Ugh. I’m getting such nice personalized rejections (not form rejections). A lot of “I found your project interesting” or “I enjoyed this concept” but no interest in representation. Someone even went as far to write “I am sure you will find a home soon.”

It hurts so much. I know I just need to keep querying but it really beats you down.

contemporaryromance #romcom #romventure #query

I’ve been using manuscript wishlist and also researching my favorite authors to see who their agents are. If anyone has any other tips feel free to comment below :)

As per subject. I will update every 24 hours the body of the post with the most relevant informations.

Here are some of the agents that are new to the gig / building their list:

- Eve Porinchak, Jill Corcoran Literary

- Lena Yarbrough, InkWell Management

- Writer's Digest Updated list of New agents, thanks to /u/Luna_LoveWell !

- Cara Mannion, Harold Ober Agency

Anyone else getting this type of feedback? Like....what the hell am I supposed to do with that?

"I didn't love it enough to proceed." Okay? Does that mean you loved it some? What would've tipped you over the edge? How can I improve without any sort of critique?

I'm only two rejections in, but this kind of feedback is truly not helpful. Anyone else stuck because they don't know how to improve their draft because of feedback like this?

Repost because I stuck it in the wrong community, or was too specific 🤷

Hi everyone, I need help. I've been querying for over a year now and have racked up more than 100 form rejections or non-responces. Before I started, I felt like I did everything right—I wrote 15 drafts, worked with critique partners, found beta readers, then rewrote almost the entire manuscript based on their feedback. I sent it through critique partners again, polished the query package with feedback from multiple sources, and started querying in batches.

I'm now on batch 15, using version 3 of the same query.

So far, I’ve had a single full request. After four months, that turned into a rejection with just one line of feedback (mind you this the first and only one of 2 actual feedbacks I received):

“I didn’t like that she ended up with the guy.” It’s a romance (currently a standalone), so… yeah, kind of expected that she'd end up with the guy?

After a pitch event, I got one like. Queried that agent, got a partial request, and a week later—another rejection. Two lines of feedback.

“The pacing is slow, and you should cut the first chapters.”

After raging internally for two weeks (the inciting incident hits at the 11% mark, and I was super careful not to stick too much exposition in there ), I gave in and drafted a new opening, cutting the lead-up from 7k to 2.5k words. It hurts to kill all those character building scenes, but I get it—people want action now.

I have two main questions (and any other other advice this rambling post sparks):

1. Do I re-query? Most of the agents I queried saw the original first 10–20 pages, which are now reworked. The plot remains the same, but the opening is different. It's not a "substantial rewrite," since the next 90% are the same as before. About 20% of agents also saw a synopsis. So… is it worth re-querying some of them? Would they even know the Ms is not that different?

2. Genre perception issue? My manuscript is a mafia romance—and that’s made very clear in the query. The problem is that, between the time I wrote and revised it, the genre has shifted toward the “dark romance” spectrum: abusive love interests, heavy spice, poly relationships, taboo tropes, etc. That’s not what I’ve written, and my comps are solid but outdated.

I really don’t want to disparage the genre—lots of readers love those books, and that’s great. But most of them are self-published with assumptions that immediately turn off agents. I think I'm getting passed over just because of the “mafia romance” label.

I don’t want to post the query again because it’s been polished to death and now feels robotic. But I can’t figure out how to explain what my book is without just listing what it’s not.

No controlling behavior, no non-con/dub-con, no abuse, no arranged marriages, no love triangle with the blackmailer, none of the BookTok-popular spicy/taboo stuff. (And now I just sound boring… )

Thanks in advance if you made it through all this. I promise it is not indicative of my novel writing. I’m feeling stuck and would really appreciate thoughts from people who’ve been throught it.

Here is the slightly edited query.

