MS request, how long does it take to read?

Drachen Jager · Mar 30, 2010

I've had two manuscripts out for a month now (one partial, one full) with no word from either agency. I know in one case (partial) a slush pile reader is going over it first before it's seen by agent eyes.

How long does this process take? In the case of the partial they answered my query with a MS request within 24 hours.

Is it a good thing that they've been out for over a month? I presume rejections are faster than accepted manuscripts...

I'm starting to get stressed and I've been querying some more agencies in the last couple of weeks because I'm getting impatient.

Wayne K · Mar 30, 2010

You can check their website for response time. In my experience, they can take from a day to six months. Unless someone asked for an exclusive read, I'd say keep querying

thothguard51 · Mar 30, 2010

A month is not a long time in this business. I have had one out now for four months and their website says 4-6 months, so I could have two more months to go.

Agents and Editors live and work in a different time system than you or I. They also do not owe us any response unless they want to rep you, or buy your work. Mostly, even after a full read, you might get nothing more than a generic thanks but no thanks form reply.

Just keep working on something else, and keep submitting.

cate townsend · Mar 30, 2010

Follow the advice above. Two agents had my full for a year before responding. Unless they gave you a range of when they'd get back to you, check in with them after three months. Good luck!

stormie · Mar 30, 2010

Remember: agents have to be there for their clients first. Then they read the fulls that they requested, then the queries which are dead last on their list.

As others said, you could hear back from them anywhere from a day (happened to me) to six months (that also happened to me) to a year. And either way it could be a positive response or a negative.

Keep writing, keep sending queries. Unless it's an exclusive, then just keep writing.

waylander · Mar 30, 2010

What they said.
Could be anything up to a year.
Keep writing and keep sending out queries

Drachen Jager · Mar 30, 2010

Thanks for the feedback. I guess I wait and keep querying.

Danthia · Mar 31, 2010

Also remember that Bolonga is going on now (huge industry trade show in Italy) and they could either be there now, and spent a lot of time getting ready to go when your work came in. A lot of business goes on there and agents have to get ready, which takes time.

Libbie · Mar 31, 2010

Unless you have agreed to an exclusive read, absolutely keep querying. How long it takes will depend on too many factors to list. It will even vary among individual agents based on what's going on in their lives.

MS request, how long does it take to read?

Drachen Jager

Professor of applied misanthropy

Wayne K

thothguard51

A Gentleman of a refined age...

cate townsend

stormie

storm central

waylander

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Drachen Jager

Professor of applied misanthropy

Danthia

Libbie

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