My Form Rejections & What They Mean

*Last updated on 4/1 when I added several more form rejections to give us much feedback as possible*

Hello, everyone!

As a once querying author myself, I really wanted to try my best as an agent to develop form rejections that were kind, encouraging, but also had tidbits on why I said no. Because of the thousands of queries I received during my short time being open, I'm not able to give feedback like I wish I could for every rejection (except for fulls, of course. All my full rejections are personalized). However, I created TWELVE different form rejections that I can easily pick from so I could offer as much personalization as I could. It's not much, that's for sure, but in an effort to support querying authors sending me their stories, I'm going to explain each form rejection and what they might mean for your projects. 

Remember, even if I reject you, this business is so subjective. You've got this! Keep at it, but also make sure to take lots of breaks. It took me twelve years of querying until I found my wonderful agent (and this happened before I became an agent myself). I believe you'll have  a success story one day too. 
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Let's get into my form rejections.

1: Personal Taste

Dear {{first_name}},
Thank you so much for querying me with {{title}}. I'm sorry, but your project doesn't sound like a great fit for me at this time, so I'm going to pass. I know this can be frustrating to hear, but another agent may feel totally differently. This is just my personal tastes, so please keep querying and trying other agents! 
Thank you so much again, and best of luck finding the perfect partner for you. Have a wonderful day. 
Sincerely,
Carey

This is probably my most frequently used form rejection, because, like I mentioned above, this business is soooo subjective. What might be a wonderful story to someone else just isn't hitting my personal check marks for a book I want to represent. Just because I don't like it doesn't mean someone else won't. And just because I'm saying no now doesn't mean I don't really wish the best fo you, your work, and your career.
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I realize there's 0% feedback here, but that's because, again, of how subjective this business is. How can I, one person with my own opinions and tastes, tell you something isn't working when another agent with their own tastes and opinions might scoop this up in a heartbeat? If you get this rejection, keep querying and see what happens next! If you get a lot of rejections, then maybe reevaluate and see if you can improve your query or your opening pages.

2: ​Decline for Writing

Dear {{first_name}},
Thank you so much for querying me with {{title}}. I'm sorry, but your project doesn't sound like a great fit for me at this time, so I'm going to pass. While I really enjoyed the concept, I found the writing didn't pull me in as much as I hoped it would. Keep working on your craft and your stories! You've got some great ideas. 
Thank you so much again, and best of luck finding the perfect partner for you. Have a wonderful day. 
Sincerely,
Carey

This is probably my second most commonly used form rejection. If you receive this rejection, it means I loved your query and dove into the opening pages. But I didn't connect with the writing as much as I needed to offer representation. This could mean so many things. Maybe it's just not my personal taste, for example I've found I've really been leaning more towards poetic and lyrical prose. Or maybe your story opened in the wrong place (hellllooo prologues and dream sessions). Or maybe something is missing in your craft. Are you using passive voice? Are you showing AND telling? Are your pages filled with dialogue but missing emotion and description? These are just some examples of why I've rejected on writing recently.
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​If you receive this rejection, maybe reread your opening pages and see if something isn't working. Or reach out to a CP / beta reader to see if they can offer feedback on those really, really important first lines. Again, another agent may totally feel differently and request the full. Take this with a grain of salt.

3: Wordcount Too High

Dear {{first_name}},
Thank you so much for querying me with {{title}}. I'm sorry, but your project doesn't sound like a great fit for me at this time, so I'm going to pass. I'm being extremely selective with any projects that are over 120,000 words, because they are a harder sell in the current market. If you end up revising your novel and bring the word count below 120,000 words, please consider querying me again in the future. 
Thank you so much again, and best of luck finding the perfect partner for you. Have a wonderful day. 
Sincerely,
Carey

If your story is over 120,000, it has to be really, really amazing for me to request. Which has happened a few times so far, but for the most part I can usually tell in the opening pages why your story has such a high word count (repetition, too long description, info dumping). I know there are some really amazing longer novels (I'm looking at you Priory of the Orange Tree), but for the most part a higher word count means a lot of work for me and the author to cut it down, or we're signing up for a difficult sub process. Editors are really calling for lower word counts right now, across all genres.
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I do want to emphasize that 120k isn't an auto rejection for me, but it does make me look at your work with a more critical eye. And you want to query with your best foot forward. So, if you get this rejection, see if there is a way you can revise your word count to get closer to the 100k - 110k mark. And if you do, as I say in the rejection, you're always welcome to requery me. I will always accept edited submissions. You've got this!

