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?

Hi @Dontrocktheboat! Yes, we spoke for an hour on Tuesday; I got a really nice vibe from her and she was very enthusiastic about my book, which was so lovely. She made a formal offer which I accepted and we signed contracts on Thursday. It all still feels slightly surreal!

That's really exciting congratulations! Has she asked for edits/ given a timescale about submitting to publishers?

Yes - she wants to do a small bit of editing but nothing too major - she's going to get back to me with her thoughts in about 2 weeks. Then I'll have the rest of July and August to make those changes. She wants to have it ready for Frankfurt in October which means sending it out to publishers in September.

That sounds great - what genre is it again? Hope you enjoyed a second celebratory weekend.

Yes indeed - everyone's been so nice about it, although I feel like I need to keep saying to people "But it might not sell!"

It's literary fiction.

Such brilliant news @AppropriateAdult and great to know there is still a desire out there to take on literary fiction! Best of luck with your book 😀

Agree, good to hear literary fiction being taken on!
Good luck, @AppropriateAdult and keep us posted.

Hi all! Can I join your thread?
My story in a nutshell: wrote my first novel, got 3 offers, signed literally a week before Covid erupted, spent 2 years (!) rehashing, split from agent.
Now I'm querying my second novel, have had 12 rejections and 4 requests for full, 10 silences.
The requests for full came between 12 and 4 weeks ago so I'm basically giving up hope, as with my first novel the offers came quickly. These requests are non-starters aren't they? :(

Not to be all depressing about this but...I'm feeling depressed about it. I have what I think is a great idea for my third novel and made a start, but I can't seem to find my MCs voice. I've written two chapters and it's like I'm going through the motions. It feels like having sex with someone you don't fancy. I feel lethargic and like what I'm writing is shit. How do I get my mojo back for this third book, because I really love the concept but just can't seem to get into my MC's vibe.

I'm feeling disheartened because this is two books I've poured heart and soul into now and it's come to nothing despite a lot of effort, so i think now with this third ive got a bad teenage attitude on me where im thinking "why even bother". Any advice?

Hi @Finlesswonder and welcome to the thread. It's all a bit quiet on here at the moment it seems, because most of us are rewriting, and one of us is celebrating!
Congratulations on all the interest you have, and have had, in your writing, but
I'm sorry you're feeling so disheartened at the moment. It's so difficult to maintain faith, isn't it?
Further up the thread I posted a blog by Harriet Tyce which many of us found encouraging. I've never had an agent but have had a number of full read requests, and eventually realised that what I promised in those first 10,000 words or 50 pages, wasn't delivered in the second half of the book. My theory, for those of us trapped in the Full Read Club, is that it often comes down to structure, and the effective telling of the story. Syd Field's Foundations of Screenwriting was an eye opener for Louise Doughty, and it certainly made me look at the narrative of my own novel in an entirely new way.
But mainly it sounds to me as if you've lost the joy in your writing, and also the necessary element of playfulness. Perhaps your MC isn't the one to tell the story. Kazuo Ishiguro actually auditions his characters to find the narrator or main POV. What I would do if I were you is to step away from it, and do some serious work on character. You obviously have a great idea for a novel, and maybe your current MC is just running to catch up. I'd suggest you need to take the time to find a central protagonist worthy of this story. I hope this helps.

I was lurking on this thread and now that I've starting sending submissions myself I thought I'd see if anyone else is still in the same position or has anyone had some good news recently? I sent 2 out 2 weeks ago and another 3 today. It's hard to stop myself hitting refresh on my emails all day. Would love to hear of anyone getting full requests or contracts.

Hi @Hazelwood63
I love your idea of a Full Reads Club!

I received feedback last week from The Good Lit Agency - detailed and personal to my novel, which was good.
D
Feedback is similar to the others who requested the Full - voice and premise strong, narrative drive and plot needs more work to be a compulsive page turner.

Am not submitting any more now, started a new novel, 11k in - but need help to plot!

Hey - I know this thread is from a while ago but I’m at the querying stage…currently googling ‘how long does the average agent take to reply’ on a daily basis, and wondered where everyone else is with their writing?

Hi @Bex5490 and welcome. It's all gone rather quiet on this thread. I think there's a lot of rewriting going on maybe ...
When it comes to how long it takes for agents to get back to you, it seems largely to vary from one agency to another. Some aim to respond within eight weeks either way, some say if you haven't heard back within 12 weeks it's a no. Generally, agents seem to move fast if they're interested, but having said that, some people have waited ages and have had positive outcomes in the end. Threads like this are great for airing and sharing hopes and disappointments. It's certainly a long old journey. I submitted my novel to a few agents around this time last year, had some interest, and have spent the past twelve months completely overhauling my narrative, ready to send out again - hopefully by the end of March.
Anyone else out there with a progress update?
Best of luck Bex5490, and keep us posted.

