Ack! This was exactly what I needed to read this morning. Thank you! I had similar questions as I’m fairly new and I am clueless to all the behind-the-curtain shenanigans. Congratulations on