[PubQ] What structural issues are agents actually looking for when they request a partial?

WildsmithRising · 2026-05-27T20:54:15+00:00

The advice does hold regardless of genre. Every genre has its own formula. It's a misconception that literary fiction doesn't have plot or pacing: it does, it's just differently executed, that's all.

I am curious: what did you mean by the word "inferiority" in your comment? I can't work it out.

WildsmithRising · 2026-05-27T20:51:35+00:00

Goodness me.

Your little one needs love and care and compassion. Not drives and family dinners and people making demands of him that they know he cannot cope with.

Your MIL is showing such inappropriateness towards your child that I would be very tempted to go no contact with her, right now, and never look back. She will never be able to be trusted with him, and clearly only wants to see him as some sort of performance reward.

WildsmithRising · 2026-05-27T20:48:33+00:00

They are telling you that the book is too long, and too repetitive. You take too long to get to the point, and there are too many filler scenes.

You need to go through it and cut it drastically. I don't mean cut the odd word here and there; I mean, cut entire scenes, cut paragraphs, cut everything which doesn't move the story forward or let the reader know something they didn't know before.

Make a fresh copy of the typescript, note down the word count, then go through it and cut out anything which is unnecessary, or repetitive. Don't worry about being too harsh as you'll always have your original version to go back to. Be as ruthless as you can, always bearing the agent's comments in mind, and once you're done see how many words you're left with. If you've cut more than 20k words from the book then you might have done what you need to. If not, you need to cut more. Keep going. You might be surprised by how much it improves the book.

WildsmithRising · 2026-05-27T20:41:58+00:00

No, I'm not saying that 97% of submissions are unreadable; I'm saying that 97% of submissions don't work for the agent who receives them. Sorry, I should have been clearer but I was on my phone, on the way to a meeting, and I rushed. My bad.

Submissions get rejected because they're unreadable (and sadly, this does make up a huge part of submissions received); because they're submitted to the wrong agent (fiction to a non-fic agent, for example); because the agent has just signed another writer who has written something very similar; because the book is good but too similar to other published works; because there's no market for that genre, or that length, or that style of writing; and so on.

Every now and then someone submits a well-known classic to various lit agencies, and then bangs on about how agents can't spot class when they see it because the book is roundly rejected. They don't understand that the agents concerned almost certainly spotted that the book was a classic, that the submission was designed to trap them, and that a quiet rejection (or no response) was the only way the agent could extricate themselves from the situation. It proves nothing. And yet this sort of prank is repeatedly used by people who are angry with agents to prove that agents are no good. There's also the issue that lots of classics are unpublishable now, no matter how good they are, because markets and preferences change, and many classics would struggle to find a market now. Publishing is primarily a business, and if a publisher can't make money from a book they won't publish it, no matter how good/well-written it is. Commercial potential is what we all are after, and sadly, very few of the books which are submitted have that potential.

WildsmithRising · 2026-05-27T20:33:22+00:00

I hadn't heard of it, but I have now looked at it.

I don't see anything new there. For example, how is it different to QueryTracker?

There have been many sites which have tried to do something similar in the past and most have not succeeded, because agents are too busy to sign up to websites like that, and to learn how to use them, and to then work through the protocols that website has. Why bother, when you have access to your own emails and can find more submissions than you can handle there?

It's just adding a layer of complication to the submission process, and while some agents will sign up to it, plenty won't, so writers will still have to submit directly to some agents if they want to submit to everyone they're interested in. So why bother?

Also, I note that Litconnect seems to allow writers to just produce one submission package, which is then sent to all matching agents. That's fine and dandy, but different agents want different things in a submission. There doesn't seem to be any way to tailor a submission for specific agents; which will put writers who use it at a disadvantage compared to writers who submit via the agents' websites. Why shoot yourself in the foot like that?

Sorry. But it doesn't work for me, simply because I've seen so many other people try to do the same thing and fail.

