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?

This is a rough precis of our chances of getting a trad publishing deal according to Harry Bingham. (I'm not standing over any of this, obviously, and the article isn't dated, so I don't know how old it is, but he's an experienced writer, hardnosed ex-banker and runs Jericho Writers, and presumably not pulling stats and percentages entirely out of the air.)

He says that a typical agent at a big agency in London or NY gets approx 2000 unsolicited submissions a year, and might accept 2 or 3 at most. If you only queried one agent, thus, your chances of finding representation would be around 1 in 1000. But you query more than one, so your odds improve, maybe 1 in 100. A good agent at a reputable agency will sell approx 2 books for every 3 they send out to editors, so, statistically, once you have an agent, you have an approx 66% chance of getting a deal. (Unfortunately, I was in the other 33%).

HB said he'd talked to a bigshot editor at one of the big five publishers In London, who said he got approx 12 MS a week from agents, ie 600 per year, and might take on 3 or 4 new writers from those 600, so he publishes about 1% of what he's offered.

Tempering that, obviously, is that smaller publishers will be less stringently selective, that your agent will typically start by sending your MS out to 10-12 editors, so your odds improve. That a good agent will be so selective that having rejected work that doesn't meet their standards, they have a good strike rate on what they do accept, and that less experienced agents too often send work out before it's fully ready.

But the main reason I posted this is that he says he never advises querying loads and loads of agents, that if you don't get an offer of representation from 8 to 12 or so well-chosen agents, having sent them a carefully considered and well-presented submission package, then your book isn't yet good enough.

Hmm I would disagree with that last point. You don't know whether your query has hit an agent's desk on a bad day for them, if they've just read two similar ones in a row, etc. It's possible to have a great book and a bad synopsis and take a while to realise that.

Given how long it takes to write a book, I think giving up on it after 8-12 agents is far, far too soon.

In a previous life many years ago, I did read slush for a short while, and you really only need one person to champion your work (two if you go agent, then editor!).

Given how long it takes to write a book, I think giving up on it after 8-12 agents is far, far too soon.

JK Rowling was on her 12th, and others got representation after more, so I think I agree with you.

You also have to build in that taste is so individual.

I am shopping a science fiction/fantasy novel that falls between the genres. Since cosy fantasy and romantasy took off, dozens more agencies are now willing to look at SFF fiction - or say they are. Most of them probably want very commercial, accessible SF and may not like entire sub-genres.

They will be well-read of course, but they may only read specific niches. Even when looking at MSWLs, it's hard to find out exactly whose taste will match yours. So 8-12 agents is all well and good, but if 10 of them say 'we will look at all SFF' but they only really want sexy elves, you may have to keep looking for a bit longer.

(Nothing wrong with sexy elves but it's not what I write!)

Congratulations on the offers! Brilliant to see people on this thread recieving offers of representation.

I'm feeling quite glum about the trenches. 9 full requests - 4 still outstanding, 0 offers 😔 feeling really rubbish about it, like it's really getting me down. I know the agent is just the first step and then we have to go on sub but I just really want my book out there in the world. I didn't rush the process this time (unlike the first time when my manuscript definitely wasn't good enough) and I just want to get it in the hands of readers.

My first draft of my latest WIP that I started when I entered the query trenches in September is almost done which I'm really glad about. I need a break from it. I started a new job a few months ago and my kids are still very small so to say I'm exhausted when I write these days in an understatement.

Sorry, some serious Monday blues over here!!

@NewWriter 9 fulls is massive!! The fact that you've had so many tells you something extremely encouraging: agents are engaging with your story, it is getting past the first ludicrously hard hurdles. From there on in you never know what might not lead them to offer - something too similar on their list, too busy, didn't quite connect - it's so subjective. But you said you're not rushing this one (I did the first time too) - you are in control of everything you can be. Absolutely keep going, it only takes one yes!

I know how shite this process can make you feel (I'm lucky enough to have had an offer and my brain is still saying 'oh but it it was REALLY good you'd have more...').
I like that bit of advice that says to imagine yourself two years, one year or six months ago (whenever you typed that first word or had the first inkling of your story) looking at present you now - you'd be SO proud - NINE FULLS!! That's huge.

