How long do you give it for queries?

The_Ink_Goddess · Jan 26, 2014

This is probably just a nonsense thread of 1/2 Beth whining and 1/2 general questions.

I started querying a week ago (exciting). Don't worry, I've read the book so many times that I can pretty much recite it, had it beta'd, read it again and again. Query is QLH-verified.

I also got a full request from an amazing agency within like two hours (yaaaaay!). Now, I'm fully aware that this is probably just me empty-stressing because I find querying weird and stressful, but, as a lot of the great agencies I queried are no-response-means-no, I started thinking things like, "If star agency #1 can reply within hours, why can't X and Y and Z?" Now I know that's ridiculous, because of course any number of arbitrary factors can intervene, maybe the agent I queried was at lunch, etc. etc. There are thousands, and it's not important.

But this led me wondering another thing. So many agencies say give it 8 weeks. Do you take this as face value, or, within a certain period of time, do you think they're probably not interested? How long?

mayqueen · Jan 26, 2014

You might find this thread about no-response-means-no helpful. It takes as long as it takes. Check the agent's guidelines. If they give a time period ("assume it's a pass after eight weeks"), note that. You might also consider subscribing to QueryTracker (although that can make it worse).

For my sanity, I've started assuming it's a pass the second after I send it. (For record-keeping, though, I give it three months.)

In the meantime, start working on something new. If you try to figure out who responds when and why, you'll drive yourself bonkers.

Jamesaritchie · Jan 26, 2014

Double whatever the guidelines say. If nothing about time or response is mentioned in the guidelines, I give it two or three months, and then inquire.

If it says no response means they aren't interested, I give it the same two or three months.

Patience really is a virtue, and it's best to occupy yourself by concentrating on writing a new book, not thinking about the old one, or any queries you have out. Things happen in their own good time, and you have no control over how long it takes. Concentrate on the things you can control, like burying yourself in your next project.

sheadakota · Jan 26, 2014

I got a request for a full almost two years after querying. The book was already published by then.

triceretops · Jan 26, 2014

I usually abide by the guidelines and then add a few weeks as a buffer. But in general, right around 3.5 months is when I'll send out a nudge. I won't repeat-nudge if I get no response.

tri

Jamesaritchie · Jan 26, 2014

sheadakota said:
I got a request for a full almost two years after querying. The book was already published by then.

That's why it's good to send out a letter of inquiry after two or three months.

hester · Jan 27, 2014

While everyone's mileage varies, I found that when I queried no-response-means-no agencies, I would hear back within a few hours to a few days if they were interested. I'm sure there are exceptions, but that was my experience. With regular responders, I generally kept the query "open" for three months (while obsessively checking querytracker for responses

).

Jamesaritchie · Jan 27, 2014

hester said:
While everyone's mileage varies, I found that when I queried no-response-means-no agencies, I would hear back within a few hours to a few days if they were interested. I'm sure there are exceptions, but that was my experience. With regular responders, I generally kept the query "open" for three months (while obsessively checking querytracker for responses ).

Yeah, it often happens that fast, but you have to allow for times when everything goes wrong. Like all of us, an agent can have a week, a month, or a year where absolutely nothing goes right.

Debbie V · Jan 27, 2014

I follow the time listed for non-responders. If no time is listed, I give them about three months or double the latest query tracker reports for positive responses.

Phaeal · Jan 28, 2014

My query responses varied from under five minutes to eternity (well, still counting years later, anyhow.)

For agencies that stated they were no-response, I'd just record sending the query, then forget about it. For others, I'd nudge after four-six months, then forget about it.

My sense, too, is that if they're interested, you'll hear sooner than later. I don't think I got any partial or full requests on queries more than two months "old."

mayqueen · Jan 28, 2014

I can't say how many were responders versus non-responders, but about half of the full requests I've gotten was at the 2-4 month mark.

Fuchsia Groan · Jan 28, 2014

Last time I queried (2011), my requests came anywhere from a week to months after the query. Now I'm querying again, I've heard almost nothing, and I keep hearing about people getting requests within 24 hours. So I'm trying to assume that every no response is an ultimate no, regardless of whether the agency is an eventual responder. I hope I'm just being pessimistic, but I read a thread (which I now can't find) that led me to believe the whole process had sped up.

jclarkdawe · Jan 28, 2014

Take a look at My Query Experiment and An experiment with a query

Your mileage will vary.

Best of luck,

Jim Clark-Dawe

JoyMC · Jan 29, 2014

Another one saying it's impossible to tell, but I will add that there is so much info out there from the Bewares board here to querytracker to just googling the agent and finding interviews with clients, that you can generally do research to get an idea on what the response-reality is for most agents.

But the best medicine is to forget about it and write the next thing.

Good luck!

Fuchsia Groan · Feb 1, 2014

jclarkdawe said:
Take a look at My Query Experiment and An experiment with a query

Your mileage will vary.

Best of luck,

Jim Clark-Dawe

Thanks, JCD! Yours is the thread I was thinking of, suggesting that no response probably does mean no after a week or so.

My experience last time was different, with requests arriving weeks to months after the query, but my sample size was also much, much smaller.

etherme · Feb 2, 2014

My experiences (like most) have been across the board: I've received queries back in a matter of days or sometimes months. The important thing (I eventually learned) is not to "hold out" for a specific agency--keep submitting. In my early years I was worried that "multiple agencies would be interested at the same time, and whatever would I do???" That's generally not the case...

How long do you give it for queries?

The_Ink_Goddess

we're gonna make it out of the fire

mayqueen

practical experience, FTW

Jamesaritchie

sheadakota

part of the human equation

triceretops

Jamesaritchie

hester

New year, new avatar.

Jamesaritchie

Debbie V

Mentoring Myself and Others

Phaeal

Whatever I did, I didn't do it.

mayqueen

practical experience, FTW

Fuchsia Groan

Becoming a laptop-human hybrid

jclarkdawe

Feeling lucky, Query?

JoyMC

Fuchsia Groan

Becoming a laptop-human hybrid

etherme

Making my own luck