Hello all.
I have completed my first novel which a gothic, romantic fantasy for adults. I have sent the usual chapters/synopsis etc out to agents and i have received a rejection from everyone...some positive and others with just a general no. My thought is...when is enough, enough. Do i take this as a sign that the material is not the best or do i keep trying. I feel so passionate about the book and i love writing but being a novice in this field when do i think it is probably not the right material and shoud try something else?
Help me please, i want to write so badly!!!
Thank you guys for your answers!!
They have helped me loads and i feel more determined to go on!!!
Thank you!!!
Jonathan, were you offered a contract before the whole thing had been read? If so, I hope you thoroughly researched the publisher before you signed anything.
Natalie - find an online community which has a critique section (Absolute Write is one) and get some feedback from people who know what they are talking about. Hopefully that will give you a better insight into what to do next - whether to write something else entirely, whether to re-write this one, whether you need to spend some time studying the basics of writing, or whether to spend money on a professional appraisal. It's difficult to give you any more specific advice than that without seeing your writing. Good luck, though.
As Jennifer said, not many actually complete a novel so that's a major thumbs-up. Your genre sounds okay to me but is the MS length right? Have you managed to get many others to read it?
If you're happy it's publishable then keep at it. My first book failed to interest a publisher, even though I thought it was a good story. Fed up of rejections, I self-pubbed. The second was offered a publisher contract on the strength of its opening chapters, I believe because someomeone there read the first story. A large slice of luck, probably.
But it goes to show the truth of the old saying: only way to fail is to give up.
Best of luck :)