Thank you for your inquiry. We are sorry, but we don't think we are the appropriate agents for your inquiry. Best of luck elsewhere. Sincerely, (photocopied signature of agent).

This is what came in the mail today on one-half of a letter sized sheet of paper. Don't get me wrong--I'm all for saving the trees. Whatev. It's hard to learn something from these kind of rejections. Okay, so what exactly didn't work? The story idea? It couldn't have been the goods, because I sent only a query. Ah, tomorrow is another day.

Writer's Tip: Don't write on a computer that is hooked up to the internet.

No news from agents. It's only been a week, though, so I expect in two I might get a trickle of responses. Got 34 pages of my current project down, and that's been a nice diversion. Seeing THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM last night with a good friend was a nice diversion also. Hopefully I'll have something to report next week regarding the search.

Writer's Tip: If you're writing a novel and get stuck in chapter six, write chapter 19, or 22, or 43. Write out of order.

Interesting...somewhat.

Fourteen queries. One rejection. This rejection from a SF agent whose blog happens to be really informative, entertaining, and funny. He's sold some interesting projects and...wait, what am I doing, selling this guy? He rejected my work! But this is what this whole road is supposed to be about, and heck, what good is a blog about the trials of getting published if I can't be totally honest? It wasn't a personal rejection--how personal can you get with a just a query?--but at least it was polite and his response time was super quick. Like, a day.

Okay, geez. You want to know his name. Fine. Nathan Bransford with Curtis Brown. I can't say I'll post the name of every agent that responds, but I'm feeling forthcoming right now, so why don't you query him. And while you are at it, try a Mikearita. Maybe it will make you forthcoming.

Writer Tip: Talk to your characters.