The free website to help new writers to develop, and to help talented writers get noticed and published Books
   
Reply from agent << Return To Main Site

 Welcome to the YouWriteOn Forum

**2012 News Random House & Orion Editors to continue free reviews of YouWriteOn Top Ten Writers each month  - publishers of many of the world's bestselling authors 

YouWriteOn Authors' Hall of Fame Congratulations to our many authors achieving sales and signings successes through  Waterstones, WHSmith and others! View Hall of Fame
     

YouWriteOn Message Board > Literary Forums > NEW - The Hopes, Dreams & Broken Schemes Forum Help Search Recent Posts
Reply from agent
Page 1 Last : 2 > Start New Topic Reply To Topic
Stumpy
 07 Jun 2010, 18:17 #90672 Reply To Post
I received a rejection letter from an agent last week that was - SHOCK HORROR! - handwritten, and despite being a bit hard to read, it explained some of my work's flaws and the small parts the agent liked about it.

Should I be encouraged by this or is it just the same as the countless generic, printed rejection slips I've been getting?

Anyone care to share any wisdom?

Stumpy
annswinfen
 07 Jun 2010, 18:30 #90673 Reply To Post
If an agent took the trouble both to write a reply by hand AND to point out good and bad points, you should be very encouraged!

Good luck with the next agent! (After a bit of editing, of course.)
walker
 07 Jun 2010, 18:41 #90674 Reply To Post
I had a similar letter years ago. The agent said how much she enjoyed the chapters and pointed out ways I could improve them. I spent a couple of months working on it and sent it back. I received a type written letter - sorry, said agent has retired. Even so, anything's better than a bland rejection letter, isn't it? Walker
sulcus
 07 Jun 2010, 20:08 #90682 Reply To Post
Quote: Stumpy, Monday, 7 Jun 2010 18:17
I received a rejection letter from an agent last week that was - SHOCK HORROR! - handwritten, and despite being a bit hard to read, it explained some of my work's flaws and the small parts the agent liked about it.

Should I be encouraged by this or is it just the same as the countless generic, printed rejection slips I've been getting?

Anyone care to share any wisdom?

Stumpy


It's nice that it was handwritten, but unless it asked you to redraft and resubmit, it's still the same 'no thank you'.

I had a hand written rejection scrawled around the print of one of their 'with compliments' slips. I also had one handwritten on my synopsis which ticked me off.
"A,B&E", "Not In My Name" and "52FF" (flash fiction anthology) all available on Amazon Kindle

"How a psychopath makes sweet love. I can get you ringside. Royal box even."
Athene
 07 Jun 2010, 20:25 #90685 Reply To Post
Quote: sulcus, Monday, 7 Jun 2010 20:08
Quote: Stumpy, Monday, 7 Jun 2010 18:17
I received a rejection letter from an agent last week that was - SHOCK HORROR! - handwritten, and despite being a bit hard to read, it explained some of my work's flaws and the small parts the agent liked about it.

Should I be encouraged by this or is it just the same as the countless generic, printed rejection slips I've been getting?

Anyone care to share any wisdom?

Stumpy


It's nice that it was handwritten, but unless it asked you to redraft and resubmit, it's still the same 'no thank you'.

I had a hand written rejection scrawled around the print of one of their 'with compliments' slips. I also had one handwritten on my synopsis which ticked me off.


I had one like that, Marc - I interpreted it as the agent being too lazy to bother to compose a proper letter and have it typed up - quicker and easier (and ruder) just to scrawl a few words across the top of my letter of submisson, and send it back. Saved on filing, too.
But a handwritten letter that actually makes some helpful comments is rather different - in fact, it sounds quite encouraging.
This post was last edited by Athene, 07 Jun 2010, 20:26


Scias te fortasse Romanum esse si animal convivialissimum arbitreris esse caprum
(Henricus Barbatus)


my website
sulcus
 07 Jun 2010, 20:33 #90686 Reply To Post
Quote: Athene, Monday, 7 Jun 2010 20:25
Quote: sulcus, Monday, 7 Jun 2010 20:08
Quote: Stumpy, Monday, 7 Jun 2010 18:17
I received a rejection letter from an agent last week that was - SHOCK HORROR! - handwritten, and despite being a bit hard to read, it explained some of my work's flaws and the small parts the agent liked about it.

