Revise & Rethink

In Which We Discuss How to Handle an R&R That Doesn't Feel Quite Right 🤔

No matter how far into your journey on these writer seas, we all know how rough the waters can get when trying to find an agent. So when one of those agents picks you out of the waves and throws you a lifesaver (AKA feedback or an offer of representation), we grab on with all we’ve got. But sometimes, the strings attached to that lifesaver don’t always feel so great, as is the case with one of our fellow passengers, who writes [brackets indicate brief paraphrasing so as to avoid any identifying details in the vent]:

I’ve been both super encouraged and frustrated AF lately with my writing journey. I’ve got an agent who sent me an easy R&R with some great feedback about my craft. I even went back to some of the agents who rejected my full manuscript and described the revisions I’d be doing (sentence level edits) and asked if they would consider a revised version. They all were an enthusiastic YES! [It’s] amazing that an agent would see something in my book to offer an R&R, but here’s the thing - the stuff they want changed is in SO MANY DAMN YA BOOKS!

Dialogue tags, adverbs galore, lots of internal monologues from my main character. I was reading an ARC of one of my fave’s latest YA rom-coms and there was ALL of those things in it. Are my faves committing sins against writing? Is this agent weird? Wtf is going on? Why can’t I have these things in my book but successful YA authors can?

Help me Ventorship, you’re my only hope.

[JJ chiming in real quick to let those of you who might not know that R&R stands for Revise & Resubmit, in which an agent gives feedback for edits on a manuscript, and if a writer implements those suggestions, said writer is invited to resubmit their work to that agent to be considered for representation]

First of all, Revise & Rethinking, congratulations on all this positive feedback from multiple agents! That’s a phenomenal sign that you are on the right track, and I’m confident AF that you’re going to have amazing news soon! Huzzah!

Second, your observations about reading all of those things in YA are not wrong. Dialogue tags, adverbs galore, lots of internal monologues are all over YA, especially in contemporary romance. Picture me slamming my hand on the Ventorship horn screaming, “I’M GUILTY! GUILTY, I TELL YOU!”

I do this *all the time*. Like, all. the. time! It’s part of my author voice, and a lot of authors’ voices, because those attributes are frequently used in real world conversations, especially from flamboyant or campy or extra people (guilty again). I get many completely valid reviews that people hate how I write because I’ve included all those things this agent mentioned. But I also get many equally valid reviews that say my voice is what keeps them coming back. So while I think it’s totally legitimate for this agent to say in their R&R that these are things they don’t click with, what’s most important here is if those tags and adverbs and monologues click with you. How do you want your voice to sound? If the answer is that you want to keep those things in, you’re not wrong one bit. And your faves who keep those things in aren’t wrong either.

So the big consideration here is whether this agent is right for you. If after implementing some of their suggestions, you think your writing has become stronger and more of you is shining through, then I’d say you’re on the right track. For example, my editor at HarperCollins (WHO I’M COMPLETELY ROBSESSED WITH!!) really embraces my -isms, but will expertly let me know when those internal monologues are getting too offtrack as opposed to highlighting what it is my protagonists are actually grappling with. While technically she’s asking me to get rid of some of that monologuing, the kind of paring back she suggests is super helpful. This could be the case with your R&R. Does it feel like the agent wants you to tone it down just a smidge, or is it all the way?

My major tip: When editing for this agent’s feedback, if it feels like you’re forcing it, I’d wait a beat and really question whether their vision for your work is the same as yours. If it’s not, it’s a totally respectable option to say “Thank you for your time” and move on. No agent is better than the wrong agent, and the same goes for those agents too. Not signing a writer is better than signing them and realizing you both have totally different ideas of how your books should look.

While none of us can make that call for you, know that if you decide to hand back that lifesaver, you’re not going to drown in these writer waters. We’re swimming alongside you, and will continue to until the right agent comes along.

-JJ

What about you, Ventorship passengers? Any advice on how to handle an R&R that’s setting off alarm bells? Feel free to put it in the comments, or write to me at heyjasonjune@gmail.com and I’ll anonymously include your words on this post.

---

If you’d like to vent about anything author/writing related, write to me at heyjasonjune@gmail.com with the subject: VENTORSHIP. I’ll give you my take in a post, and we’ll crowdsource author opinions in the comments. You’ll remain anonymous, and any haters will be thrown overboard. Ultimately, I think you’re going to be buoyed up by author love and support as we realize we really are all in the same boat 🛳️