Subjective is a dirty, dirty word
“because this business is so subjective and opinions vary widely, we recommend you pursue other agents…”
How many of you have gotten the dreaded form rejection after sending off your perfectly, polished query with a hopefullness that can only be encompassed by an aspiring author? My guess is anyone in similar shoes as mine has gotten that letter more times then they care to admit (and if you haven’t…just appease us, please).
I sent out a test run of queries to a handful (plus one) of reputable literary agents that I thought would be interested in my new manuscript. I fell in love with it, my CPs and betas fell in love with it, it’s only right that an agent is BOUND to fall in love with it, right? That, my friends, is the definition of wishful thinking. And if I had to measure both wishful thinking and subjectivity on the wicked scale of writer’s success, I’d have to say that subjectivity tips the scale every time.
Only problem is that all of these agents have similar “subjectivity” it seems. I know I’m no Danielle Steel or Nora Roberts, but with every rejection I’m left wondering, what did I do wrong? And even when I fix it, I still seem to be wrong. Maybe the key is that I’m not necessarly wrong, just submitting to the wrong person. Even still, I wonder if the thin line of subjectivity could be broadned just a teensy smidge, afterall maybe the query is to the manuscript the way a student with a 99 average is to a standardized test. Just because my query may not be pitch perfect doesn’t mean my manuscript might not be the next bestseller or trendy, talked-about e-read. (Just like the poor kid who aces everything but freezes on the SATs/citiwides).
I hate to vent or rant or seem like a whining brat. I know this is the nature of the beast and everyone (even Danielle Steel and Nora Roberts) has been here. So let’s take from this the positive: keep going! Subjective does NOT have to be a dirty word. What one person loves another person may hate, but the goal in the grand scheme of things is to get one out of the very very many to love what you are capable of. That’s all it takes…I hope my bright, shiny one is out there waiting for me!
