So let's say you queried...

JetFueledCar · Aug 30, 2015

...then realized the book wasn't ready to be queried, stopped querying, only then you had a new book, totally ready to be queried, that's perfect for a different agent at an agency you queried the first book at. Suppose also that you never heard back from the other agent about the first project but you're sure it's a no because it's just a bad book. Could you email the first agent, say "I'm withdrawing this", then query the other agent at that agency about the new book? Or do you just wait and wait and wait until the old query has gone stale and been forgotten, then query the new book with the new agent?

ElaineA · Aug 30, 2015

How long has the other agent had the query? And what do you know about their "reply" tendency? Is this agent who has your old bad book a "no response means no" agent?

JetFueledCar · Aug 30, 2015

ElaineA said:
How long has the other agent had the query? And what do you know about their "reply" tendency? Is this agent who has your old bad book a "no response means no" agent?

Well... there's two of them. One... says they'll respond within two weeks if interested, and I can query a different thing after that if not. That agent got the bad book a month ago, so they're good to go (once I write a frigging synopsis, I hate this part). The other is also a "no response means no" agency with a wait time of 6-8 weeks. They've had it for seven and a half weeks. And I'm querying someone else in the agency and they do have separate emails. So should I think I'm good to send it again, or wait a few more days so it's been a full eight weeks? I know they won't say yes, it's a bad book with a bad query and it's way under the needed word count for my genre.

Loverofwords · Aug 30, 2015

For the agency that responds 6-8 weeks, I think you should wait a little over 8 or 9 weeks. I've read that you don't want the agents to feel like you're bombarding them with stories. Of course you don't have to do this, but that's just what I've read.

JetFueledCar · Aug 30, 2015

Loverofwords said:
For the agency that responds 6-8 weeks, I think you should wait a little over 8 or 9 weeks. I've read that you don't want the agents to feel like you're bombarding them with stories. Of course you don't have to do this, but that's just what I've read.

That's so frustrating, because that's the agent who makes me go YES YOU WOULD LOVE MY BOOK. The other one wants a synopsis too, which I've been putting off...

ElaineA · Aug 30, 2015

Here's an "if I were and agent" answer, which means all of jack you-know-what because I'm not and have never experienced first hand what an agent's work life is like, but 8 weeks isn't that long, and I'd think you wouldn't want to be one of the "pesky" ones. They're out there. I've seen agents complain about them. The serial subbers. The agent won't know you've had a moment of enlightenment, they'll only know, hey...haven't I seen this name before attached to a [fill-in-the-blank] query? Which isn't to say you shouldn't query your new work, only that maybe show a bit more patience.

I know it's hard. I'm in a complete holding pattern on my querying just when I was getting started and it's crazy-making. But this business is often about the long view, and if I were in your shoes I'd give it another 4 weeks beyond the 8. Alternately, I'd move this question to the Ask Agent forum and see if Mandy or Janet or Jennifer come by and offer an actual agent's insight.

JetFueledCar · Aug 30, 2015

ElaineA said:
Here's an "if I were and agent" answer, which means all of jack you-know-what because I'm not and have never experienced first hand what an agent's work life is like, but 8 weeks isn't that long, and I'd think you wouldn't want to be one of the "pesky" ones. They're out there. I've seen agents complain about them. The serial subbers. The agent won't know you've had a moment of enlightenment, they'll only know, hey...haven't I seen this name before attached to a [fill-in-the-blank] query? Which isn't to say you shouldn't query your new work, only that maybe show a bit more patience.

I know it's hard. I'm in a complete holding pattern on my querying just when I was getting started and it's crazy-making. But this business is often about the long view, and if I were in your shoes I'd give it another 4 weeks beyond the 8. Alternately, I'd move this question to the Ask Agent forum and see if Mandy or Janet or Jennifer come by and offer an actual agent's insight.

Thanks. That'll give me time to do more edits, I suppose. And come up with a synopsis I don't hate... *sighs*

Jamesaritchie · Aug 30, 2015

Patience really is a virtue, and all most writers get from rushing things is exhausted.

Sage · Aug 30, 2015

Sending to Ask the Agent, which is where these types of threads usually go.

Anna Spargo-Ryan · Aug 30, 2015

I'm interested in how long you've spent on this second book. If the queries have only been out for <2 months, and since then you've got a new book to send, how sure are you that the subsequent book is finished?

KVL · Aug 31, 2015

JetFueledCar said:
Or do you just wait and wait and wait until the old query has gone stale and been forgotten, then query the new book with the new agent?

I think stepping away from a book you've just completed is important, so I'd say don't jump the gun. Try writing something completely different for 2-3 weeks. Work on your new query, take time to polish the synopsis. Getting some distance will help you self-edit with a more critical eye. You aren't going to lose anything by taking extra time before subbing.

I've also seen agents complain about seeing a writer turn around and sub something else. I had something else ready to go a week after I stopped querying my last novel (due to a combination of focusing on a new project plus having set aside several novels since I'd temporarily been under a ROFR for a different publisher). Since I didn't want to be a pest to agents, I wound up selling it directly to a publisher. So that's an option, obviously depending on genre, personal goals, etc (and don't query agents and publishers at the same time). Good luck!

So let's say you queried...

JetFueledCar

tiny hedgehog

ElaineA

All about that action, boss.

JetFueledCar

tiny hedgehog

Loverofwords

JetFueledCar

tiny hedgehog

ElaineA

All about that action, boss.

JetFueledCar

tiny hedgehog

Jamesaritchie

Sage

Supreme Guessinator

Anna Spargo-Ryan

Just pokin' about

KVL