I was researching Literary Agents on the web when I came across a site titled ‘The Rejection Slip Blues’. As I was reading, the experiences this writer cleverly and wittily propounded, sounded awfully familiar. I too, have received replies: ‘my list is too full’, or ‘this sounds very interesting but it is not for me’ and so on. I have to admit after having read the two pages, not only did I feel better but in a strange way validated. I wasn’t the only one getting the same responses. Strange to think that way but writing is a solo enterprise, just you and your characters, everything and everyone else is secondary. Sorry, but its true.
Oddly in contrast, the message conveyed in the Writers’ & Artists’ Handbook, is the agent works for you and not the other way around. That’s okay once you have an agent!
Getting an agent just to respond to a query is hard work. Some are great and respond within a month or so, then there are those who don’t at all. These agents state on their website if they don’t respond within a certain amount of time they are not interested. I realise they are busy people but honestly, it only takes two minutes to email a response.
Anyway, I will keep researching appropriate agents for my book. Fingers-crossed.
Luciana Cavallaro 