I mailed my first SciFi novel to a publisher Jan.4,07. I have yet to recieve a response. Is there an average time to receive a response? Am I being impatient?
Thanks
Mustang
Thanks
Mustang
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How long to get a response from a publisher?
- Thread starter Mustangpilot
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The average response time for various publishers:
http://www.critters.org/blackholes/
Do you mind me asking why you do not try to get an agent instead?
http://www.critters.org/blackholes/
Do you mind me asking why you do not try to get an agent instead?
I checked with a number of agents and they all said they were too busy to take on a new client. The publisher I sent it to accepts nonagent scripts so I did the deed. Meanwhile, I keep looking for an agent. They all seem to be too busy to respond to query's.
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Here's another site with info on response times. Some of the figures are quite different.
http://www.ralan.com/
http://www.ralan.com/
It looks like the average time for response from DAW is 75 days. It's been about 90 as of today. So I bide my time. Meanwhile I have another lead.
Thanks.
Thanks.
Big difference on Ralan, 27 days. Well, maybe they're interested and have set it aside for further study. We live in hope. (grin)
Thanks, all
Thanks, all
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You were lucky. They took much longer than that with me. Though they did read it and comment about it.
If they take forever to respond, you have very little chance anyway, in my opinion. The ones that are well-run and take unsolicitated manuscripts seriously will respond within six months.
Thanks, all
It looks like I'll have plenty of time to work on the current project before I have to be concerned with rewrites on the first one.
(sigh)
It looks like I'll have plenty of time to work on the current project before I have to be concerned with rewrites on the first one.
(sigh)
Sometimes longer is better. No editor hangs onto a manuscript he doesn't like, and some of the best publishers out there often take a heck of a lot longer than six months for manuscripts they buy.
I do count it as a positive experience - the rejection made some good comments and suggestions that I agreed with - they definitely read the entire work.
It is a good sign: it means they haven't rejected you ... at least not yet. 
Good luck and keep us posted!
Good luck and keep us posted!
It is a good sign: it means they haven't rejected you ... at least not yet.
Good luck and keep us posted!
I will and thank you all.
I pulled it up yesterday and read the first couple chapters. I hadn't looked at it since I mailed it in and I see a few things I'd like to change. I'm going to make a copy of what I sent on another disc and go over it line by line. If they're intersted and want me to work it over I'll have a head start.
I hit a wall with my WIP. It was getting too big and cumbersome and I was getting lost in detail instead of forging on to the conclusion. So it's going into rehab and seclusion for a few weeks while I decide how to proceed.
This is hard work.
Thanks again.
Good luck and keep us posted!
I will and thank you all.
I pulled it up yesterday and read the first couple chapters. I hadn't looked at it since I mailed it in and I see a few things I'd like to change. I'm going to make a copy of what I sent on another disc and go over it line by line. If they're intersted and want me to work it over I'll have a head start.
I hit a wall with my WIP. It was getting too big and cumbersome and I was getting lost in detail instead of forging on to the conclusion. So it's going into rehab and seclusion for a few weeks while I decide how to proceed.
This is hard work.
Thanks again.
DAW has been very busy lately. I'm one of their authors, and it took my editor nine months to read and buy my latest project. For a slush submission, I can only imagine the wait will be much longer.
I did submit through the slush to Baen, years back. 2.5 years later, they made an offer.
I wouldn't expect an answer any time soon, especially if they want to take a closer look at it.
I did submit through the slush to Baen, years back. 2.5 years later, they made an offer.
I wouldn't expect an answer any time soon, especially if they want to take a closer look at it.
My novel is currently a requested resubmission at Orbit (UK). I sent it 15 months ago. AFAIK they haven't read it yet.
Yup. Unfortunately, by that time, I had withdrawn the book and sold it elsewhere. Apparently Baen did not receive my e-mail withdrawing the book from consideration. It was a little messy, but it worked out in the end. For me, at least
Over on the Writer Beware blog today, Ann Crispin mentions that it took three years for Pocket Books to buy her first novel.
Over on the Writer Beware blog today, Ann Crispin mentions that it took three years for Pocket Books to buy her first novel.
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