know O'm not the only one who daydreams about how fantastic it would/will be to have thier work published someday...but am I the only one that silent laments that when this comes to pass, my book will truly be over? Never again will I be able to go through it one more time, and make one more correction that brings me incramentally closer to perfection.
LOL, small price to pay, and I have plenty of ideas to distract me afterwards, but there is something ultimately special about your first born, your first lover, and your first book. Hard to let go.
Nice to see you are still upbeat about it, Shawn. I agree with the commentor above me that there are quite a few bad manuscripts that still seem to get published. Your's is far from bad, so I wouldn't worry. Heck, you haven't even published yet, and you still have managed to get a fan base!
Your time will come.
Hey shawn,
keep at it and i'm sure you're time will come. Can't wait to see your book in the store ;)
Good luck!
Shawn, I'm glad you are in good spirits over this rejection letter. From the way it sounds, this has not dampered your mood or motivations one bit. I commend you for that.
I personally can't wait to read your final product. I was very intrigued with the little snippet you gave us some time ago.
Keep your head up and your spirits high!!
Shawn, I think that the rejection letter was as you said, really good, certainly one I would have been very encouraged to receive, and you should, too.
Keep going! meanwhile, i will read your excerpts. I follwed a link on your avatar's signature from Kevins Watch gto find you here. I am iQuestor, btw. Great luck, keep going.
Thank you for the nice words, iQuestor. Comments like that are what keep me going!
And I'm glad you found me as you did. I am looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the first excerpts. I should post the next two to finish off the Sorin arc.
Take care! Thanks for stopping by!
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