What's the magic # before agent calls it quits?

I think it depends on what kind of feedback they are getting. If anyone was mildly interested but in the end declined b/c of plot holes or character short comings then you might be asked for some rewrites. If they are getting all negative feedback then, who knows? I'd wait for your 6 responses and go from there. Your agent has been there before.

Good luck Begbie. I am heading for my first sub either this month or September and have already wondered the same thing. I hope everything goes well.

It varies by agent, too. I know authors whose agents stopped submitting after the big houses passed, in some cases saying that the project didn't seem right for small presses, in others implying that a small sale wouldn't adequately reward the time they would spend on it. There are also agents who will persist with small presses, hoping to get their author's foot in the door now, with a larger payoff sometime down the road.

I think it's acceptable to ask your agent what his philosophy is. Good luck--and remember, if one of the first round says yes, it's all moot anyway!

When did your agent start submitting to publishers? I'm wondering how long the six who haven't yet responded have had the manuscript in hand. Did your agent give you a submission list?

I'm not sure if no news is good news--or bad news. I believe it was Jenny Bent who said agented material usually gets a response within a month.

RC

Begbie said:

Thanks for the prompt responses. My agent submitted the MS to those houses 2 months ago. And from what I understand, no news is bad news. I, therefore, think it's time to move on to the next batch, but I'm hesitant to say so. I don't want to rock the boat. My agent has put a significant amount of time and money (for copies, etc.) into my novel. I suppose I'll sit and wait for word. Any opinions on this?

The feedback thus far has been good. One rejection was supposedly very close to being an offer before getting shot down in marketing. (Which, of course, made me feel sick).

Bryan: Good luck with your subs. Keep us posted. I made the mistake of X-ing days off the calendar, anticipating responses after that first month. So, the waiting became pure agony. Try to avoid my mistake and put it out of your head once it's out there.

Click to expand...

Just curious...what makes you say no news is bad news? I'm wondering, as it appears we may be in very similar circumstances right now (some houses have been "considering" my book ever since late March, but my agent had warned me in advance that this could be the case, since it's an "outside the norm" kind of project). I've rather been comforting myself that the long delay may be indicative of careful or serious consideration, whereby they are having to mull many factors (and the thing is so long, heck, it may well be taking them this long just to get it read!).

Should I then be worried? Or is it possible that they are just taking a long time because they are seriously weighing it in?

I've heard no news is good news as well. The book has to go through every department and be approved before you'll get signed on. The longer it takes the better, that means your project is getting the go ahead and moving through the ranks. This is just what my agent says. A quick response means you didn't make it past the editors door.

hummmm, I don't know then. What does your agent say? Have you told her/him your concerns? I try really hard to trust mine even though I've had different opinions, I figure they've been here before and I haven't. I don't know though. I guess you have to do what makes you comfy. I don't think 2 months is too long.

I've heard the same thing scifirenice heard from my agent.

I've also had a very, very long wait that turned into a sale.

You never really know what's going down in the offices, and you just have to keep writing and keep the faith that quality will sell, somewhere.

I will weigh in here and say I do know that my agent doesn't necessarily keep me informed of every little step along the way, so it may well be that the houses have been keeping her updated even though she isn't passing each and every little detail of the process on to me. This doesn't necessarily mean anything negative; it's just the general policy of the agency. They have a lot of clients and can't be slowed down by giving daily reports to every single author unless it looks like an actual, bona-fide offer is imminent. So it could well be that the silence on my end isn't necessarily no news at all, but just not something that can be construed as an offer yet.

Both explanations make sense to me. But of course I want to think positive and hope that maybe "no news is good news." However, my agent and I have already discussed the possibility of a shorter rewrite, which may in the end be what it takes to make the sell. The length, from what I'm gathering, seems to be the biggest drawback, based on the feedback already received.

However, one thing that may lend credence to what begbie's agent has said is this: If a novel is, in fact, taking an inordinate amount of time to move through the process, it no doubt may mean the book has several major hurdles it's having to clear. I can see where this could potenially bode ill. It may mean there are people in-house fighting for it, but having to do some major battles. I would imagine a anonymous decision would go much more smoothly and quickly, but that's just my guess. In the end, it may depend on how much clout the editors doing the fighting have and how good of a case they can make for it.

For anyone going over this thread who presently has something "out there" in the NYC publishing milieu, another critical thing to remember. Right now is the slowdown season in New York. Whatever happens, happens at a snail's pace. Editors are on vacation. Even when they're back, if they approve a book to go up the ladder, there is often an editorial meeting with various people who need to attend. Chances are that one or more of these people is away at any one time.

This is exactly what's been happening to me the last two or three weeks. I've got an editor who's hyping my book upstairs, but for example the big editorial meeting when my book was coming up for discussion was last Wednesday, and it got cancelled because three of the key people were out of town. And other people are supposed to be away this coming week, so it may delay another week after that.

From what I understand things do pick up after Labor Day. I'm playing the waiting game, too, but it's been only two weeks since my agent subbed it to five houses. It's hard, though, not to jump when the phone rings or an email pops up.

Hi,

I'm afraid I've been told no news is bad news too. Publishers aren't stupid - if a hot property lands on their desk from an agent, they'll have an idea whether that agent has submitted it to them exclusively or not, so won't hang around.

Maybe it's time you gave your agent a polite kick in the pants to get things moving elsewhere.

I've also been warned about agents being slow off the mark too. Remember, you aren't their only client. (And if you are, why?) If you don't look like big bucks, they won't be busting a gut to get you in every open door possible, but putting more profitable clients first.

Don't harangue an agent, but do remember you are paying their income out of your royalties, so don't be too reticent when your career/livelihood is at stake.

Good luck,
Steve

Begbie said:

Thanks, Steve. I recently had a conversation with my agent. Each of the editors who haven't yet passed on my novel have read it and enjoyed it and sent it to others within the publishing house for second, third reads, etc.

If I don't hear anything by September, I'm going to follow-up and suggest some new submissions. My agent doesn't seem to be against that, but he wants to give these others a chance. (Apparently, things do move rather slowly during the summer).

In the meantime, I'm giving myself a daily kick in the pants to complete my second novel.

Click to expand...

I, too, am looking at around late September as "make or break time." That period will be the 6-month mark from the time my book went out, and I figure if anything's going to break at all, it will (surely) happen by then.

Begbie- Your agent's update sounds encouraging, to say the least. You have a number of possible offers still alive. No need to worry about the next batch just yet. RC

This thread has made me wonder what the odds are of your manuscript being purchased once you have an agent?

Well, Bryan, they're certainly improved but, sad to say, it's still not a guaranteed sale, especially for a first novel. RC

I submitted to an agent, who's new at agenting but has been an industry publisher, editor and book doctor for a long time. When he got it, he dropped me a personal note, I know it was personal because of the way it was written and told me to nudge him if he hadn't gotten back to me in two weeks. I waited an extra week and nudged him. I got another personal note saying by Friday or Saturday of that week he would know one way or the other. I waited another week now, and nudged him again yesterday.

Does this mean he just hasn't gotten to it yet? ( probably)

It's passing up the line of readers to him?

It's sitting on his desk and he's drumming his fingers on it while he decides?

He's decided to take it if I can do a re-write to his satisfaction, and is busy making notes on that re-write?

What it does mean to me is that I am slowly bleeding to death from all the pin and needle sticks in my arse.

By the way, today's my birthday. What I really want for my 59th is a good agent.

I like this guy from his forums, blogs and notes to me so far, I think I'd fit well with him if he's interested.

Regards,
Scott

Hey, Scott!
Happy birthday! I have my fingers crossed for you re: that agent.