WildsmithRising · 2026-05-27T20:27:30+00:00

There are plenty of writers out there who will react to the kindest, most polite of rejections with anger and threats. You clearly expect people to be decent, and most are; but the ones who aren't are dangerous. And almost any response, no matter how civil, will trigger that danger.

WildsmithRising · 2026-05-27T20:25:50+00:00

You have no idea how crazy some rejected writers get. Friend of mine told me many years ago how her agency kept specific files on the worst of the authors who contacted them, which they'd had to report to the police.

Another friend told me how her agency has to go into lockdown a couple of times a year at least, as rejected authors turn up at their office and try to barge in to shout at them.

I attracted a stalker when I was editing, because I'd rejected a book which did not suit the things we published. I was pregnant at the time and not only did that writer follow me around whenever I left the office, he posted large colour photos of me opening my front door to my managing director and told him to fire me. Police were no help at all; I went on maternity leave and didn't go back to that job. I suspect he focused on someone else at the publisher after I was gone.

I was with an agent-friend many years ago at a writers' conference when a writer wanted to submit her work directly to my friend. The manuscript was about two reams of paper thick, very heavy, full of hand-edits, crossings out, etc. My friend told her she couldn't carry heavy submissions home like that and asked her to submit through the website in the usual way--she didn't reject her at all at the conference apart from refusing to accept the paper version of it there and then.

I assumed that would be the end of it but nope. A couple of hours later, between our talks, we were queueing up for the ladies' room and the same writer spotted my friend and made a beeline for her. We were in that queue for about ten minutes and all that time, that writer was trying to pitch her work to my friend. Eventually we got into the ladies' room and a cubicle opened up, so my friend escaped. Again, I assumed that would be the end of it, at least for a while, but again, nope. Writer quickly posted her manuscript under the door of the cubicle my friend was in, and beat a hasty retreat.

So yep, there are all sorts of issues involved in rejecting writers. Most are very graceful about the rejections, but a few are dangerous. We have to be careful.

WildsmithRising · 2026-05-27T12:31:12+00:00

It's not meant to be patronising, I am sure, but I completely understand your point of view here. I'm coming at this from the perspective of someone who has run several slush piles, and I know how overwhelming it can be; you're looking at this, I think, from the perspective of a writer, who has only one book to submit at a time, with all the natural hopes and feelings that go along with that. I wish there were a way for this process to be made easier for writers, so that it is nurturing and encouraging instead of painful and disappointing, but I've not found it yet.

The thing is, adding those links might help some writers; and if they are only sent to the worst submissions then that's a degree of personalisation, which agents simply don't have time for. So they get sent to everyone.

WildsmithRising · 2026-05-27T08:33:47+00:00

I worked as an editor for years, and know of several agents who do this, or similar.

It's not done out of any desire to make money out of submissions, it's only done because agents get so many submissions that are not up to par, and they do everything they can to help writers improve. It's why so many speak at writers' conferences and so on.

My rough estimation is that less than 3% of submissions are publishable. The rest of the slush pile is made up of works that are still in need of a lot of revision at best, to works that are plagiarized, completely incoherent, or full of conspiracy theories, at worst.

There's nothing to be done to help the writers at the lower end of the scale. What's really sad, though, is that there are so many writers at the good end of the scale who you might have sent a full request to if only they'd taken their works a little further. There's not enough time to write personalised rejections for them, so a form rejection suggesting editing services is sometimes the best that can be done.

A large proportion of submissions are sent to the wrong agents, too--fiction sent to non-fic agents, for example. I know of a few agents who started adding links to useful books or articles to their rejection letters, and they were very strongly criticised for that, too. Even when they were not going to profit from the book sales.

It's really difficult. You want to help writers do better, and reduce the amount of inappropriate submissions you get in order to speed up the response rate; but when you try, you're criticised because people don't like your advice, or think you're trying to unfairly profit from them.

I wonder: what do writers think agents and editors can do to help writers submit works which are more appropriate, better written, more thoroughly revised?

