Maestro, honestly, I've sent out just under twenty queries (some with synopsis and partials, depending on individual requirements), all of them to agents. Half have yet to reply. Of the the half that did reply: eight form rejections with no details, and two requests (one for the full monty, the other for the first fifty).
I've just started and I am in it for the long haul. I'm not getting impatient and I don't expect to strike literary gold right out of the gate, but there has to be a point where you realize things won't work out for this particular story.
To answer your question, my betas liked what they read. The three that mattered the most had very favorable replies, including the one who was never crazy about the stuff I wrote before. I took their criticisms to heart and made a few corrections based on their suggestions (one beta is a well-read cop, and since my novel is a crime story, I figured he knew better than I). But though I appreciate their invaluable help, betas don't sell novels.
I'm not panicking yet after a measely twenty queries. I have another ten I can prepare shortly, and I can come up with another twenty contacts if need be. I just like being prepared and I don't like wasting my time (and hope), so I thought I'd ask how many queries some of you send before deciding to move on and scratching this one up to experience.
And, before another of you suggests so, yes, I'm already working on the next project.
