Demystifying 3 Types of Rejection Letters from Literary Agents
I’m grateful for my time in New York book publishing for many reasons, utmost because it allows me to offer insight into the burning questions my editing clients have. Many of the questions that we turn into sacred mysteries often have simple, no-nonsense answers that may surprise you.
Rejections from literary agents are no exception.
Take for instance how one of the internships I had while still in college was very hands-on. As an intern, I was able to read through the agency’s slush pile, discuss that day’s haul with my advisor, and then act on obvious “noes.” Yes, this meant that as a twenty-one-year-old, at least for those unsolicited manuscripts, I wielded the power of the form rejection.
This may shock (or even infuriate) you, which is my point. (The shock, not the fury.) I want to use the insider info I’ve gathered to help you make sense of the three types of rejection you might get from an agent.
Please note: Because most queries today are sent via email, not snail mail, I discuss emailed correspondence with agents in this post. If you’re still rocking that FedEx mailer with a SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope) inside, comment below with your snail mail–specific questions.
Related Posts:
The 3 Rejection Letters You’ll Get from Literary Agents and What They Mean
Literary Agent Rejection #1: Form Rejection
What is it?
A form rejection usually comes in response to your initial query and rejects your submission in a few short sentences. It is not personalized, so it may seem “one size fits all.” You may see language like, “I will need to pass on this manuscript at this time,” or “Of course, this is one agent’s opinion. I wish you luck with future submissions.”
What should you do if a literary agent gives you a form rejection?
Cross this agent’s name off your query list and, bright-eyed, move ahead. It wasn’t a good fit, which doesn’t necessarily have to do with the quality of your book. Maybe the manuscript didn’t grip the agent in a way they thought could bring in money. Maybe they already have a similar book on their list. Move 👏🏼 on. 👏🏼
What should you NOT do?
Do not respond to a form rejection, and never respond in anger to a form rejection. This is not something to take personally, and if you do, you might preemptively burn the wood, stone, and girders that could have been built into a bridge on a subsequent submission. What’s more, news travels fast in the publishing industry. If you get a reputation for using aggressive caps lock on agents who reject you, then you might get a reputation for being difficult to work with, thereby reducing your chances of getting represented by anyone.
Literary Agent Rejection #2: Polite Rejection
What is it?
A polite rejection is a slightly longer email than a form rejection. It is so called because it is often more personal than the form rejection. You may receive this if the agent requested sample pages, a partial manuscript, or even your full manuscript. The personal nature of the email comes from the time that the agent and their support staff took to read your work. It should highlight in brief the reasons why they could not take on your manuscript at this time.
What should you do if a literary agent gives you a polite rejection?
Read between the lines. If the agent mentions that the plot or the main character’s journey did not grip them, you may need to reevaluate what’s at stake in your novel and if those stakes should go higher. If the agent was intrigued by your earliest pages but then the promise of the memoir fell apart, there might be an issue with pacing. If the agent is worried about your existing platform for your self-help book, you might need to work on building your social media presence.
This is not to say that you should change course with every passing tide. Assess whether or not you agree with each agent’s feedback. If you do, review your manuscript and see if there aren’t ways you can improve it. If you do not agree, but you get the same polite rejection advice from multiple agents, seriously and objectively consider if that part of your manuscript needs work.
What should you NOT do?
Again, no angry emails! You’ll do nothing more than become fodder for the water cooler. If you respond at all—But why would you? This is the agent politely saying, “Thanks, but no, thanks”—keep it brief and thank them for their consideration.
Literary Agent Rejection #3: Revise & Resubmit
What is it?
The “Revise & Resubmit” (or R&R, as it’s often referred to on Query Tracker) is just about the best no you can get from a literary agent. It means that you’re almost there, but your manuscript needs a bit more work before the agent would be willing to offer you representation. If you put that work in, the agent may reconsider your manuscript, but under no circumstances does resubmission guarantee a yes. Similar to the polite rejection, this email will advise you on why the agent said no. It may or may not go into greater depth than the polite rejection.
What should you do if a literary agent gives you a Revise & Resubmit?
This time, yes, absolutely send a brief email thanking the agent for their consideration and feedback. If they were one of your dream agents, you might add that after revising you’ll be in touch.
Next, consider privately whether you will revise. Do you agree with the feedback provided? If not, but more than one agent has mentioned the same concern, reassess your manuscript to determine if there aren’t some weak links you haven’t fixed yet. (No worries if you promised that you’d be in touch. Agents get hundreds of emails a day, so if you make this promise and don’t follow up, it’s not likely they’ll wonder where you went off to.)
Then, get to work revising your manuscript! This process may take a while, and I recommend not querying other agents until your manuscript, query, and synopsis have been revised and polished.
What should you NOT do?
A Revise & Resubmit does NOT mean that you should do a cursory line edit and resubmit. The agent is not looking for minor changes in comma placement and word choice. If an agent is willing to reconsider your manuscript, they expect to receive—at least a few months down the line—a second draft that has been overhauled on at least a content-editing level. This may mean pacing has been tightened, character arcs have been revised, and so on.
Sometimes, the advice in a Revise & Resubmit is unclear. If you need clarification on the agent’s feedback, I would only ask them about it directly if they seem personable and easily approachable. Ideally, you would reach out to a trusted writing friend instead and ask them what they think about the R&R’s specific feedback.
If you still find yourself confused as to what needs fixing, consider hiring a professional freelance editor like me to read the agent’s feedback, your manuscript, and provide developmental editing.
Of course, this is just the beginning. If you want more insight into the querying process, I hope you’ll comment with your questions below.
In the meantime, two resources I highly recommend writers check out are Janet Reid’s Query Shark blog, which has years’ worth of feedback on queries good, bad, and ugly, and the hashtag #10Queries on Twitter. Occasionally agents on publishing Twitter will pull 10 queries from their slush pile and in 280 characters or less explain why each is a yes or a no.
Whether you’re about to send out your first query letter or you’ve built up that callus I described in “Reframing Rejection,” I wish you the best of luck as you move forward. Happy pitching!