Why Agents Reject Great Stories

A lot of writers are frustrated out there. I get it! The market is still tough right now. Since the bubble of 2008, publishers and agents have been extra cautious about who they sign. And still, writers are frustrated, especially with the agents, who seem to pass on great writing time and time again. But please understand, there are reasons for this apparent strange behavior.

It is important to first remember that this business is extremely subjective. This is something I often say frequently in rejection letters. The writing may be good, but it is not right for me. You know how this works. All of the members in your critique group may love this new author, and yet, you pick up the book and it does not click with you. The plot is fine, the writing is fine, but it just doesn't connect. For an agent, that happens to us as well.

As a writer, you want to have an agent who completely drools all over your story. You want that person so excited about your story that he or she cannot stop talking about it. If that does not happen, the story is not going to be right for us.

It is also important to remember that agents like to limit their client lists. They want to keep that one-to-one feel with their writers. You do not want to just be a number at an agency. You want to be able to call your agent and get a response.

Finally, I know that as an agent, I never want my writers to be in conflict with one another. I never want an editor to have to make a decision between who they sign to that next contract. I may have several historical romance authors, but they all write in different time periods and they will not end up in conflict with one another. We are looking to fill specific needs and slots.

Please understand that for agents, this is a business and sometimes we have to be pretty cut and dry. Don't take it personally. If your story is great, it will get signed.