Right/Wrong time to Submit

[spikeman4444]

I have not submitted work to an agency in a few years, but I will be within the next six months. I know from my past experience that certain agents were closed to submissions during various months. For instance, I remember the holiday season most agencies were closed, and it seemed like the majority were also closed for a time in summer months. I had an agent request a full ms in November, and they ended up having to put it aside due to bad timing. If you finish a ms during a certain time of the year, is it wise to pick the correct month to submit? If so, what is the best time for submission in general??

[WeaselFire]

The best time is when your work is absolutely ready for publication. The worst time is any time before that.

Agents will close submissions at different times for different reasons. Some take time off when the kids are out of school. Some take time off for the holidays. Many will have delays in reading times. But there are other agents, and you just need to work around your agent list when sending out queries.

Jeff

[leahzero]

This question comes up all the time, and you can come up with a reason not to submit for every month of the year.

So, don't worry about it. Submit when you are ready. Just make sure the agent you're querying is currently open to queries. They will often mention on Twitter/their blog if they are going on extended holiday, or won't be getting to queries for a while.