What to Do with Conflicting Sub Rejections

Going on submission is a rite of passage in traditional publishing, and nearly every author has at least one project that fails to sell on sub. 

When a round of submission ends (all the editors have rejected), you'll ideally have consistent feedback that can direct a revision before you go out on your next round of submission. 

But sometimes, the feedback is so contradictory that it feels impossible to parse through. 

I generally think this is a good sign, since it means the story is solid and the rejections are a matter of taste. Even so, it's a very annoying situation to find yourself in. 

What are you supposed to do when Editor A loves your voice but thinks the plot is dull and Editor B thinks your voice is generic but your plot is riveting???

Your specific path forward will vary -- and a good agent will help you come up with a game plan -- but for today's Real Talk for Writers, I'm sharing the rejections I got on my 2028 YA fantasy novel and how I moved forward despite the disparate feedback.

The Rejections

When my agent and I were nearing the end of the first round of sub for A Most Perilous Proposal, she suggested looking over the rejections to see if there was any common thread for revision. 

I looked through all the feedback and organized them by category. Unfortunately... for every "negative" an editor pointed out, another editor cited that same thing as a strength. 

Here's the list I complied for my agent:

World Building 

Negative Feedback:

• “Missing the sort of worldbuilding and rich details that have set successful romantasy stories apart.” 
• “Didn’t find the world building as compelling as I’d hoped.”

Positive Feedback:

• “Gave me all the warm fuzzies with its queer normative world full of magic and romance.”
• “World is so casually inclusive - the system of magic engaging but not too complex” 
• “Story perfect for both newcomers and those who are familiar with the cozy fantasy/queer romance genres” 

Characters/Voice

Negative Feedback:

• “Didn’t find the romantic arc quite compelling as I’d hoped.” 
• “Backstories didn’t feel fully fleshed out” 
• “Voices not as distinct as they could be”
• “Didn’t connect with voice in the way I hoped”

Positive Feedback:

• “Loved all the relationships”
• “Thrilled to see such authentically written queer characters" 
• “Love the chemistry between characters”
• “Characters easy to fall in love with” 
• “Quickly became a fan of Safi and Nora - their tension is delicious!” 
• “Dialogue is strong” 
• “Thoughtful, determined narrative voice” 
• “Great commercial voice” 
• “Isabel writes with a wonderfully accessible voice”

Plot/Stakes

Negative Feedback:

• “Stakes didn’t fully feel like they were there for me” 
• “Marriage trial premises don’t have enough tension/excitement” 
• “Too sweet and cozy - my tastes lean darker”
• “The stakes were too high" --> this one led to an R&R to make it more cozy (more on this below)

Positive Feedback:

• “Setup is both classic and fresh” 
• “Drawn in by premise” 
• “Excited to see sapphic reads in this space” 
• “Concept really intriguing” 
• “Concept here is so fun”

As you can see, there's a lot of conflicting advice here. However, we did end up with one R&R that wanted to see a new version of the proposal that leaned all in on the cozy fantasy aspect. 

 
The Revise & Resubmit

Without the R&R from one of the editors, the conflicting sub rejections would have left us with no specific direction for revision.  

With hindsight (these rejections were coming in the summer/fall of 2025), I think the biggest takeaway was that the story sat in a weird middle area: too dark to be cozy but too light to fit alongside more typically high-stakes fantasy. 

If I had these rejections today, I'd review the pages again and decide which direction to push the book --> either all-in on the high-stakes, darker fantasy or all-in on the lighter stakes of cozy fantasy. 

We did get the R&R though, and the edits were to essentially: 

• Go all-in on the cozy aspects
• Reduce the number of villains and let the romantic conflict take center stage
• Introduce the curse earlier and weave it into the world building more clearly 
• Prolong the rival tension before the MCs start to fall for each other

I loved these notes and dove into the revision. 

This was made easier by the fact that we'd gone out with a proposal (Act 1 + a detailed synopsis) so I didn't have to revise an entire book to implement these changes. 

After the revision was done, we gave the original editor a 2-3 week exclusive with the book. She loved the changes but ultimately passed on the project. 

But! I loved this version of the book so much more than the original, which made going out on a second round of submission feel exciting. 

 
Sub Round 2

When we went on a second round of submission, we actually had three editors say no to even looking at the project: two because they already had a bachelor/marriage competition type book on their list and one because the editor wasn't interested in cozy fantasy. 

Beyond that, we didn't get a ton of feedback, since we ended up with an offer about 2 months into the submission (which is pretty quick considering publishing was basically shut down for 2 of those weeks for the winter holidays). 

The editor who bought the project loved the cozy aspects - specifically the crystal mirrors I added that served as a fantasy version of television. 

After buying the book, I got on a call with the editor to discuss the project and come up with a shared vision as I continued drafting the rest of the book. There was one bigger change she wanted for the ending, so it was nice to discuss that before I spent months finishing the book. 

(This is also why I have a strong preference to sell on proposal - but based on all my author friends, colleagues, and clients, I think I'm in the minority there. Most of them prefer to sell a full, so your mileage may vary!)

For fun, here's the deal announcement: 

Staying True to Your Vision

Zooming out a bit from my specific situation, I want to touch on a point that I find myself coaching on fairly frequently: Don't betray your vision of the book in the hopes of getting a book deal. 

Before you embark on a big revision to a project (whether based on your agent's feedback or for an editor's R&R request), check in with the heart of your story. 

Are you actually excited about the edits they've proposed? 

Or are you ignoring your internal hesitations/concerns because you desperately want something to sell? 

If you're in the latter position, know that you're not alone. It's so normal to feel like doing an R&R (even if you don't actually like the notes) is your only chance to sell something.

BUT!

I've yet to hear a positive outcome when a writer completes an R&R that doesn't excite them. 

In many cases, the editor ultimately passes on the project (that happens even when you like the edits - that's what happened to me!) and you're left with a project that doesn't feel like you anymore. 

I have talked with too many authors who ended up hating a book because they twisted it to fit someone else's vision even though some part of them knew it wasn't the right path for their project. 

And even if the editor who offered the R&R does buy the book... If you don't love this new version of the book, the rest of the revision process is likely to feel terrible. You may end up with a novel on shelves that you don't actually like. 

A novel you may be asked to talk about for years to come. (I still get questions about my 2019 debut, which I drafted for the first time in 2015!)

I would much rather put the months of work into a new project instead of an R&R that turns my book into something I don't love. 

That doesn't mean you can't be flexible. The cozy version of A Most Perilous Proposal that's currently on my editor's desk is very different from the first version I put on sub, but I genuinely loved making those changes. I think it's a better book, and it kept all the things that mattered most to me. 

Building a backlist of books that you're proud to have published is the best way to build a sustainable career.
 

Final Thoughts

Putting a book on submission is an emotionally fraught experience, and when you get completely contradictory feedback, it can feel incredibly frustrating. 

I hope sharing the details of my own experience with helps you feel less alone. 

If you want help navigating the emotional minefield of submission, click here to learn more about coaching with me. 

Happy writing,
Isabel 

PS - Ready to build a sustainable author career that you love? Click here to learn more about private coaching for authors. 

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