Comments on: No Response = No Thanks

By: beth

beth — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 23:32:27 +0000

So true…there’s enough whack jobs out there to ruin it for the professionals. I think that’s one reason why it seems so hard to get published today–there’s such an importance on stellar first lines/pages in part because there is so much bad work out there that an agent doesn’t have time to waste if she can’t tell it’s immediately good!

By: J. M. Strother

J. M. Strother — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 20:49:57 +0000

Cora hit the nail on the head. If there is no response for a rejection then the author never knows when it would be OK to submit to another agent. So a no response = no thank you should also automatically = simultaneous submissions are acceptable. That, or a clearly stated time frame in the submission guidelines, i.e., No response after eight weeks means you are free to submit to other agencies. Thank you for considering me as your representative.

But yes, I agree with you whole heatedly. Rude responses to rejection are very unprofessional and downright immature.
~jon

By: Sephera Giron

Sephera Giron — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 19:42:37 +0000

It’s utterly amazing to me how people will be rude to agents and editors, as if they don’t talk to each other.

No one wants to be known as a nutjob.

I would advise all authors that if you don’t like what an editor or agent has to say, then move on. Spouting off back will only give you a bad rep and you may be mocked on panels at conventions too about what NOT to do.

People tend to remember negative stuff, so just keep your bitching to your buddies at your local bar.

By: Gary William Murning

Gary William Murning — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 18:58:10 +0000

My only problem with this is that, in my opinion, agents are responding to unprofessional behaviour with more unprofessional behaviour.

I’ve been submitting work of one kind or another for 20 years or so and I have always behaved with the utmost professionalism and, yet, if I’m truthful — even before some agents started to “officially” introduce this policy — I’ve been treated very discourteously many times. Not every time or by every agent, but enough times to wonder if these people would have survived in any other industry.

Responding to email enquiries etc frankly isn’t difficult — even with the huge numbers that some agents receive. Use form emails, if necessary, but please respond — if only so that I can keep my records in order etc (because, dear agents, I’m professional in my approach, too.)

By: Criss

Criss — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 18:17:33 +0000

It’s sad that there are nutjobs out there. It’s infuriating, actually, especially since it means those of us who are serious and professional now have no end to the torture of waiting (when no response = no thanks, you can keep hope alive forever! When do you know when to stop waiting?)

Argh.

By: Cora Zane

Cora Zane — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 18:14:19 +0000

The only time the “no response = no thanks” angle bothers me is when they also say “no simultaneous submissions”.

They’ve got to be kidding about that, right?