Also be kind to yourself. You have a new job, young kids, a working draft and a completed MS out on query. A single one of those would be a massive burden on your time, energy and emotions, and you're doing all four at once.
Sending hugs and encouragement - NINE FULLS! You're climbing the mountain.

@NewWriter you have definitely done something right with 9 full requests! I understand the frustration. I'm starting to believe it is all down to taste and a bit of luck. Still, you will find the one who turns that full into an offer!

I have a question on beta readers. Where do you find beta readers you trust? I'm totally new to this so I wouldn't even know where to look.

Agree with @CloudyWasTheWeather — nine full requests is incredible. You’re doing something very right. How long since the four that are still being read were requested? Time to nudge?

Just to echo what everyone is saying: 9 full requests is amazing. I haven't had a single one and I've sent over 20 queries. I'm currently (deludedly) excited about my latest query though, sent to an agent who says they will definitely respond and who sends quite personalised rejections, potentially with some level of feedback.

Beta readers: I found one through a Women Writers' Facebook group and she was good. Another one was my crit partner in Critique Circle. I also did a partial beta swap with another writer who was looking for a swap in the women writers' group.

Thanks so much everyone for all the encouragement!! The first full request I got I remember jumping for joy with my husband - I suppose I thought an offer would come from it. Need to tap back into that joy and also just the joy of writing!!

Some of these outstanding full requests are from October, some are from Jan. I daren't chase anyone without any offers though - scared I'll nudge them to reject if I don't have offers on the table!

Nine fulls is amazing, and you only need one to take the time to fall in love with it!

I just queried two more agents after saying I wouldn't do any more until after LBF. Ooops.

I’d nudge the October ones, @NewWriter.

Dipping my toe in the water here if there's room for one more? I've been querying my romance manuscript for a few weeks and absolute tumbleweed. It's horrible! I'm just constantly second guessing myself now, maybe they are laughing at the ridiculously poor query they just received? Maybe they liked it but read the first chapters and thought it was dreadful. I'm not a very patient person at the best of times. I'm on pause now until after the London Book Fair and I suspect no one will reply now anyway if they're all busy. I knew it would take ages but wasn't ready for how shit I would be at waiting!

@NewWriter definitely celebrate 9 fulls, that's incredible! Huge validation of your hard work and I bet you'd have been overjoyed if someone had told you you'd get 9 fulls when you started. Funny how the bar keeps moving though.

Welcome @QueryQualms! I promise they won’t be laughing or thinking your work is dreadful. The worst that will happen is that it doesn’t spark interest for them - for a million reasons over which you have no control.
The waiting is horrendous, but having a plan to slow down (eg during LBF) then pick it back up will give you some sense of control. I drove myself crazy waiting for a response to a full which I never got - ghosted! Even after nudging. Horrendous. But they’re not all like that. Don’t let it take over your mind/life.

I'm going to hear from an agent next week - yikes! He's one of the few that welcomes a nudge and definitely responds. He said he will respond on Monday or Tuesday.

In case it helps anyone else waiting in terms of waiting times etc, my timeline for querying (so far, literary fiction) is going like this:

I sent out queries in groups of two or three at a time between January 12th and 29th.

One I sent on Jan 12th got a no on Feb 24th.

One sent on Jan 16th -- request for a full on Jan 26th. Nothing back on that yet.

Those I sent on Jan 20th got a no on Jan 26th and another on Jan 28th.

One I sent on Jan 27th got a request for a full on Jan 29th.

One I sent on Jan 29th got an extremely nice no via Query Tracker saying that if I didn't place this, she'd be interested in my next one (which I'd mentioned in my letter) on Feb 4th.

One I sent on Jan 15th got a request for a full on Feb 3rd, and ended in an offer on Feb 11th.

After I had the offer, I nudged everyone else who had the full or who hadn't yet said no, attaching the full MS for those who didn't have it, resulting, so far, in one more offer, five who have acknowledged and say they will get back to me before my deadline, and three extremely nice, complimentary nos, plus two standard 'I didn't feel strongly enough about the material' nos.

Three agents have not replied at all (so far), and one who asked for the full on Jan 26th has not responded to my offer of representation nudge.

