I keep trying to remind myself not to judge myself against the outliers - the people who got 30 agent offers on their first query letter, the 18yr old with a 6 figure deal, etc.
Yeah. I really understand the impulse to do that! I've done it myself, too. I always have to remind myself that we hear about exceptions for a reason: because they *are* exceptions.
300 agents đŸ˜® I need to get my life together because I stopped after less than 20 agents twice and decided it all needed to be rewritten because no one liked it đŸ˜… but I’m SO glad you kept going because I love your storytelling
To be fair, I don't know that there were that many individual agents I queried. I tried a lot of folks again with new books when I had something else to send. My current agent rejected two of my manuscripts before she said yes to INCARNATE!
On the one hand, hearing stats like anywhere from 60-95% of books die on submission—AFTER they got an agent!—is totally disheartening. On the other hand, you're right, 300 debuts a year! I mean, approximately. I was also encouraged by hearing how many authors were able to pick up shelved books (not all of them, but even 1 is a win!) after getting their first book deal.
Yes, I've had a few books die on submission! Two with my first agent (back in 2007 -- and boy am I glad those didn't actually sell!) and one with my current agent, though it's come very close to selling before but didn't because . . . it wasn't sellable to a wide enough market.
This is one of the reasons why it's always a good idea to be working on your next thing while waiting to hear back on a submission. And just because it's the wrong time for something now doesn't mean it will always be the wrong time. :)
There was a bit push for diverse authors in 2020 because there was the idea that wrongs needed to be righted. I got my agent through a diverse book pitch contest. I am genuinely afraid for upcoming Black and Brown writers going forward, especially with Book Bans targeting books featured by Blk/Brown and Queer folks.
I keep trying to remind myself not to judge myself against the outliers - the people who got 30 agent offers on their first query letter, the 18yr old with a 6 figure deal, etc.
Yeah. I really understand the impulse to do that! I've done it myself, too. I always have to remind myself that we hear about exceptions for a reason: because they *are* exceptions.
300 agents đŸ˜® I need to get my life together because I stopped after less than 20 agents twice and decided it all needed to be rewritten because no one liked it đŸ˜… but I’m SO glad you kept going because I love your storytelling
To be fair, I don't know that there were that many individual agents I queried. I tried a lot of folks again with new books when I had something else to send. My current agent rejected two of my manuscripts before she said yes to INCARNATE!
On the one hand, hearing stats like anywhere from 60-95% of books die on submission—AFTER they got an agent!—is totally disheartening. On the other hand, you're right, 300 debuts a year! I mean, approximately. I was also encouraged by hearing how many authors were able to pick up shelved books (not all of them, but even 1 is a win!) after getting their first book deal.
Yes, I've had a few books die on submission! Two with my first agent (back in 2007 -- and boy am I glad those didn't actually sell!) and one with my current agent, though it's come very close to selling before but didn't because . . . it wasn't sellable to a wide enough market.
This is one of the reasons why it's always a good idea to be working on your next thing while waiting to hear back on a submission. And just because it's the wrong time for something now doesn't mean it will always be the wrong time. :)
There was a bit push for diverse authors in 2020 because there was the idea that wrongs needed to be righted. I got my agent through a diverse book pitch contest. I am genuinely afraid for upcoming Black and Brown writers going forward, especially with Book Bans targeting books featured by Blk/Brown and Queer folks.