PROFESSIONAL BOOK EDITOR Explains Why Agents Rejected Your Book (It May Not Be What You Think!)

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Rejection hurts. There's no sugarcoating it. But finding the right literary agent-and getting rejected by others along the way-is a part of the traditional book publishing process. Learn from a professional book editor why literary agents reject books and what you can do to successfully query agents. Hint: your query letter is a great place to start, but it's just one element in the equation.
THE TOP 5 REASONS AN AGENT REJECTED YOUR BOOK:
1. Unprofessional or incorrectly formatted query letter
2. Genre not their area of interest
3. Underwhelming plot synopsis
4. Unpolished writing
5. Not hooked by your sample pages
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My name is Alyssa Matesic, and I’m a professional book editor with 7+ years of book publishing and editorial experience. Throughout my career, I’ve held editorial roles across both sides of the publishing industry: Big Five publishing houses and literary agencies. The goal of this channel is to help writers throughout the book writing journey-whether you're working on your manuscript or you're looking for publishing advice.
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9 июл 2024

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Комментарии : 92

@AlyssaMatesic 3 года назад

Have you been rejected by literary agents? Feel free to share your rejection stories. This is a safe space!

@kathzi4r 3 года назад

Yes, I got rejected by an agent from Belcastro Agency. She said she isn’t a good fit for elves.

@DalCecilRuno 3 года назад

I have been rejected, both with the whatever copy-paste form rejection letter and a more concrete rejection with specific feedback. I had 2 of those, both quite positive. One said that maybe I'm leaving the reader behind a little bit. The other said I have innovative elements in this novel, but they didn't have the knowledge to help me with this project. So in those 2 more concrete rejections I learned that my project is leaning a bit more towards the hard sci-fi end of the sci-fi spectrum, and that I need to be kinder with the reader. I never saw my project as hard sci-fi. There's no math formulas, no genetic engineering equations, nothing of that sort. I just try my best to keep it plausible if this were to happen in the near future. I also learned to accept that my love for being a trickster writer is alright for a short story, but maybe not for a full length novel. I love subverting first impressions, breaking readers assumptions, tricking them into assuming the wrong thing in the first place. I will leave all that for my shorts. It doesn't work for a first chapter of a book. So I've been polishing things up without watering down the content of my novel. Finding that middle ground between what is expected, and what I love to do. I also need to figure out if the term paranormal sci-fi is a thing at all, or if I should just say sci-fi with paranormal elements. Hopefully I can find the right agents to query after all the lessons.

@calmit23 3 года назад

Yes my full was rejected that sucks worse than query rejection They said I had lovely voice and end chapters on good hook but still was rejected :(

@jflsdknf 2 года назад

@@calmit23 Have you had any luck since?

@chiptankgirl 2 года назад

When I got my first rejection letter I was so happy. It's silly, but it made me feel so much more legitimate to get a response to my submission even if it was a rejection.

@AlyssaMatesic 2 года назад

Yes, that's an excellent way of looking at it! Best of luck with your querying journey :)

@frankwalton7323 Год назад

How about an update to this, what happened since?

@chiptankgirl Год назад

@@frankwalton7323 Well, I hired Alyssa to assess my book. From her notes I got the impression it would be easier if I basically went through and rewrote the whole thing. In the meantime I had to leave the country where I was living with whatever I could carry, so I'm kind of in the process of putting my life back together. It's an involved process, but I'm working on it.

@frankwalton7323 Год назад

I understand. I left USA for greener pastures and many of my papers were lost. That was eight years ago and just now trying to piece it all back together. Thanks for your reply and best of luck .

@anonymousnobody326 3 года назад

See, I keep hearing the synopsis should spoil everything, Most agents I’ve seen even ask for a full outline that reveals everything.

@AlyssaMatesic 3 года назад

The "synopsis" I'm referring to in this video is the plot blurb in the query letter itself (which shouldn't spoil the novel). You're right that agents may also request a separate formal synopsis document that goes through the full plot, but that's a whole separate topic.

@c.c.l.9139 2 года назад

So glad to get advice from someone with actual industry experience who shares real advice.

@PersonaIncognito 11 месяцев назад

Surprised she didn't update the video to fix that definite oopsie about whether to give away the ending in the synopsis. You're supposed to. Definitely.

