Normal not to hear back?

[Chalula88]

I received a request for a full and partial manuscript about two months ago and sent both out very promptly. I have since heard nothing from either agent. Both of their websites state that the writer should hear back within the month unless it is a particularly hard decision.

I emailed both and just asked about the standing of the manuscript and whether they had had a chance to look at it and never heard back. This was about a week and a half ago.

Is this normal? Both claim they give constructive criticism, but is it possible this is their way of rejecting it? Or do I just need to be more patient?

[Bealeblast]

Of course there's no way to know, and the most likely thing is they are still considering it and if that's so it's a good thing, maybe more than one person is reading it (2-4 months is nothing I found) and they will eventually get back to you with some word...but it's best to be forewarned about the few bad apples....unfortunately there appear to be those agents who request fulls, even ask for exclusives, and then never respond. I've had that happen 2X. With Queries of course, at least half go out into the ozone never responded to, but frankly I don't mind that anymore.

I suppose it's still a minority of agents who don't get back after requesting all or part of your MS but when it happens to you, you can start feeling like it's ALL agents...even though it isn't. Certainly those few who do make all look bad...same as any profession.

And quite honestly, I would say that the majority I've dealt with get back within 1-2 mos.

Just thought you should hear one person's experience....

[ORION]

Two months is not very long. You've already sent an email inquiry about the status so leave it alone. When I sent out requested partials and fulls I made sure they got there and then forgot about them. There was never a time I did not hear after I sent a FULL but the time varied. I think that if you are sure they got it - then keep on writing and querying and forget about it.

[wombat]

then keep on writing and querying and forget about it.

Absolutely.

Someone who requests part or all of a ms. and then ignores your email is not someone you want to work with anyway. So no great loss.

[ORION]

The real concern is making sure they actually got it. If they didn't they would have probably replied to your email but remember this past week was the Frankfurt book fair so many agents and editors were busy making deals...

[rwam]

Tis all part of the growth process. I've got 4 fulls out right now. 2 of them since July, one from September and the other from beginning of October. I know all 4 arrived at the agencies, but aside from that....nothing. My advice is to spend your time querying more agents while working on your next wip.

Congrats on the requests and enjoy this time of hope!

[lkp]

I had a really weird non-response story.

I sent an e-mail query and the next day was asked for a full. I sent it, and then I went away for about ten days. My autoresponder was not working, and the last week of the trip, I wasn't on e-mail. I arrived home to a message from the agent telling me she was half way through, really loved it, wanted to call me at the end of the week, and wanted to know if other agents had the full. I wrote back that night saying how pleased I was, apologized for not getting back sooner etc.

Never heard a word. I wrote again about a month later, fearing my e-mail had been eaten by a spam detector. Not a word. Wrote again, just out of courtesy after I had been offered representation. Not a word. (And man, you want to get an agent to return your e-mails fast? Just tell them another agent has offered representation. Everyone but her got back to me within, tops, ten minutes. I felt special.)

So was she mad I didn't get back to her right away? Was she put off that others had the full? Has she been run over by a bus? Did she privately decide that the last three chapters were so awful, she didn't want to infect her outbox by writing to me? Don't know.

[joyce]

Not that this will help, but I just heard back from a partial I had sent out the end of April. I figured it was lost in the mail or the agent hated it. It was a rejection but at least they got back to me six months later.

[Chalula88]

Thanks guys. It helps to hear some other people's stories. I just find it odd that I haven't heard back from either agency. I hope the ms got there! I can't see how it could have possibly gotten lost for both of them since they aren't even in the same state....hopefully they will let me know if that was the case.

[speirbhean]

I got a request from a publisher for a full in FEBRUARY and havent heard back yet. I mailed the original reader who sent me a prompt, polite, all round lovely email saying she had read it and passed it on to the editorial team. Since then... nothing. I've since received a request from an agent who also looked for a full, and asked if it was exclusive. So today, following lots of reading on this board (thanks Nathan Super Agent) I sent a polite email to publisher one asking her if she'd read my MS, and, if she was going to pass, to let me know so I could keep submitting. Of course now I've convinced myself that she was hemming and hawing and will pass because of my unsolicited mail but at least I should know my fate fairly soon!!!