How Many Queries Did it Take?

[Lilly Maiden]

Hi everyone, I just recently completed my YA epic fantasy novel and am starting to send out queries. I was wondering how many queries it took you guys before an agent/editor said yes. Although I know it varies from project to project, I thought it would be encouraging for everyone who is at the querying stage. ^_^

[gothicangel]

I can't say how many just yet as I haven't had a novel accepted.

The last round of subbing stands at 20 rejections before I withdrew it and put it up for critiquing [which revealed what I feared.]

I'm currently working on rewrites following the critiques.

[willietheshakes]

Zero.

[Amarie]

You might want to reword your poll, because many, many writers don't get an agent with the first manuscript they query.

ETA: With my first manuscript, I sent out 45+++. I didn't keep track.
For the one that got picked up, I sent 6.

[ChaosTitan]

You might want to reword your poll, because many, many writers don't get an agent with the first manuscript they query.

Yep. Some authors query multiple manuscripts, with varying results, before getting an agent.

For the first two manuscripts I queried, I sent out about 35 queries each. For the third manuscript, which eventually led to representation, I sent out 9.

[blacbird]

I voted "more than 30" because I'm waaaaaaaay past that count, with zero acceptance.

caw

[Terie]

For the first book in my YA series, I sent out 7 queries, and one of those bought the series.

[Cliff Face]

Haven't been accepted yet, because I've only sent one query. That was a big mistake, as I acknowledged soon after that the book wasn't ready, though they did take it to meeting anyway, which I've been told is a good sign.

So I didn't vote.

[Ivan_B]

I was very lucky. 1 query, on both counts. I knew the agent a bit already, but not the publisher. I'll count my blessings, I know it won't always be this easy.

[RoseColoredSkies]

I sent somewhere around 20 queries before I landed my agent. Haven't gone on sub to publishers yet so not sure what that number wiill be.

[Libbie]

I picked 10 - 20, although my agent I have now was from the first ten queries I sent out. While I was waiting to hear from her, though, I sent out more -- a total of 51 queries in all.

[blacbird]

You might want to reword your poll.

Yeah. Include a category for "Infinite number".

caw

[JackinElgin]

I put out over 40 queries... in three waves, the publisher that accepted me was from the second wave. But I eventually accepted by another publisher (which gave me the rare opportunity to turn a publisher down) but there are still rejections trickling in.

I never queried very many agents, i got some pretty good results going to publishers directly.

[xtine]

I'm on 33 rejections and 16 no response, with a full and a partial still out.

I'm thinking, an urban fantasy about farming in the 1940's?

Maybe not so much.

[kaitie]

I haven't finished subbing yet, but I've got a list of 230 agents (what can I say, I take "query widely" literally) and I'm expecting to go through them all. ;)

[Lilly Maiden]

I found this website which is quite interesting and encouraging about how long it took some well known writers to get accepted.

http://www.inkygirl.com/writers-and-rejection-dont-give-up/

[HelloKiddo]

This made me laugh!

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/177/437637865_cc2cfb1d44_o.jpg

William Saroyan collected a pile of rejection slips thirty inches high (about 7000) before he sold his first short story.

WOW! Now that is dedication.

[Wayne K]

I sent about 800 for my first book, and nothing.

This one took about thirty or so.

I highly suggest Query letter SYW.

[OctoberLee]

I picked 10 - 20, although my agent I have now was from the first ten queries I sent out. While I was waiting to hear from her, though, I sent out more -- a total of 51 queries in all.

Libbie- I'm curious, how long did it take for the agent who is repping you to get back to you from your initial query?

I'm always convinced that if they don't get back to me right away, they just deleted it and moved on. :D I know that's usually not the case, I just hear all the stories of "I sent it to Agent X and got a request for a full in an hour".

[ishtar'sgate]

Hi everyone, I just recently completed my YA epic fantasy novel and am starting to send out queries. I was wondering how many queries it took you guys before an agent/editor said yes. Although I know it varies from project to project, I thought it would be encouraging for everyone who is at the querying stage. ^_^
Can't remember exactly but probably 30 or 40. It took a dozen or so to get an agent. I worked with him for a year then we parted company and I sold the manuscript myself.

[Jamesaritchie]

This made me laugh!

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/177/437637865_cc2cfb1d44_o.jpg



WOW! Now that is dedication.


Wellll, Saroyan's thirty inches of rejections were only about 4,000, by his estimation. Still dedication, but not quite as much.

And he was often writing a short story per day, and those rejection came in pretty fast. He was only twenty-five when he wrote Daring Young man, which made him famous. He'd also actually sold one story before this, but didn't yet know it.

[Shadow_Ferret]

It only takes one query.

I guess I just haven't sent that one out yet.

[Julie Worth]

It only takes one query.

I sent out over a thousand and got an agent of sorts--a lousy agent who went out of business six months later. So I still don't have an agent, but I've had pub offers on two books.

[NYCutie]

Dont know, havent really tried

[Shady Lane]

God, millions. But I queried five manuscripts before I got an agent.

[Jamesaritchie]

It took me one query, and the novel sold within a month, but I was very scientific, and followed all the rules. I queried before I even wrote the novel, and I picked the agent because I liked the sound of her name.

[Oberon89]

24 queries to get an agent. Things moved quickly after that.