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Waiting on agents

777 replies

IceRoadDucker · 12/02/2016 13:24

I'm a regular but frequent name changer, if that matters to anyone.

My first novel went out for query at the end of last month. So far I have a great success rate - 11 rejections, 3 partials and 1 full. The first partial only went out on 5 Feb but the wait is already killing me! I've been taking the rejections really, really well but I know a rejection on a partial or full will sting.

I'm trying to put my energy into writing my third novel - 48k words in - but I can't write continually and whenever I have a spare moment I'm impatiently drumming my fingers on any hard surface I can find.

No reason for posting this thread except that I need to keep my hands from refreshing Gmail every 10 seconds even though it's way too early to expect replies, I have desktop notifications AND it updates itself automatically.

OP posts:
TheWankiestPuffin · 22/08/2017 12:13

Thanks! Another novice question - what kind of odds did people here experience? A bit of a how-long-is-piece-of-string question, but roughly your rejections to full request ratio?

Dontwaketheneighbours · 22/08/2017 12:30

How many agents have yo submitted to Puffin? And have you had any full requests yet? I submitted to a handful of agents a week ago and heard nothing yet.

TheWankiestPuffin · 22/08/2017 13:35

I've submitted to 8, had 3 rejections and 3 full requests. But that took 8 weeks! Their guidelines seem to state that you'll hear between 8 and 16 weeks after submission, in general.

Dontwaketheneighbours · 22/08/2017 13:43

3 full requests is great Puffin, you must be doing something right! Good luck, hope you get picked up soon.

Madhairday · 20/10/2017 12:32

I thought I might revive this thread to see how everyone is getting on in WaitingForAgents land. TheWankiestPuffin, how did the full MS requests go in the end?

I've had great news on my non fiction book, the publishers have commissioned it which has given me a big boost and made me think that I should perhaps nudge the publisher with my fiction book? (I submitted to a small publisher a few months back, they asked for a full MS quickly then heard nothing until the beginning of september when they emailed me and told me I was next on the list to read, but that they were horribly busy with publications and book fairs etc.)

They did say though they'd hope to get back to me around the middle of September though - and now it's nearly the end of October. Would it be too pushy to email them about it? I would've thought they would email me if it was a no, surely, rather than leave me hanging.... all this waiting is excrutiating!

I have edits for the non fiction to crack on with but I so want to see if this fiction book has wings, as it's first in a trilogy.

Any news?

TheWankiestPuffin · 20/10/2017 13:30

Congrats! I would give a nudge - the worst they can do is ignore you or say no and you can move on. It's best to know where you stand, especially when they've exceeded their own timeframe.

Amazingly, I ended up with four offers. Just this minute I accepted with my dream agent, so I'm excited and eager and nervous for the next stage :)

Dontwaketheneighbours · 20/10/2017 17:05

Well done Mad that's great, hope you have some good news with your non fiction book too. And wow Puffin, well done. I remember your thread about having the fulls out. Must be fantastic to sign with your dream one agent. What genre do you write in?

I've had 4 rejections and heard nothing from other 6 and I submitted back in August. They were well researched agents so I'm thinking my MS must need some working on.

Madhairday · 21/10/2017 10:18

That's amazing news Puffin - you must be thrilled. This whole thing is such a rollercoaster isn't it. I'm still on a high from signing for my non fiction book. It's just a brilliant feeling that someone likes my writing 😊

Dontwake - 4 rejections is not many at all, you still might hear back. If I've learned anything it's the extremely sloooooow nature of the industry. Might be worth a other round? Remind me what genre you write in?

I've decided to nudge the publishers. Can't hurt at this stage.

Dontwaketheneighbours · 21/10/2017 11:03

Hi Mad, my genre is thriller but more like a Martina Cole/ Jessie Keane style thriller than a psychological thriller, I'm wondering if people want to read that sort of stuff any more? I know MC still sells plenty - but she is MC after all.

I will do another round but may change it a bit first, it's hard when you don't have any feedback to go on as to why it wasn't right this time. (Although I've had plenty of feedback from non agents). My thinking is that if I don't even get 1 full request there's something wrong. Will just have to keep waiting.

Good luck with the nudge, hope you hear something soon. And congratulations again on your non fiction book.

ImperialBlether · 22/10/2017 11:16

I've just checked and I got 13 rejections plus 3 who didn't answer before mine was taken on. Keep the faith!

Dontwaketheneighbours · 22/10/2017 11:40

Thanks Imperial. Will do :)

Madhairday · 22/10/2017 12:47

Hi Imperial! How are things going for you - are you working on another book? Smile

ImperialBlether · 22/10/2017 13:21

Hi Madhairday! How're you? All okay here - book 2 is at the proofreading stage now and I'm thinking of plots for book 3 - it's hard as everything has to be approved by editors etc. Not so good if you don't normally know what's going to happen!

