Query letter - positive response rate

[gordon1]

What can be considered an acceptable positive response rate to a query letter sent to agents?

Is there a rule of thumb that can be used to know that your query letter is effective, or needs to be reworked? I'm thinking something along the lines of: if 1 out of every 4 query letters results in a request for more pages (either chapters or full ms), then you should stick with it; otherwise revise the query letter before sending it to additional agents.

Thanks for your help!

[Cathy C]

Well, my personal preference is 1:1, but that's just me... ;)


Actually, I think that one in four is pretty good. It sounds like a pretty decent query letter.

[Starlightmntn]

If you get a 15% positive response rate for fiction, I think that's good. 0% would be a good sign to rework the letter. 25% would be awesome, in my opinion!

[A.REX]

My letter must really suck. I've gotten zer0 requests but sent out 35. The last one from Kathrine Sands said 'thanks for reading my book... now I've read some of yours, you're a really talented writer and I'm sure you'll find placement with somebody...' It looked really signed, so maybe it wasn't just a BS letter.
Who knows. Shopping sux.

[zarch]

My first round of queries produced one request for more material, and the agent eventually declined. My revised letter? Fifteen or so queries, with two requests for partials and two requests for the entire manuscript. So my good letter's gettin' me about 30ish%...my bad letter got me squat.

[LightShadow]

depends. a friend got one out of 250, got that one agent, signed a six digit deal, and now writes full time. I got my agent out of the first seven and have been struggling to get the book published even though my agent is pretty good and pounds the pavement as much as me. thing is, rejections are a part of the business. you'll get a lot of them, but if it seems to be getting ridiculous, re-work it. check out samples. use an elevator pitch to describe your book in the letter - that's a 15 second kick-butt delivery. most of all, be persistant as heck.