Help!! Agent stuff...

I'm most certainly not the most experienced, but this industry requires a lot of patience. Simply put, just wait. There's really nothing more you can do besides send out more queries if you feel the need, wait for responses, and take the next step when an agent hopefully offers you representation. To find out if the agent is best for you, talk to their clients, research them, talk to them and ask questions to get a feel for them and how they're going to take care of your baby a.k.a. your manuscript.

Good luck!

Kristen Nelson has some very good thoughts on the subject on her blog. Its all about the agent call and if you have other agents reading. Found the post. Also, on the left hand side, she has a list of posts called Agenting 101- I highly recommend reading them all.

Jordy,
Breath.
Now toast. Clink. Excellent. Congrats and all.
1) Keep querying-presumably querying only agents you'd be happy to have rep you;
2) When one of these agents whom you'd be happy to have in your corner offers representation, take it.
3) If you have mutliple offers, talk to all the offering agents and choose one, with regrets to the other(s).

You'll be fine.

First, you should realize what a great response this is! It is not the usual experience to to have an agent at the top of your list requesting sample pages, and someone else reading a full, especially early in the query process. Congratulations!

I'd suggest this thread be moved to goals and accomplishments--both because it really is an accomplishment, and you might get more responses. (That thread, along with "rejection and dejection" are very active, with lots of people dealing with the same issues.)

I agree with what Horsehoes says above. I'd really stress doing thorough research before you query--and it sounds like you have.

Good luck!

Been there, done that, and am doing it all over again!

So:
Make up a list of questions you want to know from the agent. Do they submit to publishers smaller than say, Simon & Schuster. How do you keep in touch? Email? When would I expect to hear from you when I have a question. Will you send me a list of publishing houses and the editors you're submitting my ms. to? Will you send me copies of their rejections? Think of any questions not answered by perusing their website.

Don't jump at the first agent who offers representation. You can take a few days to get back to him/her. Not too long, though. A few days. If there are other agents looking at the full, contact them. Immediately. Tell them you're being offered rep, and if they are interested.

Do you have a list of your favorite agents? Have you visited their websites? Googled them? Even here you'll find discussions on various agents and agencies.

I wish you all the best!

Drink some chamomile tea, then inform yourself about the publication process, so you can make up a list of the questions you want to ask a potential agent. Elizabeth Lyon's The Sell Your Novel Toolkit is a good place to start -- she has pages of questions for agents, and why you should ask them.

Oh, and if you haven't already done this, concentrate on writing your next novel or a round of short stories or poems. Brooding on a single egg that's already gone out to market is a recipe for anxiety.

Same here, Jordygirl. So far it's been 3 form rejections and 1 request for the first 50 pages. Other than that, my inbox is empty. I'm afraid patience is just part of the process.

Thanks for mentioning that book, Phaeal.

Congrats! You're on the right path.

If I were you I'd keep querying. If another agent asks for the full you should offer to email it to them, mentioning that another agent has your manuscript as well. If they're really interested they might ask you to talk to them first, before you make any major decisions.

In the meantime, do your homework on these agents. If you haven't joined Publishers Marketplace, join for a month and check their deal histories. You can also look them up on the Bewares & Backgrounds on this site.

If you have multiple agents reading the full, DON'T jump at the first agent that offers. You have time on your side. You've waited this long, you can wait a week or two to choose between agents if you get multiple offers.

If you do get multiple offers of representation, ask for references. Ask to speak to a few authors on their roster. If you're really bored you can look at their clients' books at B&N and see how often they mention their agents in their acknowledgments.

If an agent offers representation, you'll have ample time to talk to them on the phone. Aside from the thrill of having someone like your work and want to represent you, ask them about your book. Do they envision major rewrites? Which editors/houses would they be sending the book to? Get to know them a bit. See if the chemistry is right. Is this a person you want representing you? Trust your gut.

Jamie's advice about subscribing to Publisher's Marketplace is excellent. My situation was a bit like yours. Last January, almost by return post I had two requests for material, and I realized I had not a clue how I'd judge between the two agents if they both wanted it. It was very illuminating.

Oh, and after many more queries, fulls, partials, revisions, rejections, etc. I finally signed with one of the two in September. So it can take a long time even if it feels like it is going to go quickly.