4: Too Similiar of a Project

Dear {{first_name}},
Thank you so much for querying me with {{title}}. I'm sorry, but your project doesn't sound like a great fit for me at this time, because I've signed a client with a very similiar book. Because of conflict of interest, I'm going to pass.
You've got something wondeful here, so please don't give up. Thank you so much again, and best of luck finding the perfect partner for you. Have a wonderful day. 
Sincerely,
Carey

This was such an exciting form for me to add! It means that now that I have my first clients, I have to make sure I don't accept projects that are too similar to the ones I've already signed with. 
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If you receive this rejection, keep querying! I just can't represent you because of my other wonderful clients. But clearly your idea is good, because it made me sign with someone else. And if you end up not getting an agent with this particular project, query me again!

5: Multiple Submissions At Once

Dear {{first_name}},
Thank you so much for querying me with {{title}}. I'm sorry, but your project doesn't sound like a great fit for me at this time, so I'm going to pass. 
I noticed you have another query out with an agent at Belcastro Agency. Since we ask that querying authors only query one of us at a time, I'm going to decline and let the other agent consider.  
Thank you so much again, and best of luck finding the perfect partner for you. Have a wonderful day. 
Sincerely,
Carey

Belcastro Agency asks that querying authors don't query multiple of us at the same time with the same project. The reason for this is so that we don't have to compete with each other. And if you can't follow that rule and you query a bunch of us at once, that's usually an indicator we might not work the best together. Of course, accidents totally happen from time to time (I know I was absolutely guilty of this while querying), so if you query two of us at the same time I don't usually bat an eye. But I do have to reject it. I'm the newest team member at Belcastro, and the LAST thing I want to do is step on any of the other amazing agents' toes here. However, it's an entirely different story if you query all of us at once. Please don't do that. It's so easy to see on the backend of Query Manager.
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If you get this rejection and didn't realize you did that, don't panic! Just wait for the other agent to respond. And feel free to query me with another project later! But if you get this and you did query all of us all at once, please don't do this in the future. And most agencies don't like that either, FYI. 

6: Query Me Again

Dear {{first_name}},
Thank you so much for querying me with {{title}}. I'm sorry, but your project doesn't sound like a great fit for me at this time, so I'm going to pass.
I want you to know this was a very tough decision for me! I really thought long and hard about your query and story. You've got something wondeful here, so please don't give up. This is just a matter of personal tastes. However, if you end up not receiving an agent for this project, please consider querying me again in the future. 
Thank you so much again, and best of luck finding the perfect partner for you. Have a wonderful day. 
Sincerely,
Carey

I've only used this form rejection a handful of times. If you get this, it means something was holding me back. Could have been the story wasn't grabbing me by the throat, or the prose was missing a special spark. How many times can I say agenting is subjective? But it really, truly is. Whatever the reason, getting this form rejection means you caught my attention, I love what you're doing, but I just didn't fall head over heels enough to offer representation. Keep in mind, I have to read a story several times before it goes on sub. And when I offer, I'm planning to stick with you for your whole career. So an offer from me isn't a simple thing I do for a lot of writers (it's only been six people so far). 
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Keep querying with this project if you get this rejection. I bet another agent might fall in love like I couldn't. BUT, if you don't get an agent with this project, please please query me again. I am not offering that to many other authors, so I mean it when I say that.

7: Already Published

Dear {{first_name}},
Thank you so much for querying me with {{title}}. I'm sorry, but your project doesn't sound like a great fit for me at this time, so I'm going to pass. Since this project is already published, I'm unable to offer representation to you on this particular book. However, if you write another story that isn't published, I'd be happy to take a look later.
Thank you so much again, and best of luck finding the perfect partner for you. Have a wonderful day. 
Sincerely,
Carey

Occasionally I'll get queries from authors who’ve already self-published that particular story. Publishers aren't really interested in picking up already published works, so I usually have to reject them instantly since there's not much I can do on my end as your representative. I'm always interested in seeing that person's next work though. 
And this isn't to discredit self-publishing. That can be a wonderful path for some authors and genres. But since I'm trying to judge a single project on if I can work with the author or not, I can't sign with an already published piece.

8: Audience

Dear {{first_name}},
Thank you so much for querying me with {{title}}. I'm sorry, but your project doesn't sound like a great fit for me at this time, so I'm going to pass. 
While reading your sample and query, I found that the story and the writing didn't align with the age group of your audience. It could be that the themes are a bit too dark for your younger readers, or that the voice didn't sound correct with the age of your protagonist. Please take this rejection with a grain of salt. Another agent could feel totally differently.
Thank you so much again, and best of luck finding the perfect partner for you. Have a wonderful day. 
Sincerely,
Carey

A lot of times when I'm reading the sample pages of a great concept for a kidlit story, I find that the tone of the writing doesn't fit the age group of the audience. This is such an easy problem to run into as adults working on children's stories. This isn't to say that YA or MG can't tackle adult themes or big emotions / scary moments. But when I use this rejection, it's more the voice doesn't fit the perspective of a kid or a teenager, especially if the story is told in first person. 