One of the things that occurs to me is that some agents, when you query them, give in their automatic acknowledgement mail a separate, individual email address to update them with offers of representation on, while others don't, so any updates quite possibly don't reach them for ages, as they just go into the standard submissions mailbox.

One agency had an unusual arrangement (well, unusual to me) in that they had an (extremely nice) reader whose job was to read all submissions to the entire agency. You could specify which agent you were targeting, but the reader would only pass it on if she thought it would be of interest to them.

One of the agents I've spoken to said that this year she has only taken on a single new client, and that was via a personal recommendation, not from her inbox. But, looking on the bright side, she does read everything sent to her in that inbox.

Congratulations everyone on the requests for fulls and offers of rep! @Hagstones your timeline is incredibly useful and encouraging. It sounds like you’ve been quite targeted in your approach?
Can I check, after you had your offer of rep, you emailed all the outstanding agents, including those who hadn’t replied to the initial query, sending them the full?

Huge congrats on your offer of rep! My genre is accessible literary (or possibly upmarket, I’ve pitched it to a few agents as this depending on their tastes). I queried 15 in my first wave but have sent out a much better targeted wave of seven this week, on a revised manuscript and pitch that I’m much happier with. One full request so far from this wave, which delighted me. It seems from this thread that I’ll need a lot more before an offer becomes likely.
In between I also scatter-gun queried a load of other agents, but they were too commercial for my book, and I got a couple of very helpful rejections along these lines.
Wishing everyone success!

Hi @ferntwist, glad it was useful to you.

I tried to be targeted in my approach, in that I looked up agents who represented writers whose work I thought mine had something in common with etc, but, irritatingly, in several cases these were clustered at the same agency or in a couple of cases closed to submissions, so I was probably less targeted than I’d have liked.

Yes, after I had an offer, I emailed all agents who hadn’t yet said no, and said ‘I’ve had an offer but don’t want to take it further till I’ve heard back from you. If you could bump NovelName up your reading list, I’d be grateful. I’ll be keeping my options open till X date.’ And I attached the full to anyone who hadn’t yet requested it. Usually this was just to the same address I’d sent the original query to, but one or two provided in their acknowledgement mails a separate email for updates.

That’s a brilliant idea—very brave and has obviously paid off by getting you one more offer of rep (is that right?).
I’m curious about your novel, especially given your user name! Is it folk horror inspired? Also is the agency with the lovely full time reader Lutyens & Rubinstein? No need to say if so. I read an interview with her online.
When will you make your final decision?

No, no folk horror. Realist lit fic. 😀 (I’d just finished reading Sinéad Gleeson’s novel Hagstone last time I namechanged.) Yes, two offers so far. And yes it was L and R! Will make a final decision next week.

I have a silly dilemma of my own making. I placed in a comp last year that got me a chat with an agent. She was super enthusiastic about a new idea I had, which is the book I've written. She said she'd see it when it was done.

Now the thing is, she's from a minor non-London agency nowhere near me, and is still building a list (she's also lovely and understands the genre well). Based on advice elsewhere, I decided to test my query out on other agents first to see if I got a bite. Obviously I haven't, hence all my whinging about the silence.

Should I - a) send it to her now or b) give it another couple of weeks to see if my first 10 queries get any responses? Hard to know what is best. I don't want to get in a muddle. She may not like it at all in which case this overthinking is pointless. She could also offer and then would I just accept or ask if others want to see the full?

I don’t think that’s a dilemma at all. Are you saying that the other agents you queried are preferable, have more of a track record, are at more prestigious agencies? How long is it since you’ve queried them? I’d query the agent who liked your work now, and if she offers representation, you can tell her it’s also out to other agents, and you’re going to nudge them before you commit finally. Then tell the other agents you have an offer and if they have any interest in taking it further with your book, give them a deadline to get back to you by.

yes that’s it exactly. I queried them a month ago with no responses so far. I don’t want comp agent to think I’m slow but wary of getting in touch too soon as well

But why would it be too soon? As in you’re anticipating she will offer you representation, but you’d rather it was one of the others? See my post above. If she does offer, use it as a reason to nudge anyone you’re still out to, in case there’s other interest, letting her know what you’re doing and when you’ll be back to her with a final answer. It’s a win-win situation. You have an offer, and you potentially bump your MS up everyone else’s slushpile.