My last note asked you to help me categorize and describe my novel. Thank you so so so much to everyone who responded. You really did help me figure some things out. The most difficult part of all this has not been the actual doing of things, but the work to convince myself that the things are worth doing. So when you respond with affirmation, encouragement, and concrete feedback, it goes a long way in getting me closer to actually doing the things.
So I’m happy to let you know that in the past month or so I’ve sent queries to eight agents. This may not sound like a lot. In fact, it is not a lot. As I mentioned earlier, getting myself hyped up enough to actually send one of these to a real person who will almost certainly read it and very likely reject it is a very very difficult thing for me to do. In many ways, rejection defined who I was in my early life, and it’s a struggle I have never quite overcome.
So far, I’ve received only two responses to these queries, both rejections sent within 24 hours of receipt. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I am glad to not be left on read, but it seemed so quick that it felt like a judgement. And I mean… it is, right? The agent read (presumably) what I sent over, and judged it lacking. From everything I’ve heard and read, this will be the norm, not the exception.
Three of the eight queries I sent were after the first rejection. It took me a day or two of moping, but I figured, at least I have measurable progress. I may not be able to be proud of the rejection, but I can take pride in continuing on after. For all you who are cheering me on, thank you again. I don’t know if this is ever going to turn into anything real, but you know what they say…
Belief precedes reality.