Responce Times from agents/publishers

Nateskate · Oct 4, 2005

What are normal responce times for solicited and unsoliceted

1) Query Letters

2) Synopsis

3) Partials/ and full mss

Example. If they say, "Send a synopsis" and you send requested, when is it "Too long". And of course them when they ask for the mss, when is "Too long?"

I think it would be good for people to know what is normal and inordinate in this waiting game.

Also, there is a secondary reason. If you are getting positive feedback, but there is a long wait from Query onward, is this a sign that you are dealing with someone who will eventually drive you up the wall. Even if they like you, you could be sitting on your hands an awefully long time. It seems beneficial to know what are industry standards.

Christine N. · Oct 4, 2005

Sheesh, that depends on the publisher. Queries are usally the fastest response of the three, since they're so short. I would say 6-8 weeks or there abouts. Partials, anywhere from 8 weeks to six months. Fully manuscripts, three months to two years, depending on the publisher.

Now, I think the time for reading 'requested material' is probably shorter than unsolicted stuff. That's slush, it's the bottom of the agent/publishers 'to do' list.

I don't think that a long wait between is indicative of someone who will drive you up the wall. This is a painfully slow business. Equeries have sped up part of the process, but if you want that dream agent/publisher to read your stuff, you have to be willing to wait for it. There are projects ahead of you (and behind you) and you want them to take their time and really read your stuff, right? Well, so does everyone else

Patience, grasshopper. I know it's hard. I'm still waiting on a reply from an agent who requested a partial, and it hasn't even been two weeks! But I know she's got clients to see to, and books to pitch, as well as read all the stuff she's got on her desk. I try to remind myself of that when I get antsy. LOL

maestrowork · Oct 4, 2005

My question is, do you ever follow up if, for example, you've waited six months, or a year?

Some people say, a simple follow-up query would be useful. Some people say, just keep waiting, don't bug them -- a "no answer" is better than a "no."

So what is the right answer?

Nateskate · Oct 4, 2005

Okay, sub question. Would you expect they would acknowledge receipt of the mss, if you send a SASE? Or are they saving that for the answer?

I guess I should send a postcard and a SASE from now on.

As for, do I want them to take the time to read my MSS carefully? Nah, I want them to voraciously consume my book as soon as it comes in the door. I want the agents to fight over the scraps that are flying through the office, bidding against each other for pages. Is it wrong for me to want them to fight over me like I'm some sort of writing hottie???

Christine N. · Oct 4, 2005

Some people send SASP's in their query. I think most agents/ pubs would be glad to drop it in the mail to you when they open your sub package.

No, it's not wrong of you to want them to fight over you. LOL. Just know that most places take a pretty good amount of time for anything longer than a query.

victoriastrauss · Oct 4, 2005

Nateskate said:
Okay, sub question. Would you expect they would acknowledge receipt of the mss, if you send a SASE? Or are they saving that for the answer?

They're saving it for the answer.

I guess I should send a postcard and a SASE from now on.

If you send a postcard, expect not to get it back. You may, but it's just as likely you won't. It's an extra step, and many times whoever it is who opens your submission won't want to bother; another reason might be that in the process of shuttling your submission from receptionist to agent (or editor) the postcard might get lost. (Same thing can happen to the postpaid mailers authors sometimes include for return of manuscripts.)

I'm a fan of following up on submissions (partials or fulls--not queries. If you get no response on a query, I think you can just assume the agent or whoever isn't interested). If the agent says he'll get back to you by a certain date, wait a couple of weeks after the date has passed and then send a polite inquiry. If you haven't been given a date, I think an inquiry is appropriate after three months or so. If no one responds to your inquiry, or if the response is an excuse that's repeated when you send your next inquiry, I think you can safely assume that interest is not high.

I don't agree that "no answer" is better than "no". So many writers let agents or publishers string them along for months or even years because they just can't let go of that one slim possibility of a yes. But if an agent or editor isn't interested enough in your submission to pay attention to it after six months or a year have gone by, odds are he never will be interested enough.

- Victoria

Nateskate · Oct 4, 2005

Christine N. said:
Some people send SASP's in their query. I think most agents/ pubs would be glad to drop it in the mail to you when they open your sub package.