@christophersmith3695 2 года назад

I was rejected over 120 times for my romantic memoir. It was written to my sons about how I returned after eight years to try and win back my first love. I ended 100 years of abuse in our family and remained celibate to her for eight years as a grand gesture. One rejection even went as far as to say that it "won't have a wide range of appeal." Another said it would "fail miserably." Well, I found an independent publisher, and I can now respond to such criticism by saying "I have numerous reasons why you're wrong. They all end with the word 'AWARD'." Funny thing is, the book doesn't even release until New Year's Eve this year and it's still winning. Even when I would get a negative review (which were WAY less than the number of positive ones), the next day I would find out I won another award. No one is omnipotent, despite what they want to think. This includes the all-knowing agents and publishers out there in the world. This book sat in my head for 25 years until I finally got the courage to do it. I wrote it entirely on Iphone. After four years of writing on my lunch break at work (because I have two five year old sons and have no time in the evening), eight complete re-writes, six full editing rounds and 120 rejections, I finally did it. Cool thing is, now my first love knows our story was made into an award winning novel.

@Soph4dais 2 года назад

Thank you for this video!! I've finished my short story for children and I'm now sending out my query letters. I'm going through the rejection phase at the moment but hopefully an agent will come!! Thank you for this video, it was really helpful.

@AlyssaMatesic 2 года назад

You got this!

@Soph4dais 2 года назад

@@AlyssaMatesic thank you so much!! I have had a few rejections but one agency gave me a polite no but did say that they could see potential. It's made me feel a little more confident. Thank you so much for your reply and your video, it's really helped.

@kathleenschwab4645 3 года назад

I am on the first draft of my first novel, and just getting my feel wet into the publishing world. Thank you for all the great info!

@ZombieJohn 3 года назад

Loved this...thanks!

@edwardburns3405 3 года назад

Hi Alyssa. I have just recently discovered your tutorials and am enjoying them as they are very encouraging for people such as myself. Are there any avenues for getting short stories published maybe as part of a bigger collection with short stories from other writers? Also the same question with regards to novellas. My short story is 19,500 words and my novella sits just a hair bredth under 30,000. I appreciate you may not be able to answer directly in this comments section so maybe a future tutorial from yourself on this topic would be a good idea. Keep up the good work Alyssa!

@paulrobinson9087 3 года назад

Informative and entertaining as always. Really enjoying your channel. Keep going.

@AlyssaMatesic 3 года назад

Thanks so much! So glad you're enjoying.

@KammiLutz 3 года назад

I absolutely love your videos! You have such great content!

@AlyssaMatesic 3 года назад

Thank you so much! I appreciate it!

@KammiLutz 3 года назад

@@AlyssaMatesic Of course. I love supporting channels with great writing content! I sent you a message on Facebook with a collaboration idea that I'm excited about. Let me know if you'd be interested!

@Greed23 3 года назад

This video SO helpful and practical. Thank you! I'm now 2/3rds of the way through second drafting my novel and I can't wait to send it out to my beta readers to (hopefully!) get useful feedback. Then... after 3rd drafting with those comments it's on to the agents!

@AlyssaMatesic 3 года назад

I’m so glad you found it helpful! Best of luck on the querying journey!

@frankwalton7323 Год назад

Did you ever get a book deal?

@dalemills2906 2 года назад

Really good basic information to dull the fear of that great query letter only a few blessed souls know how to write.

@AlyssaMatesic 2 года назад

Glad it was helpful!

@steviep6955 3 года назад

Thanks again.

@sunlightangel87 3 года назад

This has been a gem to find! I like how you actually want to help writers. My manuscript is 15 years in the making and I'm hoping to trad publish this year.

@AlyssaMatesic 3 года назад

Thanks so much, and that's so exciting! Best of luck to you!

@JackHernandezGentlemanJack 3 года назад

Shailin writes is the best one I've seen

@frankwalton7323 Год назад

Did you sell your book?

@sunlightangel87 Год назад

@@frankwalton7323 I haven't yet.

@frankwalton7323 Год назад

This comment is two years old and I am curios about what has happened in the meantime if you don't mind sharing.

