Our thanks to literary agent Jeff Kleinman for this guest post – a sheet right out of his new book release, The Science of Rejection Letters: A step-by-step guide to analyze rejection letters, improve your writing and get published. Jeff will lead an extended PubSmart 2014 session, Literary Agents: From Gatekeepers to Creative Marketers to Publishers, sponsored by Where Writers Win.
Imagine if those cryptic rejection letters from literary agents came with a decoder wheel – something that left you a bit more information, some guidance as to what you’re doing wrong, or almost right?
This may help! Click on the sheet below to view the downloadable pdf, and start analyzing the responses you’ve received from agents. Does it help clarify any insights for you?
Deciphering the Rejection Table:
- Choose 10 agents. Separate them into categories – your “A list”, “B list”, and “C list.”
- Send out your proof-read, polished, ready-to-go materials.
- Wait 6-8 weeks (the standard response time), or however long the agent indicates.
- Fill in the chart – mark with an “X” as appropriate:
- No Response: if you haven’t heard back in 6-8 weeks.
- Form Rejection: if you receive a form response.
- Minimal Rejection: if you receive a letter that might’ve been softened (i.e. might include your name).
- Personalized Rejection: the letter was written just for you.
- Request for 50 pages: the agent requests that you send some pages, the more s/he asks for the better.
- Request for Full Manuscript: the agent wants to see the entire manuscript – usually quickly.
- Request for Representation: self-explanatory; might include a retainer agreement.
- Translate their response: Is the premise strong enough? Is the writing strong enough?
For more on The Rejection Table, what “Writing” and “Premise” really mean, and what you can do to move forward from rejection, take a look at The Science of Rejection Letters by Jeff Kleinman and Ryan Lejarde