On the Kensington sub guidelines, I can see some editors are interested in YA. But how about protagonists aged 19-21 (the so called New Adult)? Could I sub query for a NA UF to you,for example? Would you be interested in something like that?
And on the query, should I put “New Adult Urban Fantasy” or “older Young Adult Urban Fantasy”?
I ask because some editors don’t like the term New Adult, and because NA is a different than YA and adult, in my opinion. It sounds more mature than YA, but the protagonists don’t face the same life problems than an adult.
Anyway, what is your view about it? Would you like to have a New Adult under your belt?

Thanks!

With all due respect to every editor, especially acquisitions editors, I must say that given the time poor Jenny has waited to hear a response I would hope she would receive some feedback. Though I understand Megan’s point that submissions are probably not an editor’s first priority, as an former editor, I have to say that they should be up there on the priority list, especially given the wave authors opting to break contracts with their agents, cut the middle man, i.e. the publisher out of the equation and self-publish their works. Just recently, there have been a slew of blogs reporting very nice sales numbers form a wide spectrum of self-published fiction.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m well aware that sh*t happens. I’m not sure I know of an author or editor who doesn’t have a million things to do. Therefore, I understand the notion that editors are busy people.

However, what I’m a bit fuzzy on is why Jenny’s e-mails would’ve have been considered a red flag? If anything I would think her persistence shows how eager she is to have her manuscript published by Kensington—not to mention, that she is on top of her game. And while I understand Selena was, in fact, communicating with her I can’t see how following-up a few times over the span of a year and a half is strange or even rude.
And frankly, if I were Jenny I think I would draw the conclusion from Megan’s response that Jennifer should be happy to even receive a response, i.e. an editor has come down from heaven to speak with you and therefore you should be grateful.

And while I understand Kensington is a prestigious and noble publisher, I’m afraid it wouldn’t be anything but a name if it wasn’t for persistent little authors like Jennifer.

So all in all, I suppose I agree with Megan: Jennifer should certainly submit elsewhere.

Best regards,
Justine

Jenny

In the mean time, may I suggest submitting elsewhere and/or working on new projects? It will help keep your mind off waiting a bit. (I personally am the most impatient person ever, so find it often necessary to distract myself from waiting.)

I hope she was not annoyed by the e-mail. I would hope that she would know it came from a place of frustration not from a desire to pester. And since we have had more communications than that one e-mail, communications where I have tried my very best to ask how things were going without sounding impatient, I would hope she wouldn’t judge me as difficult to work with based on one concerned e-mail. Then again, I guess it only takes one slip up in this industry.

Sigh. I will send another e-mail apologizing. Thank you for taking the time to respond and to let me know how badly I came off in my e-mail.

Jenny

The longer it takes to hear back can be a good sign. No news is good news. As I tell my kids you haven’t failed the test until it’s back in your hands with that big fat F on top. So why worry?

Have a good holiday!

I really can’t say as to whether you’ll get feedback or not. Perhaps there is no feedback for her to give. If she loved it, and just couldn’t get approval because we don’t have room for it right now, there’s nothing she could tell you to improve about your manuscript that would have helped the situation.

With the higher-up editors, it’s not uncommon to wait a year or more if you don’t have an agent. What you have to understand is that submissions are not a priority, and agented ones definitely take precendence over unagented ones. Our main priority is doing work for the manuscripts we already have under contract and have a vested interest in. And with downsizing over the last few years, all the editors are doing more than ever.

Our policy here is that if you’ve already gotten a rejection, unless the project has been significantly revised (40% or more new material), then you cannot submit it to other editors. And if my guess is correct, it wouldn’t make sense in this instance anyway, because it really sounds like a rejection will not be because the editor didn’t like it, but because it didn’t make it past the ed board. So even if you sent it to another editor, they would run into the same issue trying to get approval for a contract.

Believe me, I understand that you are frustrated. But the editor is probably just as frustrated. There are only two sure-fire ways to speed things up–get an agent or get an offer from another house. Barring those, you just have to wait.

So glad to see you’re still doing the ask me anything. This is one of my favorite blogs for just that reason.

I actually have a few questions all based on my experience with a Kensington editor.

In May of 2010 my manuscript won a contest. As a result, a Kensington editor requested a full. I sent it to her. Since then, I’ve gotten an e-mail confirming she got it, an e-mail telling me things are crazy and she’ll get to it soon, and an e-mail saying she’s close to a decision and asking how far I am on my next book(s). That last e-mail was three months ago.

I sent her an e-mail a few days ago expressing concern that she doesn’t seem to be very passionate about the manuscript. I thanked her for her interest and said if I didn’t hear anything soon I would assume she is not interested. Granted, this is not the time of year for that e-mail to be effective, but I am getting a bit frustrated.

My question is, if she does reject, should I expect feedback? I mean, I know form rejections are common for queries, and I’ve even received some form rejections from requested partials and fulls, but considering how long she’s had it, what are my chances of getting some real feedback?

Also, is a year and a half a common response time on requested fulls at Kensington?

If she doesn’t respond to my e-mail, and I don’t hear from her for another three months, can I submit to a different editor at Kensington?

Thanks so much for your time and good luck with the bundle of joy! Mine is two and continues to be a treasure every day.

Jenny

I wanted to know if the “wait three months for a response” on Kensington’s website refers to initial queries only, or requested material? I had a request for a full by an editor at Kensington, and it has been three months. I don’t want to send a follow-up too soon, but I do want to make sure she received it without appearing as if I’m being impatient.