@KateJack777 3 года назад

Thank you for this video...I would love to know several more examples of personalized comments to agents

@AlyssaMatesic 3 года назад

Your best bet is to reference a writer that they represent, a book they've helped publish, or something in their bio that struck a chord with you. Ultimately, you want to show the agent why you reached out to them over another agent - what is it that you saw or read that made it seem like your project would be a good fit?

@user-ef8jq2su1r 6 месяцев назад

Brilliant brilliant content:) Your passion to empower others is hypnotic...I can relate .... Thank you for leaving a beautiful trail of bread-crumbs for others to follow... -John Rubio -The Simple Art of Energy Reduction-

@tig18er 2 года назад

I am going to keep looking for an agent after watching this video. The book is finished so I have to keep trying.

@user-my7rz7ht1i Год назад

Thank you for your videos. They're very helpful. Just wondering, if an agent requests a cover letter, synopsis and the first three chapters, should the synopsis be attached to the email or should it be within the body of the email (cover letter)? Following your tips for writing a successful query letter, I have included a 'blurb-style' synopsis in my cover letter but am unsure whether this is all the agent requires or if they are wanting a synopsis with spoilers as well.

@AlyssaMatesic Год назад

Hi Holly - thanks for commenting! I'm glad you find my videos helpful. I have another video about writing the synopsis that you might find useful: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-GpCBuCH9Vwo.html As far as formatting goes, check each agent's submission guidelines carefully. Some may ask for submission materials to be embedded in the body of the email, while others will ask for attachments. Good luck in the query trenches!

@ChimanaBendor Год назад

Last week I researched and read that you have to tell the ending of your novel in your synopsis. Now I am confused, but it makes sense what Alyssa says. However I live in Germany and I researched for german Agencys. Maybe there is a difference. Anyone (maybe also from Germany with experience) an idea? I would love to hear :)

@imanbamous8021 2 года назад

Hi Alysaa! I have a question: is it possible to get an american literary agent if i live in italy and i have translated the manuscript into english?

@DalCecilRuno 3 года назад

I'm going to query again starting 2021. I realise that I was aiming at the wrong agents. I have revised and improved my query letter with the help of third party critiques, I had fellow writers see through my novel and I'm polishing it to the best of my ability. My goal for next year is to aim at the right people. I don't know how to do that yet, but I'm working on it.

@AlyssaMatesic 3 года назад

Make sure you can outline a real reason why you’re reaching out to that specific agent. It should ideally go beyond the fact that they list your genre as one of the genres they work with. If you love one of the books they’ve represented and feel yours is in a similar vein, that’s a good sign. Best of luck!

@themikeshowlive 10 месяцев назад

I'm a way off from this phase but I'm curious if a rejection comes with any reason. Will an agent simply say "rejected"? Or would they say if it's not a genre match for them or if its because its too boring a start etc?

@pippaorr1939 2 года назад

Hi, We’re trying to get an agent offer representation for our picture books, but just keep getting rejections. I keep watching videos to see if there’s anything in the query letter that I need to change, but no idea! Any advice, I know a lot of it is just fit, but I do think this is a completely new and marketable idea? Would love any at advice, thanks, Pippa ☺️

@robertbeauvais2920 Год назад

Hi Mrs. Matesic. How are you? my name is Robert and i have been working on a manuscript fiction novel(action adventure/Fantasy) for 3 years, so far i have over 220 word document. I sent querry letters to many litterary agents but they turned me down so i guess that my letter or synopsis was not engaging enough and my sample pages not refined just like you mentioned in this video. However, i decided to put my work to the test by sending my manuscripts to book editors on reedsy and some are willing to work with me. What advise would you give me. Thanks.

@scott5671 2 года назад

Hi Alyssa! First I want to say thanks. Your writing tips videos helped me immensely with the revisions of my manuscript, and now while it is being beta read by a professional editor I am going through your publishing videos with a fine-toothed comb before getting started on querying. I have learned so much from these, and to be honest I was pretty clueless beforehand about everything. I have a question about querying. When a query is rejected, is it okay to send it again to the same agent at a later time? I understand that revising the letter itself is a first step when querying goes nowhere. But past that, say for example that a query is not a good match for an agent because they are already working on something similar and are not willing to take on another. Six months or a year later though, they might not be and might be open to it. On the other hand, if you are using the same email address, they will see from the thread that you already pitched the same project to them earlier. Any thoughts on this?

