More tales of rejection woe

So I received two more rejections today--one for a query and one for a full submission. I am kinda disappointed about the full rejection, because the agent is one of the top in the industry and I hoped, like every other wishful-thinking writer, that someone as well-known as him might take a chance on my novel. He was very nice in his rejection and said: "While I enjoyed its realistic grasp of a dark teenage drama, I’m afraid I struggled to connect strongly with Miran as a character." In DOWN, Miran (pronounced Meer-an) is a seventeen-year-old girl whose world spins out of control after she is date-raped by the least likely boy in school. Think of it as Ellen Hopkins meets Sarah Dessen.

While I would be quick to react like many writers and immediately second-guess my writing, my characters, I've had plenty of readers (male and female) say they really were moved by Miran and her story. So, while this agent didn't connect, someone else has to. Again, it all goes back to their own individual preferences. Perhaps this agent wasn't into the heavy, dark journey Miran takes to rebuild her life. Gritty YA isn't for everybody. 

Yes, I did have a minor freak out where I wanted to cry, wanted to curl up in a ball, throw my manuscript against the wall and give up. But, I reminded myself: I've only been at this for 3 weeks! I haven't earned a full-blown breakdown until I've been at this for a few months or a year. This is how the game goes. Rejection is common. Onward to the next, breath held, fingers crossed. I have 2 other fulls out with agents right now.

First though, I think I'll have a chocolate chip cookie. Or ten.