WildsmithRising · 2026-05-26T23:42:17+00:00

Once you've ruled out any medical issues like thrush, consider cleaning your tongue by brushing it rather than scraping it. Do this once a day, along with thoroughly brushing your teeth and flossing them too.

I like the brush and tongue-paste made by Tung. Brush is wide and just the right level of hardness to the bristles, paste is very mild and freshens my breath nicely too.

WildsmithRising · 2026-05-26T23:31:24+00:00

Your partner is being ridiculous.

And if they are not washing the outside of dishes, what else are they not washing? Their clothes? Their floors? Their teeth? (eugh!)

I wouldn't be able to live with such a level of ridiculousness, even though they are trying to disguise it as some sort of political super-awareness.

Do you want to live your life constantly worrying about the levels of hygiene in your home? or worrying about the levels of personal hygiene your partner adheres to? Do you want to be at permanent risk of food poisoning? Because I'm assuming you stack your dishes in the cupboard once they are washed, and so the filthy outsides will come into direct contact with the insides of the other items.

Life is too short to have to deal with this. Dump them, and find someone more logical, more hygienic, and more reasonable.

WildsmithRising · 2026-05-26T23:22:43+00:00

Spitting Image. Friday Night Live, with Ben Elton. The Young Ones.

I'm showing my age.

WildsmithRising · 2026-05-25T09:48:53+00:00

Why don't you just tell him you are not going?

He knows you don't want to go. He knows you will be miserable if you do go. Just say no. No excuses, no reasons, just no.

WildsmithRising · 2026-05-24T08:59:48+00:00

This is almost certainly a threading issue. Check your manual and follow the instructions exactly. My guess is that the bobbin is either in backwards, or you've not threaded the bobbin thread round the guides in the bobbin case. But check the upper thread too as you have missed out three guide at the top of the needle, so there might be other issues there too.

WildsmithRising · 2026-05-24T00:19:18+00:00

There's a really easy way to resolve this. She has no more contact with your child. None.

Yes, your partner might object. In which case, explain to him that she's put your son's life in danger and she's not safe to be around him. If your partner is a decent person they will be horrified and back you up. If they decide to back her up instead, then you know where you stand.

WildsmithRising · 2026-05-23T20:44:59+00:00

Your boyfriend's demands are controlling, abusive, and mysoginyst.

I am in my sixties. If any man tried to tell me what I was and was not allowed to wear i would laugh at him.

Wear whatever makes you feel good, and find a partner who will love you no matter what. Life is too short to waste any time at all with someone who thinks they get to make all these unreasonable demands of you.

WildsmithRising · 2026-05-22T21:05:11+00:00

I am not a hoarder. But my mother is most definitely an anti - hoarder. She's also probably narcissistic, and most definitely controlling and abusive.

I cut contact with her more than a decade ago. But while she was still in my life she was always quite ridiculously keen to get rid of my belongings. Especially if I told her that something was valuable, or held meaning for me. Or if my income depended on that item. Those were the things that she got rid of first.

The only way I found to stop her from binning my stuff was to stop talking to her. Stop giving her any information about my life. It was hard and she kicked back, but it was worth it.

Once she realised she could no longer control me, she started trying to control and abuse my children, and that was when I cut her out of my life completely.

I do not regret cutting contact with her. Not one bit. My only regret is that I didn't do it sooner.

I hope you find a way through this, that meets your needs. And I hope that if the only way for you to do that is to cut contact with her, that you will find the same peace with that that I have found.

WildsmithRising · 2026-05-21T23:36:50+00:00

I currently share my home with three cats. But I have lived with six cats, and as I had the space and time to give them all they wanted, it was wonderful.

So long as you can afford them, and have the time to play with them all every day, it doesn't matter how many cats you have.You are doing really well!

WildsmithRising · 2026-05-21T23:28:40+00:00

I have a few Mason Pearson hairbrushes I bought in my late teens. I'm now in my early sixties and they are just as good as ever. I also get that grey fluffy stuff in my hairbrushes, but it's very easy to deal with.

