For the agented - how many rejections?

I didn't try to get an agent. I went straight to the publishers and got my first book accepted by the third one.

*opens up trusty spreadsheet*

I got an agent very quickly...on my second novel. On my first novel, I queried 133 agents from the beginning of April through the end of October. I had about 30 requests for partials and fulls, including 46 no responses. In fact, technically, I still have a partial out there (since April) but the agent hasn't responded to any of my followups since June. Got that latest reject on that novel just this weekend which made me smile - it came in the mail the same day as my contract.

So yeah, a LOT of rejections on the first novel. A lot. More than enough. A disheartening amount. And a dozen or so on the second novel as well.

You just have to keep plugging.

First Book--48 agent rejections.

Second Book--the 16th agent took me on.

Tri

I queried about 25 agents over a period of two weeks. I started with my top choices that didn't require a synopsis (since I hadn't written one yet).

I received about five nice form rejections. My sixth response was a request for a full and then an offer of representation, which I accepted.

Good luck! Hope the new year brings you an agent.

Let's see. I submitted my first book directly to one publisher a few years ago and got rejected. I submitted my second book to a dozen or so agents and got rejected on all. My third book I submitted to maybe 20 or so agents and got rejected on all. (With partial and full requests for both 1 and 2.) Then my fourth completed adult novel I started querying in February of this year. I got a bunch of partial and full requests and ultimately two offers of representation, but even then I got my fair share of rejections. I'd say 2/3 to 3/4 of the queries for this one ultimately ended in rejection.

Moral of the story though is that it only takes one yes!!!

I'm kind of similar to Blondchen - I racked up 30+ rejections on my first novel to query(some very close calls and rewrites) and less than ten on my next, before signing with an agent.

I have my stats written down somewhere, but I can't find that sheet, so I'm going to ballpark these numbers. (And these aren't the first, second and third novels I wrote, just the ones I queried) First novel--around forty-fifty rejections. Second--closer to forty, but with many close calls. Third novel--nine before I received an offer.

My record is very like some others here.

At least 45+ rejections on my first novel.
3 on my second before an offer of representation.

For my first novel:

38 queries, 19 query rejections, 7 requests, off requests-6 rejections, 1 offer that came in conjunction with the 2nd book and after I received an offer for the 2nd book

For my second book:

17 queries, 5 query rejections, 7 requests, 3 offers of representation

I sent around 70 or so starting in Feb of '08 and by the end of July I had an agent. Funny thing, though - somewhere in the middle somebody read my MS and informed me that I was querying under the wrong genre. I was like, "Wazzat, again? Suuuper." So I switched my genre to YA and started querying appropriately. A trickle of agent interest turned into a surge. I had 4 fulls out at once but accepted the first offer (which out of the litter suited me best).

Tricky venture, querying.

My first novel got about 40ish rejections.

For my second novel, I pitched and queried about 100 agents. The very first one I pitched offered but not until I'd racked up around 40 rejections.

is it naive to think that I'll find an agent for my first novel?? It happens, right?

bocabum - No, it isn't naive at all. I hear of it happening. But for me, my first novel wasn't all that great. It took me writing that first book to figure out how to write a whole lot better. I think that for a lot of writers, their best work isn't their first novel. But that's certainly not always the case, and I've heard of writers getting an agent with their first.

I think there are a lot of writers just here on AW who sold their first novel, or the first novel they queried. It's not that uncommon and definitely not naive. Hell, I expected to sell my first one... And maybe I still will one day!

bocabum said:

is it naive to think that I'll find an agent for my first novel?? It happens, right?

Click to expand...

No way! My first novel got me my agent. It definitely happens.

bocabum- I got an agent for my first novel. Stats are 38 queries, 4 fulls, 3 partials and I accepted an offer from my dream agent.

Thanks for posing the question Red.Ink.Rain and to everyone who posted the numbers. It is nice to have realistic expectations and hope all at the same time. Based on these responses my two full out rejections so far don't sting quite as much!

I guess I will need to rack up at least 20-40 Rs before I earn my querying experience points. *sigh*

Not necessarily! A friend of mine queried 3 agents and had signed with #3 before a week was out. You just never know.

probably about 100, agents and editors included...

and bocab, i also sold my first written novel.
i'm not sure how that happened, but it did.
haha!

/bootay shake!

First book: 140 queries. No agent.
Second book: 1 query. Got agent.

OMG, I should not have clicked on this thread. I am so depressed now. I just realized how much I must suck.

Note to self: find new hobby or take up TV-watching.

Ink, I recommend TV-watching.

This is a half baked question. It seems that those writers who've posted here (or elsewhere) with a "I received offer of rep" got that offer within a week or less, days. That might be an exaggeration, but it seems that an offer of rep more often than not comes quickly on the heels of full requst. Can anyone who has an agent now, who's gotten one recently, try and respond to this? How long from the point of full request did your current agent contact with offer of represenation? Anyone a few months? If you could respond, please!