World record rejection time for a novel

I located the name of an agent in a national newsletter interview. She seemed like a good fit, so I tracked down the agency details on the internet and found that she accepts email queries. Early in the day, I converted my query letter to an email format and off it went.

About two hours later the agent replied to my email query and requested 20 pages of the novel manuscript. An hour later I winged the excerpt through the ether to her marveling at the rapid response.

Several hours later, I had another reply from this agent. Rather than the usual: doesn’t fit my criteria or my plate’s too full at present — she added positive critique comments. It was a turn-down to be sure, but I truly appreciated the fact that she took the time to pass along meaningful remarks I can incorporate into my writing.

World Record? Maybe, maybe not, but the entire exchange took a few minutes under twelve hours. I’ve waited six months and not received an answer from harried and less courteous agents, so I’ll accept the positive aspects. The rejection was swift, but the results were positive. I don’t have to sit around waiting and I have valuable input to utilize.

Thanks to this considerate agent and I’ll wish for the next block-buster novel to come her way.

Bee Jay Sez