Should I be encouraged by this or is it just the same as the countless generic, printed rejection slips I've been getting?

Anyone care to share any wisdom?

Stumpy


It's nice that it was handwritten, but unless it asked you to redraft and resubmit, it's still the same 'no thank you'.

I had a hand written rejection scrawled around the print of one of their 'with compliments' slips. I also had one handwritten on my synopsis which ticked me off.


I had one like that, Marc - I interpreted it as the agent being too lazy to bother to compose a proper letter and have it typed up - quicker and easier (and ruder) just to scrawl a few words across the top of my letter of submisson, and send it back. Saved on filing, too.
But a handwritten letter that actually makes some helpful comments is rather different - in fact, it sounds quite encouraging.


I am slightly more cynical. I think a 'nice sounding' agent makes sure to say 2 nice things to balance out the criticisms however helpful those suggestions are. Unless they ask to see it again, they're not really giving anything away by just being nice.
"A,B&E", "Not In My Name" and "52FF" (flash fiction anthology) all available on Amazon Kindle

"How a psychopath makes sweet love. I can get you ringside. Royal box even."
Keel
 07 Jun 2010, 22:18 #90699 Reply To Post
Be encouraged, Stumpy. Either the agent has a very small slush pile and writes personal hand written rejections, or the agent thought your work required something more than a standard print off. Whatever, they bothered to read your work beyond the first paragraph. I'm guesing this, but you'll know by the content.
Well done, mate. I reckon you are well on the way. Keep honing that craft, keep submitting and you'll get there.
Best of luck,
John.
This post was last edited by Keel, 07 Jun 2010, 22:22
There’s a juniper tree in my garden, but I have an uncle in Kiev.
Athene
 07 Jun 2010, 22:45 #90700 Reply To Post
Hear hear. I think Marc is being too cynical. It's not a lot, but it's definitely something more than the standard, completely impersonal rejection. I think you should feel encouraged.
This post was last edited by Athene, 07 Jun 2010, 22:45


Scias te fortasse Romanum esse si animal convivialissimum arbitreris esse caprum
(Henricus Barbatus)


my website
sulcus
 08 Jun 2010, 00:18 #90701 Reply To Post
Quote: Athene, Monday, 7 Jun 2010 22:45
Hear hear. I think Marc is being too cynical. It's not a lot, but it's definitely something more than the standard, completely impersonal rejection. I think you should feel encouraged.


Fair enough. But personally I gave up snatching for crumbs of comfort from agents when there really aren't any to be had. Either they ask to meet you and discuss further, or they at least say they'll read it again after a redraft having suggested areas to consider rewriting. Anything else is whistling in the wind.
This post was last edited by sulcus, 08 Jun 2010, 00:18
"A,B&E", "Not In My Name" and "52FF" (flash fiction anthology) all available on Amazon Kindle

"How a psychopath makes sweet love. I can get you ringside. Royal box even."
awrigley
 08 Jun 2010, 09:38 #90716 Reply To Post
Handwritten probably just means BPC (Before PCs). Hence the retired agent story.

Not sure if that is any better, or worse, than a rejection sent from a Blackberry.

If nothing else, you got a Free Will review.
Memory... What was that?
Page 1 Last : 2 > Add To My Topic Watch List Start New Topic Reply To Topic
Server Time: 24 May 2012, 00:48

Powered by Zarr Forums

5 Database Read(s) - 0.328 seconds

 

Adverts provided by Google and not endorsed by YouWriteOn.com.