Querying--when to stop?

JamieFord · May 2, 2007

Question...

In the last week I've had five requests for the full manuscript--time to stop querying? Or is there no such thing as too much of a good thing? (I've let them all know the manuscript is under consideration elsewhere).

Argh, I hate waiting.

DeadlyAccurate · May 3, 2007

I don't have an answer for you, but I wanted to say, Wow! Congratulations on getting so many requests.

Tish Davidson · May 3, 2007

Super congrats! I'd stop and wait for some feedback. If a couple of agents reject you (let's hope they don't) and all give the same reason, you might want to revise before sending out any more fulls. And if they accept you, you won't have to send out any more

ccarver30 · May 3, 2007

WOW! Congratulations! Now if I could just finish my query letter...!

Plot Device · May 3, 2007

JamieFord said:
Question...

In the last week I've had five requests for the full manuscript

Congratulations!

jodiodi · May 3, 2007

I add my congratulations as well. I've finally made it to the point where I've gotten requests for partials, but never for fulls. I'm totally impressed. Good luck.

maestrowork · May 3, 2007

First congrats. It's a good thing to have five requests for full. IMHO, it's good to take a break at this point, depending on how soon they will respond, or if there's an exclusivity involved. If it's exclusive, then definitely stop querying until you hear back. If not, it's up to you but having too many leads out there may confuse you. The shotgun approach is not necessarily the best. You really want to target the best agent and it's not a bad idea to wait. Why the hurry?

In the meantime, write another book.

victoriastrauss · May 3, 2007

I agree--take a break until you've gotten some responses (I'm assuming that you'd be thrilled to have any of these agents represent you). Congratulations on such a great response, and good luck.

- Victoria

Julie Worth · May 3, 2007

JamieFord said:
I've let them all know the manuscript is under consideration elsewhere.

I wouldn't do that unless they insist on knowing. While competition may hurry the process, it will also raise the bar.

In any case, I wouldn't stop the querying process. Having five full reads is not a guarantee, in my experience.

Julie Worth · May 3, 2007

Going to your webpage, I see that you've garnered three times as many requests for partials and fulls as you have rejections. This is astonishing! (I'd really love to see your query letter.)

Doug Johnson · May 3, 2007

Tish Davidson said:
Super congrats! I'd stop and wait for some feedback. If a couple of agents reject you (let's hope they don't) and all give the same reason, you might want to revise before sending out any more fulls. And if they accept you, you won't have to send out any more

That's my advice. It's much easier to get the next 5 agents who might respond to read something for the first time, than to go back to all ten and say "It's improved now." And if it doesn't need improvement, don't forget all us little people when you become rich and famous.

JamieFord · May 3, 2007

Thanks for the advice y'all. Much appreciated. (And Julie, I just sent you my query).

I sent out a few snail-mail queries w/partials to test the waters. Once I got a request for full, I figured it was working and sent out a wave of email queries--that's when the fun began.

One good thing about letting each agent know that others have asked for the full--they end up having me email the manuscript--saves a bit of time and $$$.

There was a posting over at Ms. Snark about not waiting, but I guess I'm inclined to chill out for a while.

Julie Worth · May 3, 2007

JamieFord said:
I guess I'm inclined to chill out for a while.

If your book is anything like your query, you won't have to chill for long!

JamieFord · May 3, 2007

I guess not--holy cow!

I just got a call from Sara Crowe at Harvey Klinger offering representation on THE PANAMA HOTEL!

I told her I'd need a little time to think about it since I have other full manuscripts out there...but WOW!

jodiodi · May 3, 2007

Hearty congratulations. I hate you, you know.

Julie Worth · May 3, 2007

JamieFord said:
I just got a call from Sara Crowe at Harvey Klinger offering representation on THE PANAMA HOTEL!

I just read I Am Chinese, so I can understand why.

JamieFord · May 3, 2007

Thanks Julie. That was a while ago, and kinda half-baked. I'd like to think that I've improved a lot since then. Plus I wrote the book in deep 3rd person, rather than 1st person like that short.

Will Lavender · May 3, 2007

JamieFord said:
I guess not--holy cow!

I just got a call from Sara Crowe at Harvey Klinger offering representation on THE PANAMA HOTEL!

I told her I'd need a little time to think about it since I have other full manuscripts out there...but WOW!

Awesome, Jamie!

Julie Worth · May 3, 2007

JamieFord said:
Thanks Julie. That was a while ago, and kinda half-baked. I'd like to think that I've improved a lot since then. Plus I wrote the book in deep 3rd person, rather than 1st person like that short.

The one I read was in Picolata, and was in first person. (The editor, Mark Pettus, is a member here, by the way. Though not very active lately.)

JamieFord · May 4, 2007

Mark is a very nice guy. Busy these days, I guess.

The funny thing about The Picolata Review is that I wanted to send something, but was pressed for time so I called in sick, stayed home, and wrote that little vignette in the afternoon. I turned it into a 6,000-word short story at Orson Scott Card's Literary Bootcamp. Then workshopped it at Squaw Valley. Then made the finals at GlimmerTrain. Then wrote the book. Then got the call.

Moral of the story: call in sick more often.

Julie Worth · May 4, 2007

JamieFord said:
Mark is a very nice guy. Busy these days, I guess.

The funny thing about The Picolata Review is that I wanted to send something, but was pressed for time so I called in sick, stayed home, and wrote that little vignette in the afternoon. I turned it into a 6,000-word short story at Orson Scott Card's Literary Bootcamp. Then workshopped it at Squaw Valley. Then made the finals at GlimmerTrain. Then wrote the book. Then got the call.

Moral of the story: call in sick more often.

I wrote my first novel to have something to take to a writing class in France. I needed just a couple of chapters, but once I began, I couldn't stop.

Annie O · May 4, 2007

Wow, big congrats, Jamie. I would love to take a peek at your query; it must be outstanding to get so many bites.

Tish Davidson · May 4, 2007

Terrific job! Once you get your representation lined up, would you be willing to post your query letter here?

JamieFord · May 4, 2007

You bet. Either here, or on my blog. I was planning on posting the whole query packet.

Susan B · May 6, 2007

Wow, congratulations! Have you accepted the offer?

Susan

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