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Creative writing

Whether you enjoy writing sci-fi, fantasy or fiction, join our Creative Writing forum to meet others who love to write.

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Original poster

Anyone submitting to agents at the moment?

19 replies

FaFoutis · 22/02/2015 17:38

I'm trying to find an agent for a new project, but it is a long time since I did this sort of thing.

Does anyone know if agents generally contact you if it is a 'no'?

How long have you waited to get a response one way or the other?

Thanks.

OP posts:

DonkeysYears · 22/02/2015 18:10

I submitted to about 12 agents last summer and had a nice polite 'no' email from them, all within 6-8 weeks; some within a couple of weeks. I quite enjoyed seeing the rejections roll in .

guilianna · 22/02/2015 18:15

I am! some don't bother if a no. The waiting is ghastly. If I've had full requests they have come quite soon, one the next day. But it's all total guesswork; I've had a revise and resubmit where I never heard back at all! Good luck!

guilianna · 22/02/2015 18:16

if you've been successful before, do you have any contacts from that time who might help?

Original poster

FaFoutis · 22/02/2015 19:27

Thanks so much for replying, it has been 4 weeks now and I didn't know what to expect. I submitted to 4 agents and haven't heard from any of them.

I published some fiction about 20 yrs ago (I was very young). Since then I have published academic stuff which is very different to mainstream publishing - so I don't have any useful contacts or recent experience. I'm writing non-fiction.

Did you manage to find an agent DonkeysYears and guilianna? It seems very difficult. I read one agent's blog and she said she takes on 1 out of every 1,000 authors who submit. Grim.

OP posts:

guilianna · 22/02/2015 19:31

Not yet! The closest I ever came, the agent changed jobs!
It does seem particularly slow at the moment. I'd give it another month.

Original poster

FaFoutis · 22/02/2015 19:38

How frustrating. My agent for the fiction was awful (he had a breakdown and retired), it put me off for a long time. At least you have come close guilianna, it sounds very positive.

I will try to be patient!

OP posts:

guilianna · 22/02/2015 19:42

Not as close as you! it must have been great to publish in your 20s - and you have a track record with the non-fic, lots of journalists cross over don't they, writing is writing! here's to some good news soon.

Original poster

FaFoutis · 22/02/2015 19:49

It was great for a short while then a huge anti-climax. It was during the chick-lit boom and everything I wrote was edited to fit into that. Then my novels just sunk in a sea of pink.
One review said I was like a better version of Jane Green, my writing was supposed to be dark and gritty so it really wasn't what I was aiming for. I'm quite ashamed of the published versions now (well out of print fortunately).

OP posts:

DonkeysYears · 22/02/2015 20:37

No, I didn't get an agent. I have self-published and am now working on my second novel which I will also self-publish. I may seek an agent for it, I may not! I'm happy with my first novel and it is getting good reviews (slowly) so like the merry donkey that I am, I will plod on.

DonkeysYears · 22/02/2015 20:51

I will add that I was in an industry when I was younger where rejection came my way constantly so now I couldn't give two hoots about it. Good luck to everyone submitting - somebody has to be that one in a thousand!

Original poster

FaFoutis · 22/02/2015 22:37

Thanks Donkeys. I hear good sales from self-publishing is the way to get an agent these days.

OP posts:

TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 23/02/2015 10:54

When I submitted to agents I never had any that didn't reply. One of them took several months and got in touch asking for a full several months after I signed with my agent, by which time my book was already out on sub! (I had emailed to tell her as soon as I signed with mine, so as not to waste her time, but she was presumably working her way systematically through her submissions inbox so she won't have seen that message.)

FaFoutis, don't be put off by the depressing stats. An awful lot of those 1000 will be rubbish.

Original poster

FaFoutis · 23/02/2015 12:08

That is heartening Countess, thanks.

OP posts:

BigPawsBrown · 26/02/2015 09:07

6-8 weeks is standard for responses. The agent I signed with requested a full in three weeks but some others requested later. No response may be a rejection for some but the most likely reason is that they haven't got to it yet.

FallingGoldfinch · 25/04/2015 16:10

I was looking for a new agent about ten months ago. To be honest, I'd forgotten about the ones who hadn't replied until I got a rejection this week. He said, 'the best advice I can give you is to get out' (of the genre).

I've had three books accepted since I wrote to him!

I would say, keep trying - there are so many of them now, and they all move about so much that they can be looking for different things within weeks.

Original poster

FaFoutis · 29/04/2015 12:03

Thanks Falling. That has inspired me to try a few more.
I have only heard from 2 agents, it is so different to when I was writing years ago.

OP posts:

FallingGoldfinch · 29/04/2015 15:27

I have a very subjective list now of who seems nice if you want to PM me . . .

guilianna · 29/04/2015 19:00

I'd love a list like that too, if that' s OK?

Original poster

FaFoutis · 29/04/2015 20:48

I have PMed you Falling. Very much appreciated.

OP posts:

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