R&R Etiquette?

mbowman

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So, after a year of rejections, I got (I think) and R and R from an agent. She told me she had been really busy and only read the first 20 pages, but complimented me on the characters and was interested by the story.

She did ask me to revise the first 20 pages, because she thought it started too fast and then she'd "take another look at it" and she asked me for my ideas on revising the first 20 pages before she'd offer hers.

Well, I sent her my ideas and...heard nothing. Its been almost 3 weeks since then. I had some ideas for revising other parts of the manuscript, which I got started on, but once I finish, I'm really going to be itching to revise the beginning to her specifications.

Anyway, is it all right to recontact her? Her website states that she has been super swamped lately, so I don't want to bother her, especially if she might be considering me.
 

Drachen Jager

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All agents seem to be super-busy right now. Mine has had almost three weeks to look at my manuscript revisions and hasn't got to it yet. I would hope I have priority in these cases. :)

Seriously there are a half-dozen people on here who have dropped comments about situations similar to mine, for some reason agents are super-swamped right now. Give her another couple of weeks. I know it's hard to be patient, but it's a slow business sometimes.
 

leahzero

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Three weeks is like nothing in the publishing world. Try to stay calm and keep working on revisions. I wouldn't nudge until at least a month, if not more.
 

mbowman

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Ok, I'll finish revising the rest, possibly cook up some more ideas for the first 20 pages, and then wait about a month before recontacting her. Thanks, everyone!
 

nadja1972

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I'm in the same boat, mbowman. The agent reading my R&R said she hoped to get to it within two weeks, and it's been five weeks so far. I'm resisting the temptation to nudge yet, for fear I'll nudge her into a rejection if she's just too busy to deal with it right now. In the meantime I'm working on my next book. I figure I'll nudge at around the seven-week mark if necessary.

Good luck to you!