Top 10 Reasons Your Submission Was Rejected 

Thank you so much for your videos - I've been binge-watching them this past week. I'm getting to the end of my revisions, and your videos have eased so many of my fears about querying. I appreciate it!

Thank you for sharing these invaluable tips and insight, Kim and James! Helps loads as I'm preparing to query soon.

Thank you so much for this vlog. It is very helpful.

Thanks for the great video, super helpful. I'd love to see you guys make a video on pacing.....

Subscribed just because I want that video on pacing. Thanks for posting!

Thank you so much for this info. There is a lot of confusing information out there.

These are good reminders as I get ready to get back in that game. Thanks for the tips.

You guys seriously make me want to query BookEnds. lol Love it.

Ahh Kaz, LOVE the Six of Crows series! Peaky Blinders meets Ocean’s 11 plus magic, so so good. More videos on YA please!!

Great video guys!

I feel a little better after watching your video that some of my many recent queries may not put any agents off too much. I guess I don't understand why there is frequent mention of YA, MG and picture books, but not any mention of chapter books? I have authored the first in a chapter book series, but it doesn't seem like there are many agents who have an interest in this space.

Your videos do help alot. Very nerve whacking when i send something and hoping for good news. I hate being rejected maybe now i wont be. Does your agency accept picture book manuscripts?

Most books are heavy on telling. Few authors can show.

I'd like to hear all-knowing reasons from the agents who rejected J.K.Rowling, lol.

I was wondering how much of a deal-breaker it is when your name is googled and it shows that for a brief moment in your life you desperately wanted to see your book as a tangible entity so you self published? I didn’t always include this information in my queries (now I do) because I just didn’t realize it was a big deal. Especially because the book I self published is NOT the book I am sending out queries for. I’ve gotten a lot of rejections and I don’t know if it’s because my book isn’t right or if it’s because I self published something else once upon a time. Thanks! Always love your videos!

Question for you guys! If you get a submission rejection that praised the story and characters but ultimately said it was a pass due to "didn't fall in love," can you read anything into that, or just chalk it up as bad luck?

I apparently have a habit of showing, but then immediately "telling". My editor caught it, thankfully, so I'm fixing it. But I'll describe an emotion well and then I'll *name* the emotion right after. So I show AND tell? I'm so weird...

We have different readers, opinions and stories. As a reader, I skipped many pages and when I wrote my own story, I wanted it to be an easy read. It may not win any awards, may not have the best grammar and punctuation for the academics, but it is mine. :-)

How often is a submission rejected for the side materials rather than the query itself, and what are the red flags there?

These videos make me paranoid. I'm going to scour my query letter as soon as I finish these videos! And - omg I hate track changes... LOL.

I just got a rejection! Not as bummed out as I thought. It sort of just--was. 🤷‍♂️ Not discouraged, I've had rejections with other books before. Not my first rodeo. I was curious what the problem may have been. I've gotten a lot of great feedback and praise from CPs and Betas (even from some paid beta reading services out there by actual editors, with degrees and all that jazzy goodness). And I researched this agent extensively! (not in a creepy way!...I hope 😬) We even shared interests in certain MG series! And had a similar sense of humour. They even liked a few of my posts on Twitter, and follow me on Twitter. All the things they said they wanted in a MG book were things my MS checked off. Fantasy Science Fiction Strong voice Female MC STEM Diversity Whimsical High concept and so on... My point is that I'm a little confused what that could mean. If a lot of other people are telling me it's good or great, and it's been edited, and it SEEMED to fit criteria they mentioned very recently wanting in a MG book, then what else could be the issue? I don't want to bother them and ask them directly! I'd feel pushy, even if I was polite about it. (Anxiety isn't fun!) Their exact words (after thanking me for my submission and interest and also being really kind and supportive) were: "Unfortunately, I'm not the best fit for this manuscript at this time." As agents yourselves, what does this strange language mean? 🤔 Any insight is MUCHO appreciated! Thank you so much! I love your videos, and the dynamic between you all! Oh, and James...I'm working on a YA Fantasy...it's a dark fairy tale of sorts called CAGED (there's this girl in a large birdcage with no memory of her life before--Wyndylla Hoxley--and she's being held captive by a faceless woman with a body that turns into purple smoke, who wants to turn her into a bird for some unknown reason--Mother Violet.)......you've been warned. 😈 "There once was a girl in a cage." Sincerely, R.S. Rutherford ♥💙💚

If you are seeking traditional publishing do you need critique partners or beta readers?

Number one reason you got rejected: you didn't know/bribe/kiss the ass of the rejecting agent ahead of time.

What's with all the laughing? What's so funny?

The title should read: ‘Top Ten Reasons Literary Agents Reject Your Query Letter.’ You call yourselves agents? Passive voice...duh.