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?

Congratulations!!! @splothersdog A great start to the New Year. Wishing you all the best with it.
And hello to @TheWriteJitters Welcome, and congratulations on your full read request. I'm not sure what advice to offer with regard to letting the other agents know. It certainly wouldn't do any harm, surely, and might do some good. I mean, what's to lose? Any excuse for a nudge perhaps?
I'm currently querying my second novel (mark 2) so this is my third submission round. So far, I've submitted to about six agents, had serious interest from one I sent it to at the end of last year, who then passed on it, and nothing so far from the others. I sent out end of January, beginning of February, so nudging into three weeks this week for some of them. I know at least one of them usually responds around the four week mark, and I know the London Book Fair is early this year, but, all the same, I'm beginning to feel the hope draining from me. On a positive note, I'm outlining a new story that I'm rather excited about, so that's a nice distraction.

How's everything going for everyone?
Hope all is well with the full requests @TheWriteJitters and the querying @Hazelwood63 . Such an exciting time!
I'm doing another edit of my new project (second manuscript). It's fun if nothing else!

How's everyone doing? How's the edit going for you @NewWriter ? Or have you finished it by now? Life's been rather busy for me recently, and I haven't checked into this thread for weeks. I paused submissions (again) to do another re-write, and at this stage it's tricky to know how long it's going to take me to finish it, so I have a question. There are a lot of various answers to this, but I'd love to hear anyone's thoughts/experiences. It's the old 'what time of year is best to submit' question. If I don't finish until the end of June, I should hold off sending out over July and August, shouldn't I? Or should I, as others have urged, send whenever I'm ready to?

So lovely to hear from you @Hazelwood63 I do check this thread now and again hoping to see updates of people securing agents! I think you should send out queries whenever you're ready - feels a bit like pot luck when agents check their submissions.

I'm on my fourth edit now of my manuscript and even after this one is done I want to go through one more time with line edits before I start querying. I'm being much more patient with this second project, hopefully it pays off 🤞🏽🤞🏽

Hi @Hazelwood63 ! I agree you should only query when you’re ready. I rushed submissions on my first novel and missed on being considered by some agencies because my manuscript wasn’t polished enough. I’ve learned my lesson this time around and won’t be querying until I’ve had it assessed by an editor. Not everybody needs any rigid combination but that’s what’s right for me for this one. I think agents are always available in waves and have different submission windows. You’ve already doing great by re pivoting after first set of queries. Good luck!

Good to see there's still some life on this thread!

@Hazelwood63 I think I'm in a similar place to you, with some success in capturing agent's interest, but as yet, no takers for my novel. I've been working on mine for 4 years and submit very sporadically, with rewrites in between. What genre are you writing in? I wondered if you wanted to swap opening chapters at some point to get fresh eyes on them? I would find that really helpful. I'm writing literary fiction.

Thank you all for your responses, and apologies for taking so long to reply. There's just been a lot going on.
@NewWriter you're probably right about sending out whenever I'm ready. I've entered a few competitions so if, by any chance, I'm long listed for any of them, my opening chapters might be read by an agent. With my track record in competitions, that's a big 'if', but I have had slightly better luck recently. And I really think that's what it comes down to. The luck of who your first reader might be. I hope your editing is going well.
Thank you for your encouragement @HelloEverybody I too definitely missed out because my ms wasn't ready, although at the time I really believed it was, and who knows? Had I submitted to a few more agents, I might have found someone, but on the last few occasions I've pulled out from submissions pretty early, even after full reads, when I realised how I could make the novel better. Just as you have @BecauseOfIndia rewriting in between. My novel is upmarket/book club and I'd be happy to swap opening chapters once I've finished this latest draft, which should be in a couple of weeks or so. I do hope your writing is going well.

Hi everyone, can I join please? Self published a YA paranormal mystery novel a couple of years ago and I have had some pieces published in lit mags. I finally finished my new novel (lit fiction with a mystery twist, dual narrative across time) a few months ago and have been querying since. Lots of rejections although some with very positive comments and I've just had my first ever request for a full last Friday (been obsessively refreshing email ever since haha). Sent off another batch of queries today. I just hate the waiting so much, getting my hopes up, but then i hate the marketing that comes with self pub (and the snobbery) even more. I love the writing but then the next steps are so hard! And I really miss my main characters. I think I need to start something else but feeling a new project stretch out in front of me and knowing how much work it is is 50% exciting and 50% terrifying!!

My first book was published with a speciality publisher. About to submit my second manuscript 😬🫣

Welcome @LydiaBennetsBonnet and @nevertrustanyoneagain !!

@LydiaBennetsBonnet self publishing sounds like so much work!! I plan to query my current project in September but if that goes nowhere then I'll self publish this one... I think I've learned a lot since I wrote my first manuscript and really think this second one should see the light of day!

@nevertrustanyoneagain good luck submitting your second one!!

Still waiting. The one full has not been replied to in any way since I sent it back. Argh. I hate waiting...!!

