!!!!!!!
So I sent out a few query letters to some agents back in October, and I got a reply from one in December who wanted to read the full manuscript. I got this response from her a few days ago:
Dear Lauren,
Sorry to keep you waiting. I finished this just a few days ago, and have been giving it a lot of thought. You are an exceptionally talented writer. I'm afraid that in my view there are some significant plot issues with THE RED EARTH ROLLS that don't allow me to feel confident of finding it a place in a very competitive market; however for a first novel at such a comparatively young age it is a really extraordinary feat. Katherine and Matthew felt real, and their relationship was beautifully drawn - as well as often very funny.
Are you based in Nottingham full time? I'd be really happy to meet for a coffee should you be in London at any point, to discuss your work further. No worries at all if not - I can put my thoughts into an email and then we could always talk it over on the phone
Best wishes,
Claire
UM. OMG. Firstly, even though it's a rejection, she wants to meet me in person to discuss it. I think that kind of says a lot about what she thinks of me. For a while I thought she might just be letting me down gently because I'm so young, but because of that I think not. She wants to work with me on the plot, it sounds like, and it looks like if I redraft it (which I really do need to do anyway- a lot of it is pretty terrible and all over the place) she'd be willing to look over it again. At the very least she read the whole thing, and think's I'm 'exceptionally talented' and 'often very funny' !!!!! !!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and she knows who I am. I'm so excited, even though at first I was kind of upset that it was a rejection. This is actually real guys, an agent read my book and thinks it was a 'really extraordinary feat'. AHHHHHHHHH
Dear Lauren,
Sorry to keep you waiting. I finished this just a few days ago, and have been giving it a lot of thought. You are an exceptionally talented writer. I'm afraid that in my view there are some significant plot issues with THE RED EARTH ROLLS that don't allow me to feel confident of finding it a place in a very competitive market; however for a first novel at such a comparatively young age it is a really extraordinary feat. Katherine and Matthew felt real, and their relationship was beautifully drawn - as well as often very funny.
Are you based in Nottingham full time? I'd be really happy to meet for a coffee should you be in London at any point, to discuss your work further. No worries at all if not - I can put my thoughts into an email and then we could always talk it over on the phone
Best wishes,
Claire
UM. OMG. Firstly, even though it's a rejection, she wants to meet me in person to discuss it. I think that kind of says a lot about what she thinks of me. For a while I thought she might just be letting me down gently because I'm so young, but because of that I think not. She wants to work with me on the plot, it sounds like, and it looks like if I redraft it (which I really do need to do anyway- a lot of it is pretty terrible and all over the place) she'd be willing to look over it again. At the very least she read the whole thing, and think's I'm 'exceptionally talented' and 'often very funny' !!!!! !!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and she knows who I am. I'm so excited, even though at first I was kind of upset that it was a rejection. This is actually real guys, an agent read my book and thinks it was a 'really extraordinary feat'. AHHHHHHHHH