Can you rewrite and resend to the same agent?

[Stacey Sweeney]

I had an agent give me some specific feedback about a novel I sent him (actually the first three chapters as requested). He gave me specific ideas on how to go about editing it and said "it needs to be racheted up a few notches".
Does that mean after I've finished re-editing it, I can send it back to him? Do agents even keep track of what they have and haven't read?

I'm at the point now where I'm so sick of the novel that I can't even look at it, so it'll be a while before I work on it more. I'm guessing that I'll let it sit a couple months and then try again. I assume that by then he'd have little memory of my novel unless I sent him a copy of his original rejection letter.

So, should I keep his letter and resend it to him later, after I've done what he suggested?
Thanks,
Stacey

[Stacey Sweeney]

Sorry, I didn't mean to post this question under the bewares and background check spot. I'd move it, but I don't know how, so.....
sorry about that.

[maestrowork]

Hmmmm, generally speaking, unless the agent specially told you to send her a revised ms., chances are it's a "no" even if she has offered you advice (awfully nice of her). However, it doesn't mean you can't try.



Side note: I think it's not a wise thing to revise your ms. extensively based on one agent's opinion, especially if that agent hasn't shown any real interest in taking you on. If 10 agents say the same thing, then you may consider the revision. But if it's just one agent, I'd just move on...

[HapiSofi]

Yes, you can. That's "yes" as in "no one will show up to arrest you." Beyond that, it's up to the agent.

[Lenora Rose]

IF:

- there's an obviously long gap since you last sent it to them,

(IE, time enough to have done sincere and deep revision rather than a shallow "lookee, I fixed the thing you mentioned!". I say this because IME of critiques - not agenting, I've never been an agent - people who sent me a "rewrite" too quickly invariably fixed only the surface problems I used as samples, not the underlying issues the samples were meant to illustrate. I imagine Agents get this much worse than occasional critiquers)

- You're completely honest about having sent it to them once before,

(So that when they read a familiar-sounding plot summary they don't think plagiarism or copycat)

then most agents will at least look at a rewrite, whether or not it was inspired by their commentary. I had one reject my rewrite with a note that he'd rather not look at rewrites and they were a much harder sell to him, but nobody else seemed to mind.

[cwfgal]

I had an agent give me some specific feedback about a novel I sent him (actually the first three chapters as requested). He gave me specific ideas on how to go about editing it and said "it needs to be racheted up a few notches".
Does that mean after I've finished re-editing it, I can send it back to him? Do agents even keep track of what they have and haven't read?

I'm at the point now where I'm so sick of the novel that I can't even look at it, so it'll be a while before I work on it more. I'm guessing that I'll let it sit a couple months and then try again. I assume that by then he'd have little memory of my novel unless I sent him a copy of his original rejection letter.

So, should I keep his letter and resend it to him later, after I've done what he suggested?
Thanks,
Stacey

If you agree with the agent's suggestions (which may require a level of objectivity you don't have just yet) then by all means make the edits. But given that you're sick of the work right now, you may not be able to objectively assess it and you might benefit from setting it aside and working on something else for a while. I find a few weeks away from any given work always gives me a fresh eye for problems and more objectivity. So your idea of letting it sit for a couple of months is probably a good one.

As for resubmitting to the same agent, you can but I wouldn't. It's almost always a waste of time unless the agent specifically invited you to resubmit the work after your edits.

Good luck!

Beth