@LydiaBennetsBonnet how long has it been? Could you send a nudge? I've heard agents can take up to six months to reply to full requests.

I'm almost on my final draft and have started researching agents while in waiting for some feedback 😭 such a horrible part of the process, have started another book idea to give myself something to write in the meantime. On track to start querying in September though!

My second manuscript is complete! It's had loads of beta readers look at all/some of it (at least 10 different people), I've worked on it with a mentor and I've printed it out and done sooo many revisions.

I'm really happy with where it is right now, so off to the query trenches I go! This thread has gone a little quiet but I hope to return with some updates - and eagerly await updates from others on here! Best of luck everyone xx

Fantastic news!!

That's great news @NewWriter I envy you being at the querying stage, while I plough on with my latest rewrite. Do keep us posted about what it's like out there in submissions land. It's my aim to be sending my own novel out in the New Year. I'd hoped to do it before Christmas but have realised I was being over ambitious. Would rather take the time and hopefully get it right, which you certainly seem to have done. I wish you all the best.

Thank you @Hazelwood63 and @HelloEverybody !!

@Hazelwood63 that's a good approach! I really had to force myself to slow down and not rush to send my manuscript out. Hopefully it pays off.

Will keep everyone updated on what the query trenches are like these days! Fingers crossed!! I haven't had any full requests in the first 24 hours like you read about on social media 😂🫠

Good luck. I've had one full request and several rejections. Might self pub again!

Hello all, I've currently got my latest manuscript out on submission with 12 agents/one open-submissions publisher. I started submitting a week ago, so nothing yet...I'm still constantly refreshing my inbox. D:
I self-publish too so I imagine I'll do that if this one doesn't get anywhere by traditional means, but the feedback (if any) would be useful.

I hope by posting here it'll somehow manifest a full manuscript request or snag myself an agent. xD

Had my first rejection today - a long and personalised rejection with v helpful feedback (named my characters, saying she liked certain relationships, narrative voice, specific bits of my premise and main character - but specified a couple of things she felt needed work and so said she it was a "reluctant pass"). Wish it was a revise and resubmit, then it could be a good news story, but alas. At least I can make these changes for whenever I send out my next batch of queries (planning to wait to see if other agents make similar comments but I think some of her areas of feedback just need some tweaks tbh so I'll probably make them anyway).

Been feeling really rubbish about it all day but reread this thread to get some perspective and trying to remind myself what a huge journey I've been on - my rejections with my first manuscript were mainly form rejections and this one was a really encouraging and personalised one that complimented my writing (but I'm obviously focusing on the negative).

@MorticiasMemoirs Good luck, hope you get some positive responses soon! Can relate to constantly refreshing your inbox!!

@LydiaBennetsBonnet Amazing on the full request, well done!! Best of luck!

I think getting such a personal response is a big deal! It tells you the work has potential and you have potential as an author. I honestly think it takes rather a lot to inspire an agent to respond personally. Good luck with further responses, fingers crossed they're positive. x

Honestly this is the best (if there is such a thing!) kind of rejection! To have it so personalised means that you are really close which is more than 99% of other submissions get to. Do any edits they have suggested and keep sending it out, just because it wasn’t quite right for this agent doesn’t mean it won’t get picked up by another. And if you’ve seen my other post, One More Chapter part of Harper Collins are currently having an open submission window if you write in one of their genres.

@MorticiasMemoirs thanks so much, that's super kind of you! I am telling myself the same - I didn't get a single personalised rejection last time (unless you count the partial MS request I got - but that was with an agent I met in person). I've revised my chapters with the agent's feedback this morning - it didn't actually take that long. So hopefully have even strong chapters for my next batch! Asked a couple of my beta readers if they'll have a look too before it goes out.

@LouisaMayAlcott thank you!! You're so right. I've done the edits, hopefully it means my opening chapters are even stronger for my next batch of queries! I hadn't seen your post on the publisher being open for submission but have looked now. Have you submitted to them? I write YA so I'm in one of the genres they're looking for, but my word count is slightly lower than the 70K-100K words they're asking for.

I haven’t sent them anything because I have a contract with another publisher, but I have previously been published by a HarperCollins imprint. And it is pretty cool saying that you’re published by HC!

Hello! I’m also in the waiting period now. Sent my novel out a couple of weeks ago to my dream agent but it’s crickets so far (despite a personal connection 😭). I think this agent normally bites quickly if interested so I’ve mostly written them off. Sadly the agency is one that doesn’t respond if it’s a no, but I’m still vaguely hoping for a rejection at some point for closure. Devastated Down but not out!

Got a few more queries in to others, and a healthy list of agents to try, but I’ve recently gotten the creeping sense that my book is deeply unappealing for various thematic reasons. In fact, I kinda wondered about that while writing it, so I won’t be wholly surprised if I strike out entirely. Anyone else think they may have accidentally written something unsalable (in this market anyway)?! 😬🫠

Yes. Me. I write historical YA fiction which apparently NOBODY WANTS.