A Poem by Seth Robinson
Dear Author,
Thank you so much for submitting your query and pages to me.
Thanks for sending me your query.
Thank you for your query.
Thank you again for the opportunity to consider your manuscript and for your patience in awaiting our response.
I wish we could offer a more personalised response but on average, we receive 500+ email query letters a week.
I wish I had the time to respond to everyone with constructive criticism, but it would be overwhelming, hence this form response.
The result is that we have to be incredibly selective, so please do not be too disheartened. Another agent may well feel differently.
We are a small agency and our client list is full.
As I’m sure you know, the publishing industry changes swiftly now, as do readers’ tastes and trends.
The marketplace is more selective than ever and I must keep a modest list.
While there are aspects of your work that I admire, I’m sorry to say that it isn’t quite a fit for my list.
I’m just not drawn strongly enough to the concept of your story to feel that I’d be the right agent for the project.
Please know I carefully considered your project, but don’t feel I can offer representation at this time.
I hope you will not be discouraged by this reply—as with all readers, I am limited by my own subjective preferences, and so I imagine other agents will feel differently.
With regret, I must step aside.
I know your work is important to you and I am grateful that you wrote to me.
In order to be the best champion for a project I need to fall completely in love and I’m just not feeling that connection here.
Just because I didn’t fall in love with your query doesn’t mean that another agent or publisher won’t. Keep writing, revising, and querying.
I’m sorry not to be able to offer you better news, and wish you all the very best with your writing.
Sorry I couldn’t give you a more positive reply.
Thank you for thinking of me, and best of luck to you.
I hope this project finds the perfect home soon, even if it can’t be with me.
Keep going with it.
Don’t give up!
I wish you every success.
Cordially,
Kind regards,
Sincerely,
Good luck,
On Behalf of,
Best wishes,
Best,
*Please do not respond as this is an automated response.
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Thanks, please email the manuscript my way.
I enjoyed reading this. Let’s talk literary representation when you have a moment.
You can read a blog entry by Seth here.
Seth Robinson is an American-born/Australian-bred writer. He currently resides in Melbourne, where he is studying in the Master of Creative Writing, Publishing and Editing program at the University of Melbourne. He’s an author of short and long fiction and loves nothing better than an immersive story that traps you and triggers a binge, whether that be on page, stage, or screen.