-Taking time to perfect one’s work.
-Researching compatible agents/publishers.
-Following submission guidelines
-Avoiding egotistical impulses.
-Being courteous and professional.

Remember, the book is not final until it reaches the press (for some even after, there are possibilities for revision in later editions). So there is no need to be faithful to it’s contents, only it’s idea. Personally, though I’ve never had a submission nor rejection, I would regard more highly someone whose advice or analysis on a rejection form would give me insight to perfect. And I wouldn’t discriminate that advice as good or bad, just use it.

Xean
5/5/13/2010

Cressida

A long time ago I sent a very bad satirical poem to Private Eye, a few days later I received an envelope containing a compliments slip with the word “no” written on it. I kept it but only, really, because at the time, there was an outside chance that the “no” in question was written by Peter Cook!

I have to say to elisabethjcurrie, I sympathise, I, too, have written a novel that is clearly unsellable, to the very tiny, tiny section of UK agents who are prepared to represent writers in my genre before they are already famous. I’ve gone onto the next project, too, but I like my other book, so I’ve had it edited professionally and have decided to self publish it. Frankly, so long as they enjoy it, I’d rather 10 people bought paper copies and 100 downloaded it as an e-book than it sat on a shelf gathering dust. Since I can do all that for the price of an ISBN it seems silly not to.

Cheers

M T McGuire
http://www.mtmcguire.co.uk
http://bit.ly/HeavenIs

& darcibm its not only you that checks your email every day to see if they’ve replied…i do it to. Still nothing…

Its a pain because i have spent ages working on that story and everyone who has read it has given it a good review, but when it comes to the agencies they turn it down… am i doing something wrong?

While I can understand that agents and publishing houses get loads of submissions, would it really be so hard to send a short reply, even if it is a form response? If nothing else, it would recognise that you, as the author, have gone to the trouble of choosing the agent, carefully composing a cover letter and formatting your manuscript to their specifications (not to mention the hope/despair/manic checking of emails cycle that seems to accompany every submission- or is that just me?).

Thank goodness for the agents that take time to respond, and kudos to the ones that give feedback!