Requerying?

My take on this is that it was a nice rejection. If he liked it enough to be genuinely interested, he would have called. If you send another query it might be borderline pestering. He may have been sincere in his comments, but just not felt strongly enough to sign you. We've all received rejection letters that make us say, 'well why the hell are you rejecting me then!'

However, if you wait long enough (one year or more maybe) he may not remember your first query and then decide, based on your rework (which you'll have no doubt perfected by then ), that he'd take you on.

If you did try again after a while, I'm not sure I'd mention that you'd queried before, even with the previous positive comments, as it might turn him off. Then again, your persistence might impress. That'd be a tough call.

I would say ask him. Write to him. Tell him you would love to work with him. Ask him if he would be prepared to take another look at the project in, say six months, when he might not be so busy. And tell him you will revise it in the meantime in the ways that he suggested (if he did).

What's the worst that can happen? He can only say no. And if he does then you will know where you stand with that agent and you can move on.

IMHO?
Don't waste time requerying. If an agent thinks a project is really hot they'll take it or hand it off to a colleague at the same agency. It really does sound like a form rejection actually...
as you weren't asked to send a full...

Next Batch of Queries -- How Long?

How long should one wait to send out another round of queries with a new letter (and new title)? Six Months?

PoppysInARow said:

Okay, so I sent one of my bad queries out, and got a response from an agent I really liked. He said he liked a lot of the points in my books, and that he thinks it's marketable, but he's too busy to accept it.

So, the question, should I requery?

Click to expand...

IMO this is just a polite form letter. I don't know of an agent who is too busy to pass on a manuscript which s/he thinks is good and marketable

I actually got a second look from a great agent who had rejected me (he still ultimately passed) by writing and explaining the changes I'd made, and asking if he'd be willing to give it another read. Shocked the hell out of me when he said yes.

For perspective, another agent replied to a similiar requery for that same book with a very short and sweet "no thanks." That wasn't a reworked query, though, it was a reworked manuscript. If you feel that it wasn't a form rejection--that he actually did like certain points in your book--then it wasn't a rejection based on your query. If it felt like a form--no specifics--wait a few months and try again with your good query.

Cool. Thanks.

Continue to query. If you don't get an agent, you can always re-query a year from now and see if his schedule is better. He may have just signed six new clients and can't take on any more without letting things slip. But if the book is good, chance are someone else will be interested as well.