Photo:  Ben White

REJECTION—IT'S NOT PERSONAL  

I can probably tell you how many times my hopes of finding an agent have been dashed.  I keep very good records of my submissions.  And of my rejections. 

I try my best to limit rejection by visiting the Manuscript Wish List. On this website, I can match my work to the kind of manuscripts agents are craving.  Even still, that doesn't guarantee the agent will say yes.  Crazy, huh?   

A rejection is usually polite and may read as follows (pick one):

• This is not a good fit for my list
• I am not connecting with the voice
• I'm not the right agent for this project
• I have no vision where to pitch this
• I can't see where this would sit in the market
• It's not in my wheelhouse

How do you interpret any of this when you've sent the agent (in your opinion) exactly what she hopes to find?  Here's what I discovered after years of submitting:  a rejection indicates that your story just didn't resonate with the agent.  It means she didn't fall in love with it or feel confident enough to sell it to a publisher.  

So, what do you do when you've received nothing but rejections and you've exhausted your list of agents?  It may be time to put your manuscript aside for a while. 

In the meantime, work on other writing projects.  Learn about publishing from BookEnds Literary Agency.  Read recently published picture books—these could even spark new ideas for you!  

When the time feels right, dust off the story that has been put on hold.  Read it over and revise.  Have your first reader, critique partners, or a consultant take a look.  Revise the piece again based on the critiques and then target the agents who are wanting something similar to what you've written.  

That's what happened with my book Maggie and the Summer Vacation Show-and-Tell.

After 50 rejections, I shelved Maggie and worked on other pieces.  But five years later, there was an opportunity to have a manuscript critique by a highly respected editorial consultant.  I revised Maggie because I hadn't seen it in years and then submitted it for a professional critique.  When I received the consultant's notes, I revised the story again and sent it out again to five more agents.  

One of them sent me a message:  I like your book! 

It's difficult to stay positive when you receive rejections.  But remember that the whole submitting process is subjective.  If you believe in every aspect of it of your story—the main character, the plot, the voice, and the takeaway message—then don't give up.  Assume and persist.  Imagine the wish fulfilled.  All things are possible.  Don't think about what could go wrong.  Think about what could go right.  It only takes one agent to say yes.


✌ and ♥

When the world says, "Give up," hope whispers, "Try it one more time."