Humpsfor20yards · 24/10/2017 17:53

Hallo,tiny hands here, waving at everyone,
Wonderful news, puffin, are you going to be submitting to publishers straight away? And wonderful news madhair, Impressive to have so many irons in the fire too!
Yes, hang on in there don't wake. It is a bugger when theres no feedback...but you're not in double figures of rejections yet. :) (polishes rejection badge)

Dontwaketheneighbours · 24/10/2017 20:07

Thanks humps/ tiny - I'm hanging on in there

Madhairday · 25/10/2017 15:36

I'm OK thanks Imperial - usual crappy health, but loving my writing. Looking forward to your book 2 - I can understand what you mean about thinking up plots, I definitely make it up as I go along a bit too so it must be difficult if you're not one of nature's planners when it comes to writing!

Hello humps - I have that shiny badge too, don't worry. But so did Stephen King, so we're in good company.

I have emailed the publisher a polite nudge so we will see. In the meantime, my non fiction editor has been emailing me ideas for book covers, so that all feels excitingly real now. Smile

Humpsfor20yards · 25/10/2017 19:36

Book covers already? Nice one!

Madhairday · 31/10/2017 12:58

Finally had a reply from the publisher after chasing. It's a no (sigh) but such a lovely detailed email. She said they all loved my book and were really impressed but they just have too much on and as a small publisher can't take too many on, so she said she'd like to work with my book but felt she couldn't give it the time at present. She encouraged me to submit elsewhere.

So I'm back to agent submissions - her lovely response gave me the confidence to shoot a few off. I have work to be doing on the non fiction book but you never know.

If I get a no from these, I might just give up. It's just people keep on encouraging me to keep going, all my rejections are nice ones, but obviously no one feels strongly enough... It's so frustrating!!

Humpsfor20yards · 01/11/2017 09:24

That's disappointing and yet...a lovely detailed email/impressed/and too much on IS a great response and it's good you're using that to power off some more subs.
You might give up this week, but I bet you won't give up long-term! It sounds like you're very close with this work - and it might be that the next one will get it.

Hope the non-fic book is going well too.

Witchend · 11/11/2017 23:00

I've just received a rejection today for one I submitted in April. Grin
Had assumed they wouldn't respond by now, so not really disappointing.

I'd think I'd describe it as a nice standard rejection if that makes sense. "we do not think that we would be the best agent to represent you." type response.
However good on them for replying, I guess.

Madhairday · 12/11/2017 17:03

Gosh, witchend, that must be a record! It's good they finally answered, even if such a disappointing one! I remember Imperial saying she got some rejections months after she'd signed with her agent, some really do take months to get to the slush pile. It's a long waiting game.

ExtraSmooth · 28/11/2017 15:48

Hi everyone! I started submitting to agents about three weeks ago. First, I sent the full ms. to three agents I'd had contact with during my MA -- all had expressed interest then to varying degrees (but roughly two years have passed as I've worked to finish the book). A few days later, I sent the full to another agent who was a judge in a contest in which I was shortlisted. Then about 10 days ago I cold-queried three more, selected after doing the usual research.

Deafening silence!

I know you're supposed to wait a few months. But I'd hoped to hear something by now. I know I shouldn't be drawing conclusions, but... GAH. The stakes are so high, hanging in limbo between the ecstasy of yes and the devastation of no is unbearable.

Do you think no response from anyone means my letter has failed to grab their attention?

Thanks for any input. And many congrats to all here who've had good results, and commiserations to those who haven't yet. It's been so helpful to read of your experiences, and to know I'm not the only one frustrated and stressed by the process!

TheWankiestPuffin · 28/11/2017 21:17

You'll have to wait! I know it's agony and I know there's a part of your brain saying 'if they really wanted it, they'd have snapped it up' but it doesn't work like that. Generally they work through submissions from oldest to newest. 3 weeks is no time at all, particularly as you've sent the full MS - was that what they suggested at the time? Just that it's standard to send the first 3 chapters / 50 pages / whatever their submissions guidelines say, and then wait 6-12 weeks (sometimes longer!) to see if they want the full MS or send a rejection. So they potentially have more material to read, if they already said they wanted your full. If they didn't - well, they'll either stop reading after their own normal cut-off, or they won't have to contact you to ask for the full. So more waiting!

Good luck.

Witchend · 28/11/2017 22:56

Extra see my message above about receiving a reply 7 months later! I'd assume that the agent really hadn't got round to reading it before that, because I really don't think they'd have bothered replying if they'd read it 7 months earlier, so I'd guess if they'd liked it, it could have ben a positive answer.

ExtraSmooth · 29/11/2017 11:03

Thanks for your replies, TWP and WE! That is all helpful to know. Reassuring.

I'm not a patient person. And I've been through a disappointing agent hunt before (twice, actually). So I guess I'm inclined to jump to conclusions. I've been at this so long, I just want some sort of clear step forward at last. (A revise-and-resubmit request - any attention/direction at all - would be lovely.)

Yes, TWP, the first few did say at the time to send the ms., or at least that's how I interpreted it. And I would like to think maybe they need time to read, i.e. haven't stopped at p. 2...

I will let you know what happens. Fingers crossed. Would love to hear from anyone else currently in limbo.

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