Literary Gaygent Naomi Davis (they/them/she/her)

...but rather because she wants to have the opportunity to take the chance on you with the right book at the right time.
Signing you when you're not ready does you no favors. It only sets you up for greater hardship in the future. END

I don't have any stats or anything about how often this impacts deals. But when I'm considering an author, I do look to see our communicative history. And if an agent turns you down due to writing, it isn't because she isn't willing to take a chance on you...5

So if agents are telling you your work is not ready, know that we mean it not to insult you but to DO YOUR CAREER A FAVOR. You have a better chance of making the perfect impression if we refused to send something out that wasn't high enough quality to stick. 4

If your 1st book goes out to publishers in a sub-par state, all it takes is a quick search of the inbox to make an editor question their initial impression of your NEXT, BETTER BOOK. They go from "I love this author!" to "Hm. The author's work is not consistent" in a few clicks.

In this digital age, searching my inbox to see if I have communicated with a writer or not take me 2 seconds. So if I like your book, I DO check to see if I have rejected you before and why. Editors have this ability too. The reason this matters...2