Re-submission etiquette

stumblebum · Oct 15, 2015

I've recently finished a major revision of a manuscript, based on feedback from a R&R, and I am preparing to start querying this manuscript once more.

I've also noticed that some agents state that you may re-submit rejected queries if certain criterion are met. (The manuscript has undergone a major revision, six months or more have passed since the previous submission, and so on.)

What I am wondering is if those agents were stating their own opinions, or restating some unspoken industry rule-of-thumb. Is there a rule on resubmissions, or is it a general no-no excepting where the agent states otherwise?

My fear isn't that the agent will reject me a second time, but rather that resubmitting will anger agents and close doors on future projects.

Any insight you have on this would be greatly appreciated.

Aggy B. · Oct 15, 2015

If you've done major revisions and a decent amount of time has passed, it should be okay to resubmit your query. (I would strongly consider revising the query too if you haven't already.)

I would suggest not continuing to resubmit over and over again, but if the MS has changed, you should query again because technically it's not the same book. (I've seen someone over at QueryTracker who has been querying the same two MSs for almost four years now, repeating the query process to their agent list every four to six months or so. With no success. I would not suggest doing that.) That's why I would suggest revising the query to reflect the changes to the MS.

Best of luck.

mayqueen · Oct 15, 2015

I'm currently querying a manuscript that I previously queried. I'm doing it because 1) the plot has changed so much that it's almost unrecognizable as the original and 2) it's been three full years. If the agent previously read a full or partial, I do mention that in the query, but otherwise I just go ahead and send the query. I think that it's fine as long as enough time has passed and the manuscript is significantly different. I also think that if you do it professionally and politely, and you're not a pest about it, there's no reason an agent would blacklist you.

stumblebum · Oct 15, 2015

Thanks for the prompt reply, Aggy.

It is a legitimately major revision, including a new first chapter and a completely re-worked back-half. I've also revised the query to reflect the changes. I think I will also include a note that this is a re-submission, just so the agent knows we're on the same page.

I've seen someone over at QueryTracker who has been querying the same two MSs for almost four years now, repeating the query process to their agent list every four to six months or so. With no success. I would not suggest doing that.

Wow...that strikes me as profoundly sad. This business requires a certain level of self-flagellation, but dang. No, I'm already working on a second manuscript and considering the indie-publishing market for the first.

Aggy B. · Oct 15, 2015

stumblebum said:
Wow...that strikes me as profoundly sad. This business requires a certain level of self-flagellation, but dang. No, I'm already working on a second manuscript and considering the indie-publishing market for the first.

That author has done some revision on their MS (according to notes they've left) but still. To keep querying the same thing over and over again in hopes that maybe this time the agent will decide to look at (when they haven't the previous six times) is not a very good use of ones time and energy. Some books are not meant to be the first to sell or find representation.

Best of luck with your querying!

mayqueen · Oct 15, 2015

I think I know who you're talking about on QT. :/ Yeah, definitely write the next book. I wrote and queried two manuscripts before I rewrote and requeried this one. If I'd just kept hacking away at it without trying to learn something new, I never would have seen the problems.

noveler7 · Oct 15, 2015

Aggy B. said:
Some books are not meant to be the first to sell or find representation.

Not the easiest thing to accept when you're in the querying process, but nonetheless true.

Re-submission etiquette

stumblebum

nope

Aggy B.

Not as sweet as you think

mayqueen

practical experience, FTW