I didn't see her response. I still think it's interesting what people call a personalized rejection.


Blimey, a query and synopsis thread would be something. I'm for it. Keep writing.

The response I received was gratifyingly speedy.


Dear Alan,

Thank you for submitting your query to the L. Perkins Agency. Unfortunately this doesn't look right for us.

While your proposal sounds interesting, I'm afraid I couldn't quite believe the idea of jazz musicians being sent to do a spy's job. With these reservations, I must pass.

Best of luck in your writing career,

Jodi Meadows
Assistant



My immediate urge was to send off a note to this effect:

Dearest Jodi,

I do see what you mean. After all, in real life only the truly qualified ever find themselves with the really important jobs, and why should we demand any less of our fiction? Jazz musicians mixed up in international intrigue indeed! Why, one might just as well make up a story about an actor becoming President of the United States. Or even better, a mentally challenged scion of a powerful and influential family!

Much success with your career in publishing. I can tell that you possess the right qualifications!

Best,
Lewis Carroll

Gawd, what hope is there for me then?

That's it, I'm off to book myself into the retirement home.


Read the titles of some of my erotica on my Website...


MadCow

What's been very interesting has been reading Jodi's blog as she's been doing these reviews. The things I've got from that have been:

1. there have been fewer submissions than I (and she) thought there would be

2. there are loads of places out there (here included, I guess) where people discuss what she'd said about their work - it seems that people spend more time commenting on what the reader says about their query than trying to improve their query. We writers seem to have an innate belief that the fact we're not published is everyone's fault but our own.

3. she is actually doing a very impressive job - if she's not sure about something she puts it aside, mulls it over, comes back to it. It's not just form rejection. I've submitted 2 queries, and had two incredibly valuable bits of feedback in return - true, each was only one line long - but sometimes that's all we need.

4. she doesn't just reject everything - she's referred a far higher proportion than I imagined to Jenny. I was thinking about one in a hundred - it's much higher than that I think.

5. readers, like reviewers here, are people with feelings - and when they offer to do something really helpful like send out personalised rejections the majority reaction (of course, the ones who are happy never say so, just like restaurants - which is why the thank you forum here is so good when it's actually used for thanks) seems to be complaint that it's not done how they want it. Personally I fail to see how having something back from a reader saying my characters need to be more proactive can be less helpful than a form rejection. It's not her job to tell me how - that's mine as the writer. And yes, I'd like her to read some chapters and point to specific places but THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. And given it's not going to happen I think what we do get is fantastic.

This point, related to the above, will be controversial but it's worth saying. When I was a teacher, I used to coach Oxford entrance exams. When I marked their A-level essays I'd give vast line by line feedback, but when I marked their entrance essays I'd give very little - I'd respond muc like Jodi - "I think you need a bit more originality" or "I think you need to come down off the fence". The reason was simple - Oxford looks for people who can think for themselves, not those who can reel off the facts/prepared answers. Most of my students would come back and say - "Yeah, but which bit isn't original enough? Where do I need to express an opinion and where do I need a fact?" A few would say thanks and that was all. And guess which ones got in? And guess what as well, the ones who didn't frequently said they hadn't been given enought information to prepare them. I know there's all sorts of controversy about University entrance - that's not my point. My point is I think writing's very similar. Yes, we all need to learn more about how to write, yes, we all need editors to point things out and the more detailed criticism we get the better. But when we get near the stage of being published, I kind of think that if we get a helpful comment but need to go back and milk it, that means we're not there yet. Not that we won't get there, just we're not there yet.

Personally I think we should all send Jodi a big bunch of virtual flowers

Yes and no, Tommi. Yes, Tommi, we writers should be humble. Yes, mostly it's us who can't see our faults and flawed writing.

and no. Some of us are able to distinguish between a good review and a bad review. Some of us are able, even if we are writers, to tell the difference between being treated fairly or brushed off.

See, the whole thing is like with reviewers telling me "this is good, this will sell" and score 2s. A one-liner "this doesn't do it for me" is not a personalized rejection. Both are broken promises. Does Jodi have my sympathy? Yes. But then, this is what happens when you ask for trouble. It's almost the same as uploading chapters and trusting reviewers to treat your work with respect. What she experiences is the reality of working life. And we experience the reality of writing. We both have to live with it and none is to be spared.

My opinion, but I may be wrong. Keep writing.

I too submitted to Ms Jodi and received a one line response saying that humour is subjective and it wasn't for her.

I have no problems with this. Fair enough. What did disappoint me though was the promise of a detailed comment (which I thought would help me to improve the query letter) and that wasn't forthcoming.

I also think it is very difficult for her to make a judgement call on such a small sample of work (not even the work actually). So that is a little frustrating. But what I wondering about now, is this how all agents work? Do they read your query letter and make their decision on it, not even bothering to read the work? How important is this query letter? I'm bored... bored... bored...

I think that agents and publishers who allow you to add partials and a bit more details of your work read all of it.

But it's true, if all depends on the 100 word blurb, because that's all that they want to see, then the query letter is getting extremely important.

We should have a query section. I may post one a bit later. Keep writing.

Tommi,

I agree that there is nothing useful to be gained by picking on Jodi. She took on a job most would recoil from and is, from all appearances, doing a conscientious job.

I also agree that it is important to have a finely crafted query letter. It is our introduction, our first impression.

It is also our initial job interview. And having been on both sides of that desk, thousands of times as the interviewer and lately as the interviewee, I think I can say that the skill and experience level of the person doing that quick and yet vital evaluation plays a big part in the success of the process. This is not meant as a slam against the Jodis of the world, I am merely pointing out that the way the publishing world works is like having the newest member of the filing team do the initial job interviews to fill executive positions.

Best,
Alan