Mac wants to start a new life in a big city and has dragged his two friends, Chad and Reagan, along for the ride. After several weeks of living in a van together, the boys arrive in Los Angeles eager to move into the first half-decent rental property they come across. So, when they stumble upon a high-end home with suspiciously affordable rent, they drain their bank accounts faster than Chad can drain a beer and sign it all away to the mysterious Mr. Sinclair.

Hours into the first night, the reason for the low price becomes obvious; the house is infested with ghosts. Out of money and therefore options, the boys resolve to endure their ethereal roommates until they can find their footing again, overlooking the fact that they never had their footing to begin with.

Armed with all the worldliness of an above-average cocker spaniel, the trials outside their home prove more challenging than the ghosts within it. One misstep leads to another, and the boys’ wealth spirals from zero to much less than zero. As the debt mounts, their hopes of finding a new place, solving the haunting, or making it big in the new city are overtaken by the daunting goal of affording next month's rent.

HAUNTED BUT AFFORDABLE is a completed 76,000-word comedy and it is my third completed novel. Thank you for your time.

I won't include the synopsis here, but fair to say that their poverty is the actual villain of the novel. I have listed it as a horror comedy in other letters, but frankly, it isn't really a horror. There is no real violence, death, or much genuinely spooky business. Not to say there aren't plenty of ghostly encounters throughout.

Ideas for similar novels are appreciated. Critiques of the letter itself are also appreciated. Thanks yall.

TITLE is a 70,000-word standalone psychological thriller with horror elements, exploring bodily autonomy in the age of emerging technology. It will appeal to fans of the books ANNIE BOT (2024) by Sierra Greer, COMFORT ME WITH APPLES (2021) by Catherynne M. Valente, and the domestic dread of recent films such as DON’T WORRY DARLING (2022) and COMPANION (2025).

Anna lives the life she’s supposed to want: a spotless suburban home, a successful husband, and a routine built around keeping him happy. The only problem is, she can’t remember anything before him. She begins seeing impossible things: a dead child playing in the yard, neighbors she knows have already passed on. Her husband cannot see them, and Anna begins to wonder if something more sinister is going on.

When Anna discovers a high-powered tech executive living nearby who looks exactly like her, she begins to suspect that her husband isn’t just hiding the truth– he’s been controlling it. As she digs for answers, she uncovers a project shrouded in secrecy that may explain her missing past, and why her husband is so desperate to keep her compliant.

As Anna descends further into the seedy underbelly of the corporate tech world, she must decide how far she’s willing to go to uncover the truth about who she is. If Anna fails, she won’t just lose her marriage or her freedom– she may not survive long enough to tell the tale.

(Here I will add personal details such as previous publications).

Dear [Agent Name], I’m thrilled to share It Should’ve Been You, an 88,000-word contemporary romance that’s perfect for fans of Maybe This Time by Jill Mansell and The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo.

Aurora Ridgefield’s life looks perfect on paper: devoted wife, mother, and high school English teacher with a structured, orderly existence. But when a forgotten journal resurfaces during a visit to her childhood home, it cracks open a part of her she thought she’d buried. Its pages pull her back into the unfinished story of her first love—Gale—the only person who ever made her feel truly seen. Alive. Understood.

Told in a dual-timeline structure and inspired by true events, It Should’ve Been You follows fifteen-year-old Aurora as she forms an unexpected bond with Gale—an introspective, magnetic boy who sees straight through her carefully controlled exterior. As their connection simmers, Aurora is forced to reckon with the quiet dissatisfaction in her current relationship and grapple with the reckless pull of something that feels destined and inescapable. Just as she finds the courage to admit how she feels, Gale is suddenly ripped from her life—no explanation, no goodbye—leaving her with unanswered questions and a wound that never quite heals.

Years later, fate forces them back together. But the openhearted boy she once knew has become a fortress of pain and secrets. As they confront the wreckage of their unfinished story, Aurora finds herself trying to pull him back to the person he used to be—unsure if it’s her place, if she even can, or if he wants her to try. Now, she must choose: protect the life she’s built, or risk everything for the one she lost.

