Is now a good time to start querying literary agents?

There is never a good time to query literary agents.

If an agent is closed to queries, that information should be on their web site. If they're open - go for it.

Might be a good time to look into the metrics that they are dealing with (something like 4000 queries for each single author they sign) and perfect your query letter.

If this is your first round in the query trenches, I'd personally advise you to make sure you have as many aces up your sleeve as possible. That means critique partners, beta readers, a polished query letter, the research that you are doing, and so on. Put the manuscript away for a few weeks and read it fresh, etc. Possibly you've done all of this and more.

They say it is a marathon. Good Luck!

Many agents list their average response times on their websites (along with their other submission guidelines, which you should absolutely read and follow to the letter before querying each of them). You will find many UK agents suggesting turnaround times of 8-12 weeks - i.e. well into next year if you submitted now. But of course, you have no idea whether your query will be read in the beginning, middle, or end of that period. It depends on many, many things outside your control, and each agent's submission queue is going to vary on a week-by-week basis. (Nor is there any guarantee that your chosen agent will work chronologically through that queue. This isn't a butcher's.)

So, as liz says, there is no "bad time" to query - unless you submit in a period when the agent states they're closed. Holding off until February only guarantees one thing - that you won't hear anything for the next two+ months.

Fwiw, I agree with Woollybear to make sure your work is at its absolute best before you send it out (including working hard on the covering letter). The quality of your work won't affect where it lands in that submission queue, but it will make your book stand out as and when it is looked at. (At least, that's how this is supposed to work.)


The other thing you should prepare yourself for is just how long that wait for responses could be. Twelve weeks - three months - is a long time. Not all agents will send confirmation that they've received your query, and not all agents promise to respond, even when rejecting - some are "no response means no thank you". Three months of complete silence, followed by even deeper silence is not a good combination for your confidence. And it can make querying multiple batches of agents take a long, long time; four batches of agents would take a full year if you waited for each batch to time out*.

So make sure you have things lined up to keep yourself occupied in that time. A new book is an ideal project, because (1) many of us find writing therapeutic and relaxing, which is why we do it in the first place, and (2) if you *are* successful in snagging an agent, having at least part of a new book on the go puts you ahead of the game.


*: this is not necessarily the best querying strategy, and there are many, many approaches to covering your shortlist of agencies.


Best of luck out there.

thehansell said:

I finished what I think is a publishable draft of my first novel last week. Now over the last few days I've tried to give myself a crash course in the process of getting published

Click to expand...

I wouldn't query yet - a lot of agencies are going to be doing catch-up work between now and the New Year, and querying just after you've finished a draft and before you've had time to really engage with the process of querying (and taken enough time away from your MS to be able to come back with fresh eyes and a clear head) is not a good idea.

In terms of response-times, there'd be not much difference between querying today and querying in late January - but if you query now, especially if you're going to the agents to the top of your list, you're likely to wish you'd taken just a bit more time. And you don't want to be one of those new writers who send lots of follow-up Sorry, I sent you the wrong draft. This is a much better one. Because that's awkward.

Wait. Enjoy the holidays. Re-read in a month or so and then start working on your letter, if you haven't already.

Congratulations on finishing