If you get this form rejection, take a look at how your voice is coming across. Are you using adult sounding phrases, out of date expressions, or syntax that doesn't match the dialogue of today's kiddos? Remember your readers at the end of the day. It's not me, it's not publishers. It's the kids.

9: List Full

Dear {{first_name}},
Thank you so much for querying me with {{title}}. I'm sorry, but your project doesn't sound like a great fit for me at this time, so I'm going to pass. Right now, my list is feeling pretty full with this type of story, so I'm having to be super strict with the client work I take on with this kind of subject matter or age group. I just didn't fall in love enough with your story to add to my already full list.
I know this can be frustrating to hear, but another agent may feel totally differently. This is just my personal tastes, so please keep querying and trying other agents! Take my rejection with a grain of salt.
Thank you so much again, and best of luck finding the perfect partner for you. Have a wonderful day. 
Sincerely,
Carey

If you get this rejection, you're more than likely a PB author! This form is to explain that while your story and writing were very good, I just have an extremely full list for the type of story you're writing so I have to be super nit picky and reserve working with projects that just absolutely take my breath away. Right now, my PB list is pretty dang full, and I'm really hoping to work with more YA / MG / and adult authors. It's just a wonderful example of how particular this industry can be! 
Absolutely try other agents though; they'll likely have more room than I do!

10: No Time to Read

Dear {{first_name}},
Thank you so much for querying me with {{title}}. Huge congrats on your offer! I'm so happy for you, and I hope you're celebrating lots. 
I'm sorry to pass, but I just don't have the bandwidth to be able to read this story by your deadline. That's no reflection at all on your talent; it's a reflection on how swamped for time I am currently.
Thank you so much, and huge congrats again. Have a wonderful day. 
Sincerely,
Carey

This form rejection is pretty self-explanatory. But if you receive this, that means you have an offer on your table (HUGE CONGRATS WOOHOO!!), but I just don't have the time to read your novel by your deadline. This isn't a reflection on your ability, like I mentioned above, it's just that your girl only has so much ability to read a manuscript quickly. And I've found that if one author has an offer, a bunch more are going to follow. Because of this and deadlines with my own clients or writing, I have to let really incredible projects go sometimes. It pains me, but know I'm so, so proud of you and can't wait to buy your stories one day!

11: Not A Fit for My Specialities

Dear {{first_name}},
Thank you so much for querying me with {{title}}. I'm sorry, but your project doesn't sound like a great fit for me at this time, so I'm going to pass. As I've been reading queries and building my list, I've learned that xyz isn't something I'm looking to represent at this time. 
I know this can be frustrating to hear, but another agent may feel totally differently. This is just my personal tastes, so please keep querying and trying other agents! Take my rejection with a grain of salt.
Thank you so much again, and best of luck finding the perfect partner for you. Have a wonderful day. 
Sincerely,
Carey

When I use this form rejection, it's because certain elements of your story are just things I'm looking to represent. For example, I'm not the best fit for historical fiction (unless it's something really special), stories with American military heroes, animal death, or sci-fi where the aliens are stereotypical tall green men. I try to write as much as this down as I can on my MSWL so you know ahead of time, but as I'm continuing to read and build my list, new things pop up. I'm learning lots and lots as I continue to dive into your wonderful stories.

So if you get this, know that this is a very subjective rejection and another agent might feel totally different. 

12: ​Telling / Passive Voice

Dear {{first_name}},
Thank you so much for querying me with {{title}}. I'm sorry, but your project doesn't sound like a great fit for me at this time, so I'm going to pass. While I really enjoyed the concept, I found the writing didn't pull me in as much as I hoped it would. In particular, I found that your writing used too much telling language for my tastes. It can be hard to find the right balance between showing and telling, especially in kidlit, and preferences of how much should be used varies between agents. But I find I prefer a soft hand with telling and passive language.
Keep working on your craft and your stories! You've got some great ideas. Take my rejection with a grain of salt!
Thank you so much again, and best of luck finding the perfect partner for you. Have a wonderful day. 
Sincerely,
Carey

I've found that 70% of my writing based rejections are based on too much telling language. When I connect with the story idea and the opening of the pages, if your writing uses too much telling and not enough showing (or also too much passive voice) it's going to be a no for me. Like I mention in the rejection above, this is a personal preference and another agent might feel totally different. In fact, another agent at Belcastro and I have passed manuscripts to one another, because the amount of telling didn't match our styles (and I ended up offering on that project that didn't fit the agent's style).

Those are all twelve of my current form rejections! If I think of more common reasons on why I reject, I might add more later to help give more feedback. If you can think of any things you wish I could include in these forms, let me know! I'm always looking for ways to improve as an agent, and it means the world to me that so many of you trusted me with your work.
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You got this! Keep querying and keep working on your craft. I can't wait to read all your stories one day.