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If you're in the situation where it feels like you've queried every single literary agent under the sun and have only received rejections, this article is for you. I know how disheartening that feeling can be, so I want to equip you with some information and tips to help you figure out what your next steps are.

I've worked on all sides of the publishing industry, from a publishing house to a literary agency, and now I work directly with writers and help them understand how to get a literary agent. I’m passionate about helping writers out of this so-called “querying rut.”

If you are in that position, here are five productive things that you can do right now to improve your chances of success when querying agents, hopefully leading you to a literary agent’s representation.

1. Enlist Beta Readers or a Professional Book Editor

The first thing you can and should do if you are in the querying rut is to enlist beta readers or a professional editor. I strongly advise against querying literary agents if no one else has read your manuscript from beginning to end. While there are certainly instances where doing so has led to publication, in the majority of cases, there’s more work you can do on your book to improve it and convince a literary agent to take you on.

It’s important to keep in mind that when querying a literary agent, you only have one shot per book and per agent. If Ms. Smith rejects your fantasy book once, then even if you edit it to be stronger, you can’t requery that book to her unless it is essentially an entirely different novel. So you want to make sure you are putting your best foot forward with each query.

However, it can be very difficult to self-edit your own novel because you are so close to it as the author. Getting any kind of editorial feedback about how the plot and the characters are developing is only going to help you tell a better story. And a better story is more likely to elicit an agent’s positive response. If you're in the position of only receiving rejections from literary agents and you haven't had a substantial constructive critique on your book project, do that now.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t count if you’ve only had a friend or family member read your book and they gave you general positive feedback, such that they liked it. This kind of feedback is flattering but ultimately not helpful. You don’t know if that person is being honest, and every first draft manuscript will have room for improvement. Lukewarm feedback isn't going to help you achieve the next level for your story.

When I'm talking about reaching out to a beta reader or a professional editor, this should be someone whose opinion you trust, someone who has experience in the publishing industry, or someone whose editorial judgment is solid. These days, there are many resources out there for writers to find editors and beta readers to assess their manuscripts. So keep an open mind and let yourself share your story with others before sending it out to literary agents.

2. Wait and Try Again

If you already received extensive editorial feedback, then another tactic to take is to wait and try again later. The publishing landscape is always changing. That goes for the types of stories being published as well as the actual people in the industry.

Like any other industry, people are rotating in and out constantly. If you wait six months or even a year to query your book project again, that could put you in an entirely different market than you were originally in.

For example, literary agents were overwhelmed with submissions a couple of months into the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the many writers working on projects during quarantine. Trying to get literary agent representation was very difficult, especially for manuscripts that weren’t completely polished.

There are also new literary agents entering the scene all the time, and these agents could be potentially the perfect fit for you. Don’t let a supposed lack of experience fool you, as new agents are eager to prove themselves in the industry and will afford a lot of passion and drive to your project.

It may also be the case that an agent who would be the perfect fit for your project is closed to submissions right now, because they have a lot of client work to take care of. But in six months to a year, they could open back up for queries, putting you in the perfect position to reach out to them.

The one thing I will advise here is that you should not reach back out to an agent who has already rejected you for a specific book. Unless they specifically said to resubmit after you have edited, doing so will look unprofessional on your end.

3. Focus On Your Next Project

The third thing on my to-do list for writers who can't seem to find a literary agent is to simply focus on your next project. I feel like writers often have the misconception that if you don't get a literary agent with the one project you are querying now, then your chances are null and void.

But that is not true at all! Many authors don’t publish the first novel they write, or even their second or third project. As you keep writing, you increase the chances of getting representation because you are increasing your knowledge and skills as a writer.

So, if you have another story idea in your head, consider putting your current project aside and dedicating yourself to that new project. It may be the book that scores you representation and gets your foot in the door.

Keep in mind that when you query literary agents with your original book project, there's a chance some of them might say something like “I enjoy your style but not this particular premise, but if you write something else come back to me.” If so, working on something else is going to put you in a great position to reach back out to that agent.

Plus, after you have secured representation, you can go back to your original project and talk about it with your agent. The market might be more receptive to that story after you have debuted.

4. Hone Your Craft

My next tip for what to do if you are only getting rejections from literary agents is to spend some time honing your craft. No matter where your writing skill lies, there is always room for improvement to become a stronger and more effective storyteller.

If you're in the earlier stage of your writing career, it could be the case that you have a great idea but your actual writing isn't to the level yet where a literary agent would be eager to take you on. In that case, it's a great idea to just work on your writing and have fun with it.

Some things you can do to hone your craft include attending writing workshops, where you are in a group where people read each other's works and give feedback and critique. You could write and try to publish short stories, building up your writing career from that angle. Plus, the editor at that magazine might be open to talking about your short story, giving you a professional’s perspective on your skills without you having to pay for it.

Another way you can hone your craft is to attend writing conferences. A lot of them are virtual now, which is a great way to meet writers across the globe whom you may never have met otherwise.

And, of course, read books and consume other writing resources. Reading is just as vital for your career as an author as writing, so I encourage you to read voraciously and vigorously, even as you query!

5. Consider Self-Publishing

My final tip for what to do if you can't get a literary agent is to consider self-publishing. Self-publishing can be a great option if you feel like your story is ready to go into the world. You've worked hard and it feels finished. You also might not want to operate by the long timelines that traditional publishing offers.

By self-publishing, you have full control over when your book gets published, through which platforms it gets published, what it looks like, and how it gets marketed. If that appeals to you, self-publishing is a great option to take.

One thing to keep in mind is that you cannot query manuscripts that have been self-published, so that will be the end of that book’s journey. However, you can query future projects to literary agents down the line.

I hope these tips gave you some inspiration and help you better understand what to do if you are in the position of querying literary agents to no avail. It can feel like you're just stuck when you’re receiving multiple rejections from literary agents. However, the worst thing you can do is stop writing, so please don't do that. Try following these tips to help reinvigorate your writing passion!

Thanks so much for reading and happy querying!