Out of the dozen or so agents I've sent to, I've now received one nibble from an agent. I sent him my query, and he requested to see a partial manuscript over the weekend.
Of course, it was rejected quickly, but this is a good sign. It means my query is now of sufficient quality to be able to entice someone. Now I just need to find that right someone. It also means my premise is intriguing enough to garner interest from, at least, one person.
My biggest difficulty about this was the feedback. Sure, it's a blessing that I got some feedback, because I have no idea how this novel compares to others coming out now.
He said that he "didn't connect with the narrative as he would have liked" and that he's "not confident enough to make this stand out in a competitive marketplace".
Both of these are quite understandable. Especially the second one. I certainly don't want an agent who's not confident in my product or hasn't the resources or connections to make it stand out. But "didn't connect with the narrative" bothers me. It's too ambiguous, and I don't know how to fix it. Maybe it's one of those things I can't fix. Maybe it's just a book that's not for him. Not every book clicks with everyone. So I just need to keep trying till I find that person.Labels: agents, getting published, query letter