@AlyssaMatesic 2 года назад

This is a great question! I would hesitate to re-submit a manuscript to an agent unless they explicitly suggested that you resubmit. I go further into literary agent responses in this video here!: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-i9sbwxvFtxQ.html

@scott5671 2 года назад

Thanks so much!

@christopherperez4274 9 месяцев назад

I’m writing a book on time travel through a means of a written riddle or scroll though I feel it’s interesting enough to be a series of books but how can I find an agent to give me the direction I need.Question;is their a specific type of agent?Sincerely Yours,Christopher D.Perez.

@kitwayne4891 Год назад

I've been rejected many times, but nobody ever told me why. I finally found out just weeks ago a good reason: the unpolished writing. The story and scenes are good, but the excessive use of adverbs and passive voiceand other words just made me look amateur. Abby Emmons video on Ten Words to Remove from Your Manuscript had me editing for over a week. I feel so ashamed since my BA in English - Creative Writing was specifically for getting a career in Proofreading and Editing, like you are doing.

@AlyssaMatesic Год назад

No need to feel ashamed! Even seasoned authors have blind spots when it comes to editing their own manuscripts. It is a constant learning process, so keep writing and honing your craft!

@sebastianpendragon 3 года назад

when do you know your manuscript is a final draft, and ready to querying to literary agent. And how you find right title for your books, and how do you chose the right agent if you got more than one representation offers.

@AlyssaMatesic 3 года назад

When you feel your manuscript is as strong as it can be, you're in a good place to begin querying! Titles are tricky and there are many avenues for choosing a title - one technique I've used to help brainstorm with authors is to pull intriguing phrases from the story itself. If you get multiple offers of representation, you'll have conversations with each of the agents and will be able to get a sense for whose vision and communication style best matches yours.

@robertnorok 3 года назад

What happened to the usual couch? :D Should one send personalised query letters to many agents at the same time, or is it best to wait for a rejection before sending the next query letter?

@AlyssaMatesic 3 года назад

Ha! You caught me-I'm at my family's place so I had to change up the location. You should definitely send personalized queries out to multiple agents at once-the reason being that unfortunately, you might not hear back from that first agent for months (or ever, if their submissions inbox is incredibly backlogged). So, there's no reason to wait around for a response. Agents understand that they aren't the only person you're reaching out to.

@gsasikiran 3 года назад

What are the good resources to find and follow the literary agents in a specific genre?

@AlyssaMatesic 3 года назад

I recommend the Query Tracker and Manuscript Wishlist databases. They seem to be the most updated and widely used.

@mathius7211 3 года назад

Hey great video :) I have two questions. One, do literary agents blacklist writers once they have said no? As in if I send a second book they won't bother to look at it. Two, if the book has a violent event as the catalyst of the story (so something violent happens on chapter 2) is that considered off putting even if the genre of the book is thriller/horror? Thank you :)

@AlyssaMatesic 3 года назад

It's unlikely an agent would keep a blacklist - in many cases I'd expect that they wouldn't necessarily remember your earlier query, so go for it! If the violent event is warranted (i.e., important to the story and relevant for the genre), it wouldn't be off-putting. But try to ensure it's not the ONLY content in the opening pages.

@mathius7211 3 года назад

@@AlyssaMatesic Thanks :)

@ccormore 3 года назад

I am a bit confused about the synopsis. I thought a synopsis was a summary of the entire plot, including the ending, around 500 words long. But you said that I must NOT give away the ending. Does that mean that if an agent requests a synopsis, they do not mean being spoiled but just getting enough to be hooked?

@AlyssaMatesic 3 года назад

Good question. By “synopsis” in this video I’m referring to the blurb about your book that you include in the query letter. Some agents do request a separate formal synopsis document, and in that case, they are looking for a summary of the entire plot.

@ccormore 3 года назад

@@AlyssaMatesic ah I see, thank you!

