Currently, 4 agents are reading (allegedly) my manuscript. I recently emailed all of them to ask for an update (one's had the manuscript since August) and none of them have responded. Another of the 4 rejected my manuscript, yet was excited about the project enough to say that she'd accept a re-submission if I re-wrote X,Y, Z. I did so and followed up w/her a few times, but she's yet to reply. I know agents are busy but I sort of get the feeling I'm being jerked around. Thoughts welcome. Thanks.
Jerked around?
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August? That's honestly not terribly long for a full manuscript. And yes, agents are busy. Things get misplaced. Everyone is back from the holidays and getting caught up on the backlog.
As long as they are all legit agents, continue to follow up, but don't make a pest of yourself. And keep querying other agents.
As long as they are all legit agents, continue to follow up, but don't make a pest of yourself. And keep querying other agents.
Sorry for the endless wait, JB! I don't think you're being jerked around -- you just have to adjust to publishing time. If you haven't heard, the agents are likely still considering or perhaps haven't gotten to read it yet. With few exceptions, agents will eventually respond, positively or negatively, to requested materials. I think polite status inquiries once a month are the way to go.
A wait since August is nothing. As for the others, if it hasn't been AT LEAST 3 months (4 would probably be better at the holidays) don't worry. Do something else. Write something else. Publishing isn't known for its speed.
What everyone else said. And I'll add that if they're showing it to another agent in the office, that adds to the length of time you have to wait and also bodes well that it wasn't rejected off a first read.
Patience, and good luck!
Patience, and good luck!
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What the others have said, but I feel your pain. I really do...It's hard to adjust to 'publishing time' but in order to survive the hell that is querying, we must persevere. 
Many thanks to all of you. That puts my mind at ease. Hard to tell this is my first go around w/querying, isn't it? The thing is, I thought I had been patient. I guess patience is a relative term when it comes to publishing.
I would add that any good, conscientious agent will tell you where things stand and 'fess up if they just haven't gotten around to reading it yet. I sent a jocular note to an agent last summer, trying to prod her for an update, and she wrote back, "Busted! I just haven't gotten to it yet." Hey, not good news but at least you know, right?
That was my thought, too: is this the kind of service they'd provide should they ever represent me?
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In the agent hierarchy, prospective clients come after current clients. So...if it comes to offer time, talk to the agent's current clients to get a sense of response time and attention.
But right now you are less of a priority than all her other duties save for reading queries. So...no way to know if she is just really busy right now, or if it is an indication of response levels - but i'd say you can't entirely judge an agent's response time to clients by their response time to prospective clients - they are just very different.
So, if the agent makes an offer of representation, ask questions about what you can expect in communication and response times. Then confirm her answers with a bunch of her current clients.
~suki
This is a slooowwww business. Unless an agent has something new to tell you, why should she tell you anything? Do you really want an agent to call or e-mail and say "Sorry, I haven't read your manuscript yet, so there's nothing to report. I'll call again next week, even if I still have nothing to say."
Any agent will let you know the moment she knows something you need to know. This is all any agent can promise. This may happen in a week, or it may happen in six months. Which doesn't matter.
Stop waiting. Stop worrying. Stop thinking about it. When an agent has something worth saying, she'll say it. By now you should have a new book half finsihed. Worry about teh book you should be hard at work on right now, not about the one you just finsihed that is now out of your control.
Any agent will let you know the moment she knows something you need to know. This is all any agent can promise. This may happen in a week, or it may happen in six months. Which doesn't matter.
Stop waiting. Stop worrying. Stop thinking about it. When an agent has something worth saying, she'll say it. By now you should have a new book half finsihed. Worry about teh book you should be hard at work on right now, not about the one you just finsihed that is now out of your control.
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Hi JB64, if I were you I would query other agents while you are waiting for her reply. You probably already know to narrow down your search to agents who accept your Genre and type of work. I would just search them some more and query them. You never know, you might just get an agent who loves your book and is eager to rep you. Meanwhile, start your next book, write for magazines. That is my new years resolution, even though I havn't quite started yet.
Best of luck to you!
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Best of luck to you!
