Fox Literary Agency (Diana Fox)

brightly,

There's no cure for waiting on queries except to try to focus on the next project (I'm giving this advice, but I also stalk my email looking for responses just like everyone else). Agents have busy times like anyone else. They might be working on several deals for current clients, attending conventions/conferences back-to-back, or dealing with the same personal issues everyone else has (family, illness, moving, holidays).

When an agent is busy, queries fall to very low priority status, which is appropriate for the profession - but agonizing for the aspiring writer. Hang in there!

Sage, your patience verges on sainthood. That is all.

I agree with Bethany. I dub thee a saint. You are amazing.

Sweet fancy Moses, Sage, my head would have exploded by now. I'm sorry it didn't work out after all that waiting.

Ack, Sage that sucks so hard. I was hoping she'd have an intern by now to help cut back on waits like these.

Adding my vote to Sage's canonization.

She's had my MS since April. Sooooo, I guess I should dig in for the long haul, then? I'm fine with it. She really seems like a great agent.

I noticed she'd been answering a lot of recent ones. Mine will have been out for three months soon, but since Annarkie waited for about four, I'll have to be patient!

I sent her a query at approximately 8:30 pm EST tonight. At 10:30 pm EST I received a form rejection.

After three months with my query, Diana sent me a slightly personalized rejection. She said if I don't find representation for this one, I should consider her for other books. I'm thinking that "don't find representation for this one" bit is more than likely at this point, Diana...

I just saw this thread. I sent her a query in early Nov 2008. I received a polite rejection late Nov 2008. Then I received another rejection on the last day of 2008...with an apology for being so slow. I giggled. I've never been rejected twice on the same query. I'm betting she was SWAMPED at the time.

Ms. Fox seems to be playing catch-up right now, but moving more quickly with new queries.

Sent query on 6/30
Rejected on 7/2

She's in my top ten for quickest response.

So if she's doing more recent queries, should I just consider mine a no? I mean, it's from May sometime and she hasn't answered so...

Beckstah said:

After three months with my query, Diana sent me a slightly personalized rejection. She said if I don't find representation for this one, I should consider her for other books.

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I was just going to post to this thread to ask whether the "if you don't find representation for this, consider me for other books in the future" rejection was a form one.

Queen of Swords said:

I was just going to post to this thread to ask whether the "if you don't find representation for this, consider me for other books in the future" rejection was a form one.

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It's not quite form - according to QueryTracker, that line isn't included most of the time.

Form letter

I don't think it's form. It wasn't in my rejection Mine said
"I encourage you to continue to submit elsewhere, and I wish you every success in your writing career. Thanks again for thinking of me." But, she sent the rejection on 4th of July and I was really impressed with that. (I e-mailed her the query on 6/22/10)

brightlyiburn said:

So if she's doing more recent queries, should I just consider mine a no? I mean, it's from May sometime and she hasn't answered so...

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I wouldn't give up just yet-- agents don't always answer queries in the order they're received in . I'm also a May querier, and I'm assuming (hoping!) my query's just in a 'maybe' pile that she's yet to revisit. Hopefully the same goes for yours!

Also, Diana has even said (on this thread, I believe) that she often puts queries aside for further consideration-- limiting full requests when she knows she's not going to have time to read them-- as a way to dig herself out when she gets behind.

Hopefully we'll both hear something soon.

My 1st query to her got lost in cyberspace, but in retrospect I guess that's a good thing 'cuz the word count was too low then.
But she got my 2nd query and requested a full. I'm so glad that I did requery after 3 months. She's my dream agent.

Sage said:

I agree. Either she's still considering it, or she never got it. She is not a non-responder

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ITA. As far as I know, she responds to all subs.

I pitched her in person recently. She's very personable and friendly and if she's interested, she asks a lot of fact-finding questions. I was extremely glad I got a chance to pitch her my story. Not just that she reps my genre, she seems to take quite a serious interest and I think she would definitely work her tail off for you.

Queried her a couple weeks back. Keeping fingers and toes crossed.

She passed on my full last Thursday. The reason she read it so fast was because I'd received 2 offers of rep. She did, however, say she believes it will sell.

If this helps anyone waiting, I queried her in Feburary and got a full request yesterday.

JustLaurie said:

If this helps anyone waiting, I queried her in Feburary and got a full request yesterday.

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Good luck!