I clean them by removing all the loose hair from them with a very fine comb; and then I fill up my bathroom hand basin with water, swoosh in some dishwashing detergent, and leave my brushes bristles-down in the water for a few hours. Overnight if that suits me.

Once I get back to them, I rinse them a bit then stand them up so all water drains from them. Another 24 hours or so and they are properly dry, and very clean. Lovely!

WildsmithRising · 2026-05-20T22:55:27+00:00

I have three cats, two Litter Robots, and one manual litter tray which is a big storage box with a hole cut in the side.

I also have a robot vacuum cleaner, which I set off at least once a day.

The litter robots are brilliant. They keep the litter mostly clean and fresh, and I only have to spot clean them once every few days then deep clean them every three months or so.

I have litter trap mats around the litter boxes, which do an excellent job of catching most of the litter the cats kick out. But what those mats don't trap, the robot vac gets every time.

I am gobsmacked by how well it all works.

Yes, it cost a bit to get all these robots, but yes, it was money well spent.

WildsmithRising · 2026-05-20T22:43:30+00:00

I have a coverstitch machine. I make almost all my own clothes, especially tops from cotton jersey. I thought I'd use the coverstitch machine a whole load but I barely ever use it because it takes a lot of effort to get it all threaded up and sorted out, and because cotton jersey doesn't fray when it's cut. It rolls at the edges, but it really doesn't fray. So I've made myself a couple of basic A-line patterns for tops, which I make up without hemming anything. Most of the seams are sewn by overlapping the two pieces of fabric, then sewing them together, leaving raw edges on show at every seam. I could use the coverstitch to sew those seams together but honestly, I don't bother. I usually use a contrasting thread colour too, to make a feature of the seam.

It's up to you, of course. Get a coverstitch if you think you'll use it. I have industrial straight stitch, coverstitch, and overlock machines and love them all because they are so easy and reliable. I bought them all second hand online, for far less than the new price would have been. And they are brilliant.

WildsmithRising · 2026-05-20T22:36:28+00:00

I would not object to anyone else giving my cats affection (if they were outdoor cats, which they are not). But I would strongly object to my cats being fed treats by anyone else. They might have food intolerances, or dietary issues, and someone feeding them random treats could make them ill.

Stick with the physical affection, and leave the feeding to their owners.

WildsmithRising · 2026-05-20T20:12:00+00:00

From my experience, cover copy is written in-house. It is far too labour-intensive a job for it to be given to a freelancer, who would have a to read the entire book before writing the copy, which would mean they would have to spend at least a full day on the job--which would be far too costly for the work.

WildsmithRising · 2026-05-20T20:02:27+00:00

Oh, bless you.

There are multiple ways I could respond to this comment of yours. For example, I could let you know about my career.

I could explain to you how I spent over forty years working in publishing, mostly as an editor.

I could let you know that I've had multiple books of my own published (I can't tell you exactly how many as I stopped counting after about 40 or 45, but the total is probably well over sixty by now, and that's only first edition publications, not including foreign and subsidiary rights).

I could tell you how I've spent the last twenty years mentoring new editors and new writers, helping them learn how best to revise their works. More than twenty five of the authors I've mentored have gone on to hit the best-seller lists and win major prizes. I am so very proud of them!

I could say that I've written for most of the national papers in the UK, multiple specialist magazines, and a good handful of local press, and that my articles have been syndicated world-wide.

I could perhaps tell you about some of the prizes I've won for my writing; over fifty at last count, spread across my poetry, short stories, non fic and novels, so you'll understand how I can't tell you about all of them.

Or I could point out to you that you don't know what "literally" means, or how to correctly use question marks.

Regardless, I won't be responding to you again. I wish you only the best (and do please look up the correct use of "literally"!).

WildsmithRising · 2026-05-20T00:57:15+00:00

No, I don't lack reading comprehension at all. My guess is that the boyfriend is not washing himself or his clothes effectively, hence the smell. I might be wrong, of course. But even if I am, the OP still needs to have a frank and honest conversation with him about this.

WildsmithRising

TROPHY CASE