This article by Chuck Sambuchino might be of solace to those writers putting themselves through the submission process.

It’s easy to wonder whether literary agents are even human, as you fire off one query after another, hearing only deafening silence in return. Read these 13 things about them though, and you’ll come to appreciate that they’re actually warm, cuddly creatures with feelings too – though that he chose 13 things feels a bit loaded to me.