I’ve been slowly coming to the inevitable conclusion that I’m going to have to revise Pomegranate Seeds (again!) if I want it to sell.
Here are the cold, hard stats:
- 8 form rejections
- 1 closed query (no response after a follow up email and 5 months)
- 1 rejection with feedback that opening was too quiet
- 2 contests “wins” with ultimate rejections (one cited voice; the other said it was a little “flat”)
- 1 request for a full with a pass (too many fairy tale retellings on the market)
- 1 open request for a full
- 2 open queries
- 1 pending contest (PitchWars)
Counting the PitchWars agents who haven’t seen this yet, that’s about 20 agents. Now, we’ve all heard the stories about writers who went through numerous rejections before hearing yes on the 21st, or 51st, or 99th query. We’ve also heard the stories about writers who self published after being rejected by the publishing world and went on to sell over a million copies on Amazon.
This isn’t that book.
Kids, when I wrote this, I didn’t have a clue what I was doing. I’d written a handful of short stories in college, and a NaNo project the previous year (it’s since been locked in a drawer for its own protection). Now that I’ve finished a draft of a novel that was plotted and outlined and beat-sheeted (hat tip to Authoress), I understand so much more about how a novel works. Enough to know that while Pomegranate Seeds isn’t irreparably broken, it could definitely use an overhaul.
All of which is leading me to the point where I need to make a pretty difficult decision. Do I put Pomegranate Seeds back in the drawer? Or do I take a deep breath, get out my notebook and pen, and begin to quietly murder my darling?
I say commit some murder! 🙂 Do you know how many writers have great manuscripts and can’t get a request to save their lives? You are obviously doing something right!!! Don’t fret about revisions. I’ve revised my own MS until I can’t stand to look at it again, and then guess what…I open the file the next day and revise some more. It’s a daunting battle, i know…but you won’t ever get it published if you don’t keep trying. My own MS has 8 rejections (7 form, 1 w/ feedback), one full request ending in a pass, and one partial request that turned into a full request (still open). We all learn as we go (I still am!!) and we all go through it. Just consider it a WIP…and keep revising! It’s obviously really good, or it wouldn’t have been chosen for PitchWars. Good luck with it! :o)
The only thing I can say is do what feels right. Every writer has been where you are now. Everyone will have advice about what you should do, but only you really know what works best for you. You obviously have talent, or you wouldn’t have been chosen by a mentor in Pitch Wars. Whatever you decide, be sure there won’t be any regrets. I’m wishing you the best of luck. Don’t give up.
Thanks! I really appreciate the kind words. In the end, I think it will come down to market and sale-ability. Pitch Wars will be really helpful in that regard, I think.