Waiting on agents

[Hazelwood63]

Hello. I'm just looking for company on this long waiting game. Anyone else waiting to hear back from agents at the moment? I sent out five initial submissions at the end of January. So far I've received a really encouraging rejection and two requests for the full. Nothing from the other two so far. It's coming up to a month since I sent off the first full ms, and just over three weeks for the other one. Has anyone else waited over a month for a response to a full and been offered representation, or is it maybe time to think of moving on?

Thank you!

Thank you and good luck!!

@Hazelwood63 so lovely to see your name pop up, I've been wondering what happened to everyone!! Still so happy about @splothersdog and hoping to see more good news on this thread this year!!

I’ve got some good news! My first (only) novel was published at the end of 2021 by a smallish publisher. Just before this Christmas I got an email from my publisher saying it’s been optioned for a stage play. I’d known that negotiations were happening, but I had nothing to do with them (luckily, as I would have absolutely no idea how to proceed) but it appears that it’s going ahead! Can’t quite believe it’ll actually happen, but who knows.

That's amazing news!! Well done

So happy with all the good news here!! Congratulations @splothersdog and @StellaOlivetti !!!! Inspiring start of the year.
2025 bring it on!!

Amazing news @StellaOlivetti , huge congratulations!!

@splothersdog I remember you saying you used a mentor, where did you find yours and where were you in the writing process when you got one?

Many thanks for your kind words !

I did a novel writing course and was assigned a mentor. The course was designed to take you to first draft. I was already into my first draft but the course and her advice totally reshaped it. I then worked with her after the course - she was brilliant

In other news today I got a full request from another publisher which I obviously had to turn down and an agent asking for a call!
After months of nothing everything is happening at once - it feels bizarre!!

You have clearly written something amazing, @splothersdog

@splothersdog Oh my God that's amazing!! Clearly you have done some incredible work. I'm so so happy for you and thrilled that someone on this thread is doing so well xx

@splothersdog Also thanks for letting me know about your course and mentorship. I think I need to take a different and more thorough approach with my new project!!

A massive congratulations!!!

It really is wonderful to see that it’s possible and I can’t wait to hear more about the journey. Xx

Thank you all for your lovely words. Believe me it has been a long slog to get here. All I can hope now is that someone likes it enough to buy it!!

@splothersdog If you're happy to, when it's published please do PM me the title and I will definitely buy it! That goes for anyone on this thread, I'd love to read everyone's work (but totally get that not everyone will want to share names etc!)

@Bex5490 lovely to see your name on the thread! Hope all is well with the little one and writing!!

Of course and thank you

Two years after I started this thread, and here I am again ... waiting on agents. Huge congratulations again to @splothersdog and @StellaOlivetti. It's so lovely to be able to celebrate with members of this community, when so often we find ourselves commiserating. I wish everyone success in 2025, whether you're working towards the completion of a first novel, submitting to agents, or waiting to hear back from publishers. It's a long old journey, whichever way you look at it.
Is anyone else currently submitting to agents? I've sent off to five so far, at the end of Jan beginning of Feb, so it's still early days, I guess. I know from previous experience that one of the agents I've sent to takes about a month to respond, and QueryTracker offers an average response time for the others - although one of them has n/a against response time, which doesn't exactly bode well ...😂

Thanks for your wishes @Hazelwood63 , the same goes to you. I’m currently going through the first draft of my second novel. Not in the querying trenches yet but also rooting for everyone else here.

Newcomer here, if I am allowed to join this thread so late in the day. :) Having exhausted the entire internet from the binds of my querying straitjacket, I have now stumbled upon (and found great comfort in reading) these posts. Too many to reply to individually, but:
@Hazelwood63 excited to hear you’re back on the wagon; looking forward to hearing your updates! What number book is this for you?
@StellaOlivetti and @splothersdog how exciting - such a huge congratulations to you both! 🎉
@InfiniteTeas thank you for that extremely insightful post you wrote a while back - so very helpful.

As for me, I am currently querying my second novel. (Third written, but I never queried the first). I gave up quickly with the last one as it wasn’t there yet, and chalked it up as part of the learning journey. I feel better about this one, but whether agents, publishers and readers will ever feel the same is anyone’s guess. I have sent out 20 queries in two waves of ten over the last three weeks. (Too many, too fast, I know). Refined the package between wave 1 and 2. I’m currently at 2 form rejections, 2 nice personalised rejections, and 1 full MS request. The latter is obviously driving me nuts with probably-ill-fated excitement. 😵‍💫 I know the chances of my first ever full MS request leading to an offer are close to zero. But still… sigh.

Two questions (I’m in the UK btw):

1. After the full request, I nudged the agents who specifically say to do so on their submissions guidance, but not the ones who don’t mention it. Is that right?
2. Did the Discord group ever take off? I would love to join if so :)

@TheWriteJitters great news about the full.
@Hazelwood63 thank you and good luck in the trenches

Just popping on to say that this evening I have signed my contract!!!
I have an agent!!

Oh that is amazing, @splothersdog xx🥂I hope you’re celebrating! Well done, I’m so pleased for you.

Thank you

Fabulous news! Congratulations