No, it's not wrong of you to want them to fight over you. LOL. Just know that most places take a pretty good amount of time for anything longer than a query.

I have pans in the fire, and didn't want to turn into an I luv Lucy episode with mss all over the place. Now that I'm ready for the Publishing Prom, I want to make sure I have a date, but not have ten show up at once. Oh, what's a poor writer to do? Sigh. Too many is better than too few, but I don't want to break hearts either.

Nateskate · Oct 4, 2005

victoriastrauss said:
They're saving it for the answer.

If you send a postcard, expect not to get it back. You may, but it's just as likely you won't. It's an extra step, and many times whoever it is who opens your submission won't want to bother; another reason might be that in the process of shuttling your submission from receptionist to agent (or editor) the postcard might get lost. (Same thing can happen to the postpaid mailers authors sometimes include for return of manuscripts.)

I'm a fan of following up on submissions (partials or fulls--not queries. If you get no response on a query, I think you can just assume the agent or whoever isn't interested). If the agent says he'll get back to you by a certain date, wait a couple of weeks after the date has passed and then send a polite inquiry. If you haven't been given a date, I think an inquiry is appropriate after three months or so. If no one responds to your inquiry, or if the response is an excuse that's repeated when you send your next inquiry, I think you can safely assume that interest is not high.

I don't agree that "no answer" is better than "no". So many writers let agents or publishers string them along for months or even years because they just can't let go of that one slim possibility of a yes. But if an agent or editor isn't interested enough in your submission to pay attention to it after six months or a year have gone by, odds are he never will be interested enough.

- Victoria

"Melodrama ensues"- The world needs my book now.

cwfgal · Oct 4, 2005

What Victoria said.

I'm in the midst of the query process myself and the results have ranged widely. I had one agent take over 3 months to get back to me on a query, synopsis, and partial (rejection). I did follow up after the 6-8 weeks this agent's listing said was their usual response time. It didn't hurry things along any but it did let me know my stuff was there and in the agent's "IN" box. I had another agent respond within a week to a query, partial, and synopsis, requesting the full ms via email attachment. Four weeks later, that also garnered a rejection but with a referral to another agent. I've mailed query/synops to a couple of agents who responded within 2 weeks. I've mailed query/synops/partials to a few agents who also responded within 2 weeks. All of these were rejections. I still have a couple of agents who have a query/synop/partial who have been sitting on them for a month or two. I'm about to follow up on those.

There doesn't seem to be any "standard" time in the industry overall. I generally use any listed response times for a specific agency as a guideline and follow up once that time has passed.

I must say it seems to me the response times now are much longer than they were a decade or so ago when I did this for the first time. I suspect that's because the slush piles have grown much bigger.

Beth
Beth

Euan H. · Oct 4, 2005

Nateskate said:
What are normal responce times for solicited and unsoliceted

1) Query Letters

2) Synopsis

3) Partials/ and full mss

For agents, I queried thirty-seven in total. Times to respond were:

Queries

Reject query within 1 month: 17
Reject query more than 1 month: 4
No response to query: 11
Request for partial within 1 month: 5

Partials

Request for full within 1 month: 2*

*Both of them within two weeks after getting the partial, now I look at my spreadsheet.

Of the rest of the partial mss, none of them had replied when I received an offer. Respectively, when I received the offer, they'd had the ms. for two weeks, three weeks, and four weeks.

Full ms.

I received an offer of representation from my agent three weeks after he got the full ms. I hadn't heard form the other full ms.--but they'd had it for less than a week.

Hope this helps. Cheers,

Euan

Christine N. · Oct 4, 2005

Oh yeah, definately bigger slush, I think. The advent of the computer, where ms's are easily redrafted, and at a much higher speed, I think is the culprit. How many people have the wearwithall to withstand typing and retyping a manuscript with a typewriter? Those were the people in slush a decade ago. Now it's so much easier, and costs less since you don't have to keep buying paper and typewriter ribbons (and wite-out!).

Responce Times from agents/publishers

Nateskate

Christine N.

haz a shiny new book cover

maestrowork

Fear the Death Ray

Nateskate

Christine N.

haz a shiny new book cover

victoriastrauss

Writer Beware Goddess

Nateskate

Nateskate

cwfgal

On the rocks

Euan H.

Unspeakable

Christine N.

haz a shiny new book cover