@yiota23rock 2 года назад

I get rejected 4 times the 2020. But the agencies actually one Of those are the well known Curtis Brown. And i was like "wow Ada you are rejected from one Of the biggest agency but they say that they wait for new material". I was like nor sad neither happy more excited probably because it was my first rejection but i get kind answer 😂😂 the next year because the busy session of agencies i sent in more agents all the year. I get reject again. And now i keep try again until i find the right of me. I put specific wants in my agent because I am multilevel writer. I write many genres so i dont know. I want this agent that he has this. And the most important to believe in me and my talent.

@AlyssaMatesic 2 года назад

Knowing what you want out of an agent will definitely help you find your perfect agent match! Best of luck with querying!

@jeromemalenfant6622 3 года назад

7:20 I hate rhetorical questions in blurbs. When I see them, I want to respond, "What are you asking me for? I haven't read the book yet" Of course, John will be able to find the killer.

@JerodimusPrime 2 года назад

That may be true, but the point isn't what you hate, it's what will hook most agents or, with blurbs, potential readers

@jeromemalenfant6622 2 года назад

@@JerodimusPrime Well, as a potential reader, I hate rhetorical questions.

@JerodimusPrime 2 года назад

@@jeromemalenfant6622 Like I said before, it's not about you, it's about MOST READERS or MOST AGENTS. The difference is like fishing with a wide net, as opposed to fishing with a single rod.

@jeromemalenfant6622 2 года назад

@@JerodimusPrime And my point is, if I find them annoying in a blurb, other potential readers may also. In my opinion they're too cutesy and add nothing to the blurb. The point of a blurb is to get the potential reader interested enough to buy the book. But nobody is going to buy a book to find out 'if John finds the killer'.

@JerodimusPrime 2 года назад

@@jeromemalenfant6622 I understand your point, I'm just saying that it's not what MOST readers think. If it was, it would be the industry standard.

@DebbieDavidson06 3 года назад

Some good advice, but audio too low

@briankinney3140 3 года назад

Christian faith publishing wants to do my books should I do my first book thru them,do u have better to send my stuff too. I dont have the resources,cfp would do editing and illustrations

@stockmanbooks 3 года назад

Christian Faith Publishing is known as a "vanity" publisher. You will pay for every step of production, usually in excess of what you would pay for by finding an editor and designer on your own. Other vanity publishers will also offer similar services because such publishers will take on any book, good or bad, to take your money and do little else after it is printed. If you have confidence your book is a good quality, then approach traditional publishers. They will pick up the total costs of all services and send you a royalty when the book sells at NO COST to you. Lists of traditional publishers in your genre can be found online or in the library in a reference book titled, "Writer's Market 2020", almost every library carries it. Please be careful when dealing with publishers and DO YOUR HOMEWORK-research it first.

@briankinney3140 3 года назад

@@stockmanbooks is there any you recommend, cfp has three of my books

@AlyssaMatesic 3 года назад

You're absolutely right - when an author is published by a Big Five house or other traditional publisher, they're not expected to pay anything. There are so many vanity publishers and hybrid publishers entering the market that unfortunately it's becoming more confusing than ever for writers to publish their work successfully, and many get taken advantage of.

@MikeFoxSplashDesignworks 3 года назад

Do you offer submission service?

@AlyssaMatesic 3 года назад

Yes! I offer query letter reviews and submission review packages. Feel free to fill out the form on my website to request a quote: www.alyssamatesic.com

@SplashDesignworks 3 года назад

@@AlyssaMatesic will do. thanks. :)

@Booksbyphilmitchell Год назад

I wish I could hear her. It must be my machine. I want to hear what she's got to say, I'll go and get some earphones.

@starvingbuddha5966 3 года назад

What does it take to be a successful writer? One published author's response: "An almost supernatural ability to tolerate rejection." Sigh.

@AlyssaMatesic 3 года назад

They’re not wrong! It takes a lot of perseverance and can be really tough. But it can also be so rewarding if you stick with it.

@snapcrrracklepop 6 месяцев назад

I think i am up to 10 rejections lol

@AlyssaMatesic 6 месяцев назад

Keep going! Rejections are an inevitable part of the process, but each one gets you closer to your "yes" :)

@PersonaIncognito 11 месяцев назад

Utterly baffled why she opposes every how-to book section/article/tip/agent interview who ALL say you definitely positively DO give away the ending of the story in the synopsis. Perhaps she momentarily forget she was referring to the synopsis NOT the book blurb or query.