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?

You're right, you're right. I just needed a good talking to :)

@FancyKeyboard would you be happy with one offer just from the comp agent? If so then query her! If you don't think you'd accept the offer from the comp agent then hold fire - if she offers and you nudge the other agents and they don't have time to read then they might stand aside.

Thank you everyone for kind words and being supportive about my query responses!! I'm definitely down in the dumps about querying because I have zero offers, don't really know what to do about it as I have queried 80+ agents now and I know some people have much higher numbers but I don't know where they're finding them... Also feeling down about my WIP that's almost done because hearing a lot of talk about young people not reading and I write YA.

I think I need a holiday!

@NewWriter have you ever considered self-publishing?

@NewWriter Does that total of 80+ include U.S. agents too? It must be so frustrating that you’ve had so many full requests but still no offer. Hoping that changes soon!

@SpidersAreShitheads yes definitely. I really think this latest manuscript should see the light of day and will self publish if I need to.

@ferntwist thank you!! Yes US and UK agents - 2 of my outstanding full requests are with US agents.

Right. A very kind rejection from the agent I very much wanted to hear back from.

Most of it probably standard letter although he did say "I can see the imagination and intelligence at work here", which, if true, was lovely.

Gah @salvia90 so sorry to hear that. Onward! Will you send out another batch?

@NewWriter keeping em crossed for you!

Crickets here. One full out and a bunch of queries pending. I need to get back to writing my other projects.

Thank you! I sent another query right away to stop myself feeling down, but am now turning my thoughts seriously towards the next story.

Well done for getting a full request!

Bummer, @salvia90. Upward and onward.

I think it's time to officially focus on the next story for me as well, so I can at least stop thinking about the deafening silence.

Though, I need an answer to my dilemma: focus on the sequel which I have all planned out, or turn to the story I have in mind for a completely different book?

The sequel looks 'easier' because all the characters and plot are fresh in my mind. But possible new rejections might seriously injure the process. The separate story means starting anew, but I might be unaffected by the current process. Ugh, I don't know!

@TinySmallSteps what will you do if you don’t receive an offer? Will you self-publish?

If that’s what you’re planning I’d definitely write the sequel now. Apparently it’s easier to sell a series than a standalone book. Established self-published writers have said that often there’s very little for the first book or two, but once you have three or more out it’s much easier to drum up sales.

I’ve immersed myself in the world of self-publishing and am trying to learn as much as I can while I finish my book. I don’t think I’m going to bother with the trad publishing route; I’m going to go straight to self-publishing and try my luck there.

I’ve been a freelance copywriter for 15+ years but AI has killed the industry so I’m switching to writing books. I’m going to stick to this initial series for at least three books and see where I can take it.

@SpidersAreShitheads I hope this new path will be much more advantageous for you! Wish you the best of luck. Will you do fiction or non fiction?

I've thought about it and I don't think self-publishing is for me, so if the first books dies I will have written the second "for nothing". I'm aware it's a risk, but it'll still be good exercise and something I can keep in my drawer. But it will also mean I will get back in the tranches much later. Might do me good if the current experience traumatises me, I don't know 😂

Go for it with the sequel! If it’s fresh in your mind and your characters are alive it will pour out of you—I feel the same about my characters, I just can’t say goodbye yet. Who knows what will happen with Book One. You could even turn Book Two into your debut, using everything you’ve learned, then get a deal and make Book One a prequel down the line.
Onward trencherwomen!

That is very true, anything can happen. Thank you, I didn't even think about book two possibly becoming the debut if needs be! And I can't say goodbye either, definitely. Let's get all to work, then!

I vote sequel too, @TinySmallSteps.

I don't know whether this is insensitive to say on a thread of people waiting, but I signed with a new agent this morning. I ended up with three offers out of, I think, 17 or so queries. I say this in a spirit of 'if I can do it, you can', because I had no insider info, connections or anything. Very best wishes to everyone else still on the querying merrygoround.

Thank you and super congratulations, @Hagstones !

I find it very sensible to let us know you got an agent, we want and need to hear about the good stories to keep our hopes up! Best of luck for your imminent submission journey 🎉

Hello, new here and keen to catch up but just lost my agent! She left the industry and no one at her agency wanted me. I was mid way through development edits with her.

going to see if my son will let me read the thread, what’s everyone else writing? I’m writing women’s book club set a psychiatric hospital xx

@Hagstones thats brilliant, congratulations! Can you say who? If not can you say what you’re writing please?

I think it could be the one (the second book.) I saw Gillian Macallister wrote three before she sold one xx

Amazing - big congratulations! 🍾

Are we ok to name agents we are querying on here or is that not allowed?x

I don't know but I don't see why not?

Thanks, I thought it might be against the rules to post a list of names, i know Reddit is funny about it

@Hagstones
Great news. Not insensitive at all - more giving hope...

@theotherfossilsister I wouldn't. If for some reason they saw it, it might put them off if they linked it to your submission. Sounds silly, but it could happen.

I won't name her, but I write literary fiction. My approach was nothing more sophisticated than looking up the agents of writers whose work I thought was kind of akin to mine, and seeing if they were open to submissions.

How maddening that your agent left when you were mid-edit. Best wishes for finding someone new.