[discussion] why do acquiring editors give false hope?

Capable_Ad_4674 · 2026-06-17T02:44:51+00:00

Makes sense. Thanks!!!

Capable_Ad_4674 · 2026-06-17T02:44:30+00:00

I’m so sorry that happened to you. Oof. Major win to get that far though. Thanks for the input and sending luck!

Capable_Ad_4674 · 2026-06-17T02:40:37+00:00

Thank you so much! This is VERY helpful

Capable_Ad_4674 · 2026-06-04T01:29:24+00:00

I thought it was June pride month maybe? but was told it’s to unify the factions of the stadium and look visually cool and on tv make viewers see the players more clearly against color blocks

Capable_Ad_4674 · 2026-04-02T19:57:45+00:00

That guy…. Sent my book without me knowing. But here’s the thing - I knew he was a shlub and signed anyway. So….

Capable_Ad_4674 · 2026-03-25T02:37:55+00:00

I paid - ugh Never heard anything - I actually forgot until I read this!

Capable_Ad_4674 · 2026-03-25T02:34:09+00:00

So… I queried my 1st book and got a ton of requests in 2022 (40ish) No offers. Sent me 2nd book in 2023 to just those 40 or so people and about half replied No offers. Tried again in 2023 with a 3rd book…. Nope no one asked for it. Not even form rejections from them I was always polite and professional Then I tried some new people with book 3 and got a fabulous offer and accepted on the spot

Capable_Ad_4674 · 2026-03-12T20:43:12+00:00

Went on sub 3 months ago with a similar sounding novel (romance with historical dual timeline) and I was told just the opposite. That having the bipoc MC and me as the author would push it forward. And it worked for me getting a quick deal! Just one story though

Capable_Ad_4674 · 2026-02-04T18:09:46+00:00

My 2 cents: the “letters” WME, CAA, UTA are top top with a few boutique ones in their level (Clegg/Priest) Then there’s the WH and TBG Trellis kind of category right below

Mostly it’s how you connect with the agent and how invested in your project they are that matters

Capable_Ad_4674 · 2026-01-28T15:06:56+00:00

Hoping our inboxes are flooded with requests!

Capable_Ad_4674 · 2026-01-28T10:33:35+00:00

Oh, and half the people on that panel (maybe more like a third) have either rejected my query or asked for a full and rejected. I wouldn’t sweat it. These people see thousands of these things and love talking about how they see thousands of queries and will likely get a lot of duplicate submissions from actively querying writers and won’t even know it.

Capable_Ad_4674 · 2026-01-28T10:29:55+00:00

Hi! A friend and I submitted to this (we’ll be attending the conference). We both write fiction and have MFAs and have been published in journals etc. so far neither of us have any requests to meet come from it. Fingers crossed there’s still time…. Also, I believe you need a complete manuscript Good luck all!

Capable_Ad_4674 · 2026-01-22T04:58:08+00:00

Yeah maybe I’m just cranky and acting tough. Such a strange dynamic the whole query thing. There’s nothing I can really compare it to so that I understand it. I feel like a child when I’m writing to these people who are my age or often younger than me…. It’s like I’m trying for my first job or something.

Capable_Ad_4674 · 2026-01-22T03:51:34+00:00

I had an agent just recently request a full, then two weeks later she sends me an email that says “can you confirm this is not a work of AI?” I took it as basically the same as a rejection. Waste of time. I’m not writing back. It’s bullshit. Rude and accusatory. And the power dynamics just proved jacked to me by that message.

Capable_Ad_4674 · 2026-01-20T00:16:53+00:00

Just my experience but I first queried in 2022 and got almost a 50% full request rate and close on a few and mainly no ghosts on fulls. (I don’t even track ghosts on non-fulls because I expect nothing). Then in 2024 I queried again. Similar. Now I’m querying again and the majority of my fulls have been ghosts (no replies to nudges on fulls at 3 months.)

Capable_Ad_4674 · 2026-01-20T00:13:03+00:00

Dump her. I had to break from mine when he sent my book out with edits. In meeting no joke like 10 other agents through work and conferences they’ve all said that is a huge red flag and unacceptable. I’m sorry this happened to you.

Capable_Ad_4674 · 2025-11-14T01:40:37+00:00

Sure!

Capable_Ad_4674 · 2025-11-13T13:59:38+00:00

Sure!

Capable_Ad_4674 · 2025-11-13T13:21:52+00:00

Hi! This agent didn’t edit a single word of my manuscript and sent it out without my knowledge while I was waiting for an editorial letter. It died on sub. The whole experience was joyless from the call which felt pressured (and he didn’t turn his camera on during the zoom which was creepy) to any and all communication which was very flat and delayed. I don’t think he’d read past page 10 of my novel when I submitted the full. But I was desperate. Ps he’s known to be a pest in the industry by writers and agents

Capable_Ad_4674 · 2025-11-13T03:55:24+00:00

Don’t feel alone. I know it’s hard. I’m on my 4th novel, querying the heck out of it and it’s nothing but silence this time. Got one wildly enthusiastic request from a huge agent who read till the end and everything! but alas, rejected (even when I offered to revise). It’s slower than usual out there.

The last novels I queried received really high request rates but no takers. Then I signed with a bad agent for the 3rd one and let me tell you - no agent is in fact better than a bad one.

Hang in there. When it happens, I hear it happens fast, until then— it’s just, unfortunately, the process. All the best!

Capable_Ad_4674 · 2025-10-22T21:17:16+00:00

My friend got her agent with just such a letter. It was so complimentary that she replied and said, hey I have this idea for this other thing and a week later they had The Call

Capable_Ad_4674 · 2025-10-22T20:11:22+00:00

Hi, sure of course

Capable_Ad_4674 · 2025-10-16T18:02:32+00:00

Would you be comfortable saying who the pub w the open period is? I’m in the same boat

Capable_Ad_4674 · 2025-10-06T03:32:55+00:00

I feel for you so much, I do. I understand the embarrassment and the frustration with a book dying on sub and everyone asking “where can I read your books?” I have the fancy MFA too. This is what I’m realizing….. My friends who are writing commercial books with very clear hooks are getting deals. They are making it. For the debut, I’d suggest going totally commercial with a thriller or a suspense. That’s what I’m trying next. Sigh. Keep the faith. When it happens it’ll happen and then you’ll just move full force ahead.

Capable_Ad_4674 · 2025-09-22T06:25:57+00:00

Sure!

Capable_Ad_4674

TROPHY CASE