My women's fiction/book club novel has been rejected by 250 agents, even though I have had 14 beta readers and two nationally known developmental agents look it over and green light it. I plan to start appealing to smaller presses. Is this the right way to go, or, do you have another suggestion?
Hello, it sounds like you have definitely taken steps to make sure your manuscript is as strong as possible. Have you received any specific feedback from the agents, other than just a form rejection? Sometimes there might be little nuggets of valuable feedback to consider. If you are set on pursuing a traditional publishing path, you can certainly look at smaller houses and presses that don't require agent representation. We recommend researching houses through sites like Writer's Market, Manuscript Wish List, and Publisher's Marketplace. You can also research other publishing options to see if a hybrid or independent route is right for you and your book. Here are some great resource on the different publishing paths available to authors:
https://www.authorlearningcenter.com/publishing/preparation/w/choosing-a-path/7247/4-ways-to-publish-a-book-in-2023
https://www.authorlearningcenter.com/publishing/self-publishing/w/picking-a-publisher/8079/self-publishing-service-providers-understanding-your-options
Best wishes!