How do you word a nudge email?

Did the agent acknowledge receipt? If not, that is the first thing to ask.
"Dear wonderful agent. On xx of xxx I sent you 'my fabulous book' as requested. Could you confirm that it was received."

For agents reading a full, six weeks is nothing. Three to six months is closer to the mark and despite what their website says I'd still be inclined to wait.

However if you feel you absolutely must I'd just send a short but polite one saying that you sent your manuscript titled XXX on such and such a date and they have now had it for six weeks. As per the guidelines on their website you are following up as you have not heard anything.

Does the agency have P and B in their initials by any chance?

I'd nudge after 6 if that is what the website says. Is it an exclusive?

I nudged after 4 to 6 months even if the wait time said otherwise. 6 weeks is nothing.
My nudge e-mails look like this:

Dear [agent name here]:

I hope you are doing well, and I am just verifying that you received the partial/full/however much you sent manuscript of [TITLE here] I sent on [Month, day]. Please let me know if you are still considering it.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Name Here

I've heard some agents say not to nudge until 3 months have passed, so that's what I go by. Unless it's an exclusive, but if it were, they should have told you how long the wait would be (presumably faster). Good luck!

SheilaJG said:

I've heard some agents say not to nudge until 3 months have passed, so that's what I go by.

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I go with the three-month nudge rule too, although in my experience some agents take much, much longer to come to a decision on a requested manuscript and some never reply at all (sadly). Here's how I worded a recent nudge email:

Dear Agent,

I hope you don't mind me emailing. I just wanted to check in with you to make sure you received my requested manuscript and to see whether it was still under consideration?

Many thanks for your time.

With best wishes,

Samara Jensen

Six weeks isn't long to wait on a full but, if their website says to nudge after that time and you can't wait any longer, I don't see the harm. In the meantime though, keep subbing to other agents!

Has anyone had a positive response from an agent after nudging? After I haven't heard back on a submission for a while, I assume it's a rejection, and that by nudging, I'll only get that rejection sooner.

I got a "Whoops, I have no record of receiving your full. Can you please resend?" after a nudge.


Of course I was all polite and patient and waited 6 months before I nudged. Next time when I send a full, I'll ask for confirmation of receipt.

I put "Client Check-in--Chris) in my subject line. Then:

"Hi, XXXXXX, just wondering if anything was popping on your end for XXXXXXX. Did you ever hear back from XXXXXX? It seems kind of slow out there, with vacations and such. I hope this letter finds you in good health and spirits.

Cheers,

Chris"

Something like that. Just a polite inquiry, with a little sympathy added.

tri

Yes, I received a positive e-mail (it had gotten buried in her inbox) and she'd get back to me soon. The agent ended up getting back to me a day later with revision notes. (I was expecting another 4 week wait, 1 day was a surprise!)

Smiley0501 said:

Yes, I received a positive e-mail (it had gotten buried in her inbox) and she'd get back to me soon. The agent ended up getting back to me a day later with revision notes. (I was expecting another 4 week wait, 1 day was a surprise!)

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Excellent! You're on your way!

cheers,

tri

Oh, that's cool! I guess there is a reason to nudge then.

I usually double the wait time posted before nudging. If I have no proof of receipt - some of my stuff goes the old fashioned way - I'll include a fresh copy of the manuscript.

Dear Agent:

At your request, I sent you a copy of x on date y. Since I have not heard from you, I'm wondering if the submission never arrived.

To refresh you memory, pitch here.

Please find enclosed x, for your convenience.

If I received confirmation, I'll just ask for an update on the status of x sent on y date. My e-mails use the subject line Status Query: x: Genre or age group. I write for children.

I once had a positive response on a nudge for a short story--I got an R&R that ended up leading to a sale. Woo!

Unless instructed otherwise, I tend to just hit reply on the previous e-mail trail (and of course leave all prior e-mails intact so they can easily confirm I'm not making things up). I figure that's the best way to keep it from ending up in spam.

Grover, I've signed and sold books that the author had to nudge me on. Stuff happens.

As for text, I always like this one:

Dear SlackerAssBonBonChewingTelenovellaWatchingAgent:

WTF Snookums?? You can't have anything better to do than read my Tome of Terror do you? Get with it.

If you run that through the Google translator WriterSpeak-->AgentSpeak you'll get this:

Dear Agent:
Thanks for requesting my manuscript Sharks Rule on 1/1/05. I'm emailing just to check in to see if you're still considering it.

Thanks for your time.

WriterDude

J.Reid said:

Dear SlackerAssBonBonChewingTelenovellaWatchingAgent:

WTF Snookums?? You can't have anything better to do than read my Tome of Terror do you? Get with it.

WriterDude

Click to expand...

*Copy > Paste > Send

(2 minutes of thumb-twiddling later)

WTF? Rejected? Why, why why?

J.Reid said:

Grover, I've signed and sold books that the author had to nudge me on. Stuff happens.

As for text, I always like this one:

Dear SlackerAssBonBonChewingTelenovellaWatchingAgent:

WTF Snookums?? You can't have anything better to do than read my Tome of Terror do you? Get with it.

Thanks for your time.

WriterDude

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And that from an agent!

I've got a full out with an agent who has no guidelines regarding this on his website. He's had it for about 7 weeks, and I was thinking that was a bad sign, until I read this thread.

I was going to nudge, but now I'm not sure...

Luprec said:

I've got a full out with an agent who has no guidelines regarding this on his website. He's had it for about 7 weeks, and I was thinking that was a bad sign, until I read this thread.

I was going to nudge, but now I'm not sure...

Click to expand...

Seven weeks isn't long in Agentland. The standard rule is to nudge at three months. If there are no other guidelines on the website, wait until three months to nudge.

Luprec said:

I've got a full out with an agent who has no guidelines regarding this on his website. He's had it for about 7 weeks, and I was thinking that was a bad sign, until I read this thread.

I was going to nudge, but now I'm not sure...

Click to expand...

Patience!

Yesterday, I received an email from an agent after NINE weeks of having my full. She's supposed to call this afternoon to discuss whether I'm willing to revise from romantic mystery to a thriller. Yes, I'll do that!

J.Reid said:

Dear SlackerAssBonBonChewingTelenovellaWatchingAgent:

WTF Snookums?? You can't have anything better to do than read my Tome of Terror do you? Get with it.

Click to expand...

Aw, you had to remind me? Ever since they took Abismo de Passion off the air, I've been in a deep depression.

But then you call me Snookums!

You rock. Here's a contract.