Follow up on Submission

cowboy · Jul 14, 2006

An associate referred me to Editorial Director of an imprint of
Simon & Scuster. E.D. liked my query and requested complete manuscript via snail mail. Acc. to post office, manuscript was received May 30.

I would like to know if it is too soon to politely query about status of review--if it is yet too soon, time frame?

Cowboy.

Lauri B · Jul 14, 2006

It's definitely too early to query. Give the ED at least until the end of July, and maybe even mid-August. People go on vacation, there are other priorities, the ED may not have received the manuscript on his/her desk for a week or more after it was received by S&S, etc., so there's a good chance the ED has only had the manuscript for a week or so. I would wait at least 3 months before checking in.

popmuze · Jul 14, 2006

And once the three month mark comes and goes, how do you go about checking in without inspiring an immediate rejection?

Or, let's say you check in with a pleasant email, but another month goes by with no response?

Is it possible an editor who requested your full manuscript (and then wrote you an immediate email saying how anxious he was to dive into it)
would then not have the courtesy to reject it (even with a form letter)?

At what point would it be appropriate to storm his office?

jchines · Jul 14, 2006

Definitely too early. We turned in my latest book on June 1, and when I chatted with my editor this week, she said it would be at least a few more weeks before she would have time to catch up. I would say 3 months minimum before a query, and then just a polite e-mail to check in.

And believe me, I sympathize with the need to know. A part of me wants to run to New York, clear off my editor's desk, and say, "Will you please just take a few hours to read the d*** thing already???"

Lauri B · Jul 14, 2006

You could drop a polite email after about 3 months, just to check in. If you're going to get rejected, you're going to get rejected. You checking in to see if he's read it has no bearing on that. What a silly decision that would be for someone in the business of buying good manuscripts: "Humph. That guy emailed me to ask about his manuscript. Although I love it, I think I'll reject him for bothering me." Good luck to you--we'll all keep our fingers crossed.

Kristen King · Jul 14, 2006

You might check the Do Agents Ever... thread for some more commiseration and a few other tips.

Kristen

cowboy · Jul 14, 2006

follow up to submission

It all makes sense. You folks rock! Will keep you updated.

Cowboy.

Silverhand · Jul 14, 2006

Let me ask this, if it is okay to query after 90 days, would it also be fair to query after....180 days....240 days...360 days?

I submitted my manuscript to a notable publisher, and after 5 months of hearing nothing, sent them a email. They responded with the fact that my novel had not been reviewed.

Now, it has been another 4 months, and I have still not heard anything. I dont wish to pressure them, but come on 9 months is getting a little bit ridiculous isn't it?

Please help

Kristen King · Jul 15, 2006

Silverhand said:
Let me ask this, if it is okay to query after 90 days, would it also be fair to query after....180 days....240 days...360 days?

I submitted my manuscript to a notable publisher, and after 5 months of hearing nothing, sent them a email. They responded with the fact that my novel had not been reviewed.

Now, it has been another 4 months, and I have still not heard anything. I dont wish to pressure them, but come on 9 months is getting a little bit ridiculous isn't it?

Well you wouldn't want to harass them, but it does seem odd that you haven't heard from them yet. What is their stated response time? I would probably start the clock at the last contact you had from them and go from there.

Kristen

sportscribe · Jul 15, 2006

closure

I feel your pain. Even a dreaded rejection letter would provide you closure.

Alas, publishing, at times, is a slow business.

Unless, of course, you're literary agent Kristin Nelson's latest client. Nelson submitted the manuscript on Monday and received an offer on Friday.

Now that's enthusiasm.

jjblue · Jul 16, 2006

Nine months? Yikes! Some publishers state turnover times beyond six months. I get itchy after two weeks--'tis cruelty, waiting for word about our words--

Silverhand · Jul 17, 2006

Night Shade Press is the house I am referring too, and people have said they are severely backed up.

I also don't mean to harrass them.

When I was mentioning 180,270,360 it was more of a could you concievably inquiry with them again, after 90 days with one of those.

Lauri B · Jul 17, 2006

I don't think you've harassed them at all. I think it's probably time to look for another publisher. You may very well get an offer from Night Shade, but if they haven't bothered to take a look after 9 months it doesn't sound like theyare desperately looking for manuscripts. If they have read your manuscript and are still thinking about it, they obviously aren't in love with it (or they would already have made an offer). So keep them in your back pocket and submit other places. If you get an offer from someone else you can contact them and see what they want to do about it.
Good luck!

