Less than 2% of manuscripts published.

I swear I'm not a pessimist, I swear. But see, I have the exact opposite concern. I have images in my head of agents talking together with their friends and someone mentioning a query and their friends laughing and saying, "Oh, I got that one, too. Wasn't it hilarious?" Though, to alleviate said concern, I also imagine they get so many bad queries they wouldn't be all that likely to talk about them outside of work. And granted, I think I've got a pretty darn good query at the moment. This is the insecure I'm about to start querying Kaitie speaking.

I have heard of agents making recommendations, though, so that definitely does happen. I actually enjoy reading about things like Barbara Poelle and Janet Reid having a sort of rivalry going on. That kind of thing for some reason comforts me more than anything else.

I'm going to go sing to some fun music now and stop worrying.

Gary Clarke said:

I have to say, I think that's highly unlikely to happen. I suspect that for most agents if your query doesn't fit into thier genre they won't even read the sub. They've so little time, and I doubt they'd spend much of it trying to set up other agents with clients :0)

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I CAN DREAM! LET ME DREAM!

Beari, can I come and dream with you? We can be delusional together!

bearilou said:

Not that I have any experience in this but I would also think, as many agents know and talk to each other apparently quite regularly, that if an agent loves your book but it isn't something they'd represent but they have a friend-agent who does, they'd be more inclined to suggest you talk to them and even make the extra effort to let their friend-agent know you're heading their way.

Or that's how I like to believe it might work in my world.

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Recommendations are less likely to happen with queries than with manuscripts. With queries, they're more likely to reject it and be done (but that doesn't mean your example never happens, it's quite possible it may).

I signed with my agent through a referral, but both agents repped the same genre, and she had my full manuscript to pass along to the agent she thought would be interested (and he was).

bearilou said:

I CAN DREAM! LET ME DREAM!

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Oh No! Don't get down! It definitely does happen that agents would pass a client to another more suitable agent. But as Titan says , it usually happens with manuscripts, not queries. An agent is really very unlikely to go ahead and read your work if it doesn't fit their genre. Unless you have a bloody mindblowing query, you are just so much better off targeting agents that do rep your genre then taking a chance on ones who don't.

kaitie said:

Beari, can I come and dream with you? We can be delusional together!

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*makes a comfortable nest for everyone who wants to join*

Gary Clarke said:

Oh No! Don't get down! It definitely does happen that agents would pass a client to another more suitable agent. But as Titan says , it usually happens with manuscripts, not queries. An agent is really very unlikely to go ahead and read your work if it doesn't fit their genre. Unless you have a bloody mindblowing query, you are just so much better off targeting agents that do rep your genre then taking a chance on ones who don't.

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*g* not a problem. I jest, mostly. My feet are firmly on the ground. Sometimes. Kind of.

bearilou said:

*makes a comfortable nest for everyone who wants to join*

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Woohoo. We can make it a party! I'll bring the popcorn.

I had two queries, for 2 different novels passed on to other agents, one to an agent in the same house, and one to someone from a different agency. Both resulted in partial requests. I only knew they'd been passed on because the agents requesting the partials told me so.

bearilou said:

I CAN DREAM! LET ME DREAM!

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No.

caw