Nudging dilemma

idempotent1729

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Thanks very much for any advice on the following situation:

Three months ago, two agents requested my full MS, the requests being separated in time by a week. Each agent knows that another is reading. Tomorrow is the three-month mark for the second requester, and I'm wondering if the time of nudging has come.

However, I don't want either agent to think I am nudging because the other rejected me (in case this might plant seeds of doubt in their minds). How long should I wait before sending a polite email to check in, and what would a good phrasing be (I don't think I should say, "Not that the other agent rejected me, but are you still interested in my MS?")? Do agents read/proceed differently when they know another is reading? Or have I overthought this into some kind of prisoner's dilemma?

Thank you!
 

turningpoint

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I would just be straight forward. No need to mention the other agent when nudging. Just send a nice email saying you are checking in and wondering if he or she has had a chance to look at your manuscript.
 

idempotent1729

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I would just be straight forward. No need to mention the other agent when nudging. Just send a nice email saying you are checking in and wondering if he or she has had a chance to look at your manuscript.

Thanks! Any thoughts as to when? Superstitiously, I feel I should wait (but how long?), but impatiently, I want to know. Since neither superstition nor impatience feels like a very rational motive, I am not sure which to go with!
 

idempotent1729

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Thanks! Any thoughts as to when? Superstitiously, I feel I should wait (but how long?), but impatiently, I want to know. Since neither superstition nor impatience feels like a very rational motive, I am not sure which to go with!

PS Your art on your website is quite beautiful! I love how natural/organic it looks.
 

turningpoint

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Thank you. I guess people seem to say 3 months. If the web pages of the agent say how long it will take them to get back to you, you could go by that.
 

Becca C.

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The agents probably won't remember that there's another agent reading. It's been 3 months, they'd probably forget. If you can't find the agent's average reading time on their site or anywhere else, you could nudge any time.
 

idempotent1729

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The agents probably won't remember that there's another agent reading. It's been 3 months, they'd probably forget. If you can't find the agent's average reading time on their site or anywhere else, you could nudge any time.

OK, this is a reasonable theory! Thanks to both of you. Maybe I'll let an extra week pass to make it well past the 3-mo mark of both, and then send a polite email...