@Hazelwood63 Well I’m crossing everything for you…

I’ve sent out to 20 agents. Had 2 requests for full straight away and then nothing else from anyone…

I would welcome even just a form rejection at this point so I could do something to the spreadsheet I’ve made!

It’s excruciating… ❤️

Hi! Would love to join this thread. I’m at the querying stage for my first novel but it’s all gone horribly wrong. I’ve queried 40 agents in 3 batches over eight weeks and so far 14 rejections. Only got one partial manuscript request which I've convinced myself means nothing. With the LBF around the corner I’ve decided to use the next couple of weeks to have the novel critiqued. I love reading about your journeys. It’s really inspiring and make the process less soul destroying! I wonder if any of you have been tempted to contact some publishing houses directly (the few reputable ones open to direct submissions)?

Welcome - so sorry to hear that it’s not gone as you hoped. From my obsessive reading on the subject, rejection doesn’t mean your book isn’t good enough, it might just not be right for the agent or they’ve got something similar… all it takes is one person to get it and love it 🤷🏽‍♀️

Did you get any feedback from your rejections?

I’ve sent out to 25 agents now - one of the agents who requested the full turned it down with a generic not for me email which really stung and I’ve had 1 other form rejection.

It is bloody brutal isn’t it? But well done for finishing a book!!!

What genre is it? ❤️

Hi, I hope it's OK to tag on to the end of the thread. Querying is a very lonely place 😔

I started with small batches before/after Christmas, had 4 full requests quickly (three since rejected, one tumbleweed...) Then because the feedback on the full rejections was consistent I sent to lots more a month ago.

I've had two rejections but that leaves about 20 open queries plus the last full. It just feels so silent. Brutal is absolutely the word for it!! I've been listening to Yellowface too, which is 100% not good reading material while querying.

I'm quite doom and gloom about the whole process at this stage so I'm expecting all the rejections once LBF is out of the way.

Good luck with the queries you have out in the wild.

@Bex5490 You're right; it just takes one person. Never has the speed dating process been so challenging or heartbreaking! I suppose it must be tough for agents, too, having to find something meaningful to say if they think you're a straight pass. I've had no constructive feedback so far, and it could well be that my query isn't good enough. My book is a romance.
I'm sorry to hear about your rejection after the full request. You would naturally expect some constructive feedback at this stage, but it's still something positive. I hope some of the agents who haven't responded yet will move you to the top of their pile now.

@Moonflowered I found out I feel better when I self-project negative answers whenever I receive a response from an agent. I guess I cope better emotionally this way. I have a writing friend who sends one new query every time she gets a rejection. It helps her move on quickly emotionally. I might try this once I get my work critique completed!

Hi @Moonflowered !

It sounds like you’ve had a good response with the initial full requests which at least shows that your query package and first chapters are good… crossing my fingers and toes for you!

I am also massively doom and gloom though now about the whole thing but I’m due to give birth on the 20th so at least I’ll be too distracted to care!

@HelloEverybody I think I’m going to try your friend’s tactic with the 1 query for every rejection.

Hoping that after this week with the book fair some of the ones we have out there will make it to the top of someone’s pile ❤️

@Bex5490 wow!! You’re about to be a mother, nothing will ever come close. Congratulations! ❤️

Having not heard anything for months I got three rejections over the space of two days. I wonder if people are clearing their desks prior to the LBF?

I'm going to read this thread in full tonight. I have finished my manuscript after 2.5 years and plan to pay for an editor to look at it - thankfully I am comfortable with the cost. Following that I guess I'll be submitting. Have no idea what that looks like because I have yet to research how you go about doing that.

That is - unless the editor comes back and says it a load of tosh - which could be likely.

Hope everything is going ok for everyone.

@HelloEverybody Thank you and mum for the second time as I have a 4 year old already ❤️

@LuciferRising Welcome and congratulations on finishing the manuscript!!! It’s a huge achievement in itself…

Thank you for this thread, it's been fascinating to read. Wondered if anyone has any more updates?

It has been my lifelong ambition to write a novel. I've had many failed attempts throughout my teenage years and then my career, starting a family etc kept me busy. Now on my second maternity leave I finally started writing my manuscript in November, finishing the first draft in February. It's been edited about 3 times now and I'm doing my 4th edit now - my hope is that it will be in a fit state to start querying by May. So then hopefully I will have an update for the thread (which may be a load of rejections but I've never got this far in the process before so I'm already thrilled.)

Would love to hear more from anyone else on this journey.