Being kept in the submission loop...

[Barbarique]

*

[rugcat]

You don't have to be following every little detail, but your agent should at least tell you who has been submitted to, and when, and if they've passed. (hopefully, they won't)

[Jamesaritchie]

There generally are no day to day machinations. Publishing is a slow business, and doesn't speed up much for an agent. An agent should let you know when a major publisher decides to reject something, but this is about it. Once a month or so is usually plenty of contact.

[Kaytie]

Waiting is the hardest part, no matter what method of communication an agent uses. :)

Barbarique - I don't think there is such a think as "usually." Some books sell in a weekend, some in three months, some not at all.

Still, I would think that if a book is actively being shopped, there'd be a period of a lot of information that peters out over time.

[Jamesaritchie]

Yikes... that's it? How many months does it usually take? What's your average wait time? :)


I don't think there is a "usually takes." The wait can be a couple of weeks, or it can be six months or more.

[job]

Your agent can sell in a week ... or in two years. The ms gets sold when it gets sold.

As to what you want to hear from the agent ...
-- what publishers the ms will be submitted to.
-- What they say in rejection letters. In fact, you probably want to see the rejection letters themselves.

The other contact you're going to have with your agent is in re the next ms.
You can ask if she wants to see 3-chapters-and-a-synopsis before the ms is completed, or wait till you've completed the ms.

[Legionsynch]

I'd rather not know the day to day. That's more for me to angst about - all those publishing houses and why god why did they reject my manuscript? *sniff* It's because it sucked, didn't it? I'm a terrible author! *runs off to cry*

Erm. Yeah. Something like that. Completely hypothetical, you see. I wouldn't really do that. ;)

[javili]

I would prefer that she get in touch with me in about a week to inform me that the book is sold and they want me to do a tour signing books in the Mediterranean islands.

[Soccer Mom]

I would prefer that she get in touch with me in about a week to inform me that the book is sold and they want me to do a tour signing books in the Mediterranean islands.

:ROFL:

[maestrowork]

I'd trust my agent to do his or her job. That's why I get an agent in the first place. If, however, they don't talk to me for a few months, I would call and ask, "Hey, what's up?"

My job is to keep writing and keep telling good stories.

[popmuze]

Plus, the more you don't hear from your agent, the more you can bask in the glory that the very next email you get will be the one telling you the book has been sold.
Whereas, if you hear it's being rejected up and down the block, that might ruin your good mood and make it that much harder to expect success.
That being said, I just asked my agent for an update this Monday and haven't heard anything all week.
So I'm a basket case.