Kristen King · Jul 17, 2006

Sorry, Silverhand, I didn't mean to be all, "Ooo-ooo-ooo, you're a harasser!" I was going more for dry humor. Note to self: Work on dry humor. :]

Kristen

popmuze · Jul 17, 2006

Nomad said:
I don't think you've harassed them at all. I think it's probably time to look for another publisher. You may very well get an offer from Night Shade, but if they haven't bothered to take a look after 9 months it doesn't sound like theyare desperately looking for manuscripts. If they have read your manuscript and are still thinking about it, they obviously aren't in love with it (or they would already have made an offer). So keep them in your back pocket and submit other places. If you get an offer from someone else you can contact them and see what they want to do about it.
Good luck!

Is it typical for some publishers to not respond at all, rather than send you a rejection? I thought only agents did this.

Kristen King · Jul 17, 2006

popmuze said:
Is it typical for some publishers to not respond at all, rather than send you a rejection? I thought only agents did this.

It's typical for people to forget things they're supposed to do or to get distracted and think they did it even though they didn't or to simply lose sight of proper etiquette in certain situations even though they know better. It's not necessarily an agent thing or a publisher thing. It's just a thing that happens sometimes.

Kristen

Lauri B · Jul 18, 2006

It happens a lot, actually. If you didn't include a SASE, forget it. But even if you did, the envelope could have been separated from the manuscript somehow, which also means forget it. Or an editor just forgot to tell you he or she rejected it (which is Kristen's point). Things happen, people make mistakes and overlook things. I would say that the best bet is to move on at this point and see what happens at another publisher.

popmuze · Jul 18, 2006

In order to avoid the appearance of simultaneous submissions, what would the protocal be, after waiting for six months with no response--and no response to follow ups? A note to the editor saying "I haven't heard from you, so I'm submitting my manuscript to another house. Feel free to find it in your stacks and accept it immediately--or not.????" Or just submit elsewhere and forget about protocol?

Lauri B · Jul 18, 2006

Don't bother sending a note to the editor. They haven't bothered to respond to you. Just move on.

Kristen King · Jul 18, 2006

And if they do come back to you just after you've signed a contract on your first two-book deal and say, "Hey, this looks great," you can say, "Thanks! It'll be on the shelves in Fall 2007. Would you like me to send you an ARC when they're ready?" ;]

Okay, don't actually do that.

Kristen

jchines · Jul 18, 2006

If you do get a deal elsewhere, though, do send a note to the first publisher formally withdrawing the manuscript from consideration. Just because they haven't gotten back to you in a reasonable time is no reason for disrespect on your part.

Lauri B · Jul 19, 2006

actually, if it's unsolicited, they spent more than 6 months doing nothing with it, haven't acknowledged it or any of his emails, I wouldn't bother writing them to tell them the book has been picked up by someone else, unless you really, really want your book published by them and then you can tell them that you've had an offer made and this is their last chance.

jchines · Jul 19, 2006

Your choice, of course.

I did this myself. I sent a note withdrawing the sub. Unfortunately, they lost it. 2+ years later, they offered to buy the book. Lukcy, me, I got to tell one of the top editors in my genre, who had spent many hours reviewing the manuscript and preparing his offer, that he had wasted his time.

I don't think I did anything wrong in this case, but it's not a fun situation to be in, and I wouldn't take the chance.

Lauri B · Jul 19, 2006

Did anything wrong? No way! Shame on the publisher--were you in contact with them during this time or anything? I wouldn't hold on to a book for two years and assume it hadn't already been picked up; that's nuts. You were great to be polite and professional, jchines.

popmuze · Jul 19, 2006

In my case, the manuscript was solicited. Ie. the editor said, thanks for thinking of me. Email it right over.
A few days later he said he was looking forward to diving into the book.
At the 12 week mark I sent an email politely requesting an update and heard nothing back.
Now I'm approaching the 18 week mark. I did do some research, however, to make sure this editor is still employed.
Usually editors don't leave their jobs until after they sign up my books.

Follow up on Submission

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