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Thanks again to all for the advice. I'm glad I posted my concerns here; the kind responses have helped me put things into perspective.
To those who suggested I keep querying...well, I think I've exhausted all prospective agents. So, unless I can uncover some other agents, who have somehow evaded inclusion in the Literary Market Place and various websites, the ones I've mentioned are my Final Four for this particular novel.
To those who suggested I keep querying...well, I think I've exhausted all prospective agents. So, unless I can uncover some other agents, who have somehow evaded inclusion in the Literary Market Place and various websites, the ones I've mentioned are my Final Four for this particular novel.
One last suggestion if you're really climbing the walls but not quite ready to jump into the next project, you could head over to the Beta Readers forum and offer to read someone else's ms. Might be a good distraction and it also might give you some insight into what agents go through every day. Best of luck.
^ I find betaing very distracting.. And I'm very antsy waiting for publishers to respond to my agent.
JB64, how many agents have you queried? For many genres, you should be able to find at least 50-100+ reputable agents to query.
Look over your old rejections again, find out which agency the agent who rejected you is with. Check their website for an "about us" section. Go through the list of agents and see if anyone else at the agency might possibly be a match for your book (doesn't matter what your intuition says, we are so often wrong in that department). Query that agent. Look for the next one you'll query at that agency, make a note of it somewhere.
Rinse and repeat. A lot of agencies have two or more agents who might rep the same work. Unless the guidelines specify not to query more than one, it's OK to query others from the same agency in succession (just not at the same time).
I've found this to be a helpful strategy in addition to using agentquery, querytracker, and/or print directories. I thought I was running out of agents about 20+ agents ago.
Look over your old rejections again, find out which agency the agent who rejected you is with. Check their website for an "about us" section. Go through the list of agents and see if anyone else at the agency might possibly be a match for your book (doesn't matter what your intuition says, we are so often wrong in that department). Query that agent. Look for the next one you'll query at that agency, make a note of it somewhere.
Rinse and repeat. A lot of agencies have two or more agents who might rep the same work. Unless the guidelines specify not to query more than one, it's OK to query others from the same agency in succession (just not at the same time).
I've found this to be a helpful strategy in addition to using agentquery, querytracker, and/or print directories. I thought I was running out of agents about 20+ agents ago.
Thanks, RD. I've queried at least 100. Most have rejected the premise outright. Ten or so have read a partial or completed manuscript...and then rejected it. Yes, I have gone back to many agencies and re-queried to different agents, but you're probably right -- I could do a better job of blanketing them.
Yeah just don't give up. Keep working on your next book and keep looking out for new and new-to-your-radar agents to query. . .
I was going to write a similar post/question. I had a full requested in July 31st, sent the first week of August and haven't heard anything. I sent a follow up letter in December and still haven't heard anything. I would have thought that there would have been a response to the follow up, but maybe due to the holidays ???
Hi Ace! I think after the 6 month mark you're ok to check in politely once a month or so until you get a response on the full.
Have you only queried 11 agents so far? If so, you could send more queries while you're waiting in case it comes back as a rejection.
Good luck!
Have you only queried 11 agents so far? If so, you could send more queries while you're waiting in case it comes back as a rejection.
Good luck!
Thanks Rainbow, but I haven't updated my signature I am currently sending out another "bunch" of queries (although I WAY slowed down when I got the request(s).
I am currently sending out another "bunch" of queries (although I WAY slowed down when I got the request(s).Heard back from the agent who's had the manuscript since Aug. She rejected it, but liked the story. No further explanation/feedback was given. That's real helpful to me. Maybe if I'd thrown in a vampire or some other assinine character it would sell.
JB - ha! My wife says the same thing--"You should write a vampire book!" She's probably right.
Sorry to hear about the rejection. The market's especially tough right now.
Ace! - Yeah I like to coast and take a little query breather when I have requested stuff out there, too.
Here's hoping for acceptance in 2010 (off 2009 submissions, even better! )
She's probably right. Sorry to hear about the rejection. The market's especially tough right now.
Ace! - Yeah I like to coast and take a little query breather when I have requested stuff out there, too.
Here's hoping for acceptance in 2010 (off 2009 submissions, even better!
)
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