Julie Barrett is a freelance writer and photographer based in Plano, TX.

Why You Shouldn't Give Up After A "Not Right" Rejection

Fresh when it gets here from Julie Barrett
Friday, February 27, 2009


Literary agent Kristin Nelson talks about what happened to a manuscript she passed on as "not right" for her.

Someone else liked it, picked it up, and it got published. Does that mean she made a mistake? She doesn't think so, and neither do I. Even though I'm a voracious reader, I can't get excited about every book I see on the shelf. It doesn't mean they're bad books, it just means they're not too my taste or interests. How many times have you picked up a book that your friends raved over and couldn't understand the fuss? Agents are human, too! And when they pass on a good book that "isn't for them," they're doing the author a favor. I don't care if your agent is at the top of the heap like Nelson or new at a large agency, if they can't get interested enough in a manuscript to get behind it properly, it's not good for you, and it's certainly not good for them.

As disheartening as rejections can be, a "not right" really may not be right for that agent. Keep plugging.

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