I was unsuccessful with my latest round
of the Great Agent Hunt.
I have a personal relationship
with some of the agents I queried.
These agents are professionals.
They have professional pride
in the projects they represent.
Our personal relationship
didn’t come into play with the actual decision.
They don’t feel they can sell
the manuscript
so they rejected it.
Where I saw a return on this relationship
was in the rejection letter.
The other agents sent the standard
‘I am not sufficiently enthusiastic
about this project
to represent it’
which says absolutely nothing.
My agent buddies told me
‘Publishers aren’t looking for demon stories
from new writers.
They have established writers supplying
these stories.’
THAT is feedback I can use.
Don’t expect friends to
risk their reputations
on your substandard product.
You can, however, expect
a more detailed ‘no.’