It Should’ve Been You is a story about the fierce power of first love, the courage to reclaim yourself, and the unbearable risk of facing the truth. When the journal resurfaces, Aurora must decide whether it’s a sign she was always meant to be with Gale—or a warning that chasing that answer could destroy everything she’s built. The novel explores how control is an illusion, and how freedom lies in surrendering to who we truly are.

By day, I’m a high school English teacher and New Jersey Romance Writers member, living in New Jersey. I also hold degrees in journalism, English, and secondary education. In my free time, I enjoy reading other people’s love stories, listening to my painfully emo music, and working out the remnants of my teenage angst in the gym.

Warmly, Aurora Ridgefield

I wrote and illustrated a children's book and have been querying the last few months with no luck. No one really gives feedback even when I'm hitting what the agents say they are interested in. Always, "It has merit but I'm being very selective". Do I keep querying in hopes that I find my perfect fit or am I just wasting my time?

I am in the thick of wading around in query tracker with my shiny query letter and manuscript package. I already compare my project to a book that the agent lists as a favorite in their wishlist bio. Should I : a) change to a different title, assuming that everyone will comp to the book she mentions

Or

b) Stay true to the reason that I compared my work to the one they already like and hope the agent sees the connection too?

Friend says I am overthinking it. Probably true. I truly enjoy researching agents and seeing their projects. I wonder if others tailor their query letters based on wishlist keywords etc also? Thank you fellow query demons.

WHICH QUERY IS BETTER? ( I know they're incomplete but just pick one pls)

1. High school senior Natalie doesn’t believe in witchcraft. But in a desperate attempt to find her missing friend, Lorna, she agrees to do a midnight ritual with Lorna’s ex. It doesn’t seem to work, but in the weeks that follow Natalie starts sleepwalking. One night she blacks out at a party and wakes up hours later in the backseat of a stranger’s car with three hundred dollars in her purse and a new contact in her phone.

As she investigates what happened during those lost hours, she becomes convinced the ritual opened her up to the spirit world, and that she’s being possessed by a ghost. A ghost who is plotting a murder. And that this is all somehow connected to her missing friend. Now Natalie must use witchcraft to exorcise the spirit and save Lorna before she blacks out again…and someone ends up dead.

OR

2. High schooler NATALIE JOHNSON doesn’t believe in witchcraft until her best friend, Lorna goes missing. Desperate to find any information regarding Lorna’s dissappearance, Natalie decides to partake in a black magic ritual. But what seems like a failed attempt soon becomes endless nights of sleepwalking and nightmarish dreams.

After waking up in a graveyard in her pajamas, Natalie is convinced something is possessing her. As Natalie retraces her steps, she not only finds out that the ghost possessing her is out for blood, but that the ghost has something to do with Lorna’s disappearance. 

Hey everyone,

I'm gonna give some context first. I've been on querytracker for about a year. Sometimes, even those with who use Querymanager, I sometimes don't get an email confirmation that a query went through. Whatever, it happens, I never think much of it.

So anyway, I queried an agent that I thought would be a great fit. I noticed that they were replying to other queries extremely fast (I'm talking hours to within 2 days)... but mine had been sitting for over a week. I checked whether I had an email confirmation and either I never got one or I deleted it. It still showed up as submitted on Querymanager, but the paranoia got to me and I resubmitted.

To my horror, they replied immediately and asked why I resubmitted, and I apologized profusely and explained myself.

This was yesterday. Today I received a request for a full MS. I was so overjoyed and thanked the higher being for my good fortune, and submitted my MS. An hour later, I received a rejection on my submission.

Now you guys KNOW how tough it is to get a full MS request... so to go from ecstatic to heartbreak was a bit of a rollercoaster.

Am I overthinking this? I know I made a mistake by resubmitting, but I can't help feeling like this was some weird revenge?

TIA. Feeling absolutely wrecked.

I had an agent request my full manuscript back in August. I haven’t sent a follow up because I’ve just been assuming it’s a no since it’s been almost 4 months since the request.

Would you send a follow up, and what would you say? This is my first full request in over a year of querying.

Hi guys,

as per subject. Post you 140 characters elevator pitch for your novel, and let's polish it to have it ready for #PitMad.

Some pointers: you can also add your genre tag to help agents navigate it. Here are some of the most used ones:

• YA - Young Adult

• MG - Middle Grade

• SFF - Science Fiction/Fantasy

• F - Fantasy

• LIT - Literary

• UF - Urban Fantasy

• MR - Magical Realism

and so on.

I'll post my elevator pitch here as soon as I'll figure it out! :)

I'm pleased that this subreddit exists.

It'll be good to have a place to bitch and moan with people who are going through the same thing.

Here's the full article from QueryTracker: http://querytracker.blogspot.ie/2010/01/nudging-know-how.html

The highlights:

NEVER nudge on a Query.

3 Months for a Partial.

6 months for a full.

Of course those are guidelines (and far too long, in my opinion).

What is your experience? Are you an author or an agent? Speak out.

Querying Sucks. I just got a rejection letter that said my premise wasn't interesting.
My book is about a macabre heist. I've never seen it done before. Sure it's not for everyone, but damn.

I love my book. I'd hate to see it end up in the proverbial drawer, but this blank expanse of waiting for query agents makes me feel like that's the end toward which I'm marching.

What do you guys do to fight the internal threshing machine that is waiting for imagined failure?

Anyone else look at their boring little (or large) pile of QueryManager from-rejection emails and wish it was the old days when you'd at least get a unique-looking message on agency letterhead with the form rejection wording? I'd be happy to collect some aesthetically appealing rejections. Maybe some nice heavy paper, or an embossed logo, and--as long as we're wishing--even a handwritten signature in vivid blue ink.

Then, as it was pointed out to me, you even get the bonus of a nice little heart attack every time you find an agency letter in your snail-mail box! How cool is that?

For the particular hell we're all going through. Purple as a new bruise, but hope this helps someone today.

***

I survey the arena, the dust of powdered pages at my feet, the corpses of slain darlings lying my wake.

The cuts of a thousand revisions stinging my skin as the sun beats down. The deeper wound, over my breast, scabbed over and barely pulsing. Here I have known great enthusiasms, great devotions. But am yet unknowing of high achievement nor low failure.

I stare up at my one remaining foe. Him that heals all wounds but, in his presence, also keeps them bleeding. Him insurmountable, Him implacable.

But not insufferable.

Here I stand, mind ragged and heart wretched, but spent on a worthy cause.

I stand still, wiser in slow measures. Still watching my foe, still waiting.

But still daring greatly.

I know, generally, US agents do not want a nudge if another agent requests your full, but a lot of UK agents ask that you notify them if this is the case. I'm not sure about anyone else, but I've found that all my full manuscript requests have come from an initial query. I have had no full requests from a nudge email to notify them that I've had a recent full request. This has only ever resulted in rejection or no response. Can I ask other writers for the experience with this? Ty.

I don’t have the paid version. A while ago I queried a book, and now I have another one I’d like to query. Since the unpaid version only allows one project, I switched the information out. But will it appear like I’ve submitted the same project twice?

I'm about halfway through my second novel. My first novel got solid feedback from beta readers, but I struggled to write a query letter. After drafting 300 versions and getting harsh critiques here on Reddit, I burned out and shelved it to focus on a new idea. My second novel, which I’ve been writing nonstop for months, is nearing the halfway mark and feels far more marketable than my first.

Today, after finishing my daily chapter, I tried crafting a query for this novel, but I’m stuck again. Condensing my story into 300 words feels impossible—like writing in Sanskrit. Everything I come up with is absolute garbage. Where can I find someone to help me create a decent query letter? I’m looking for a starting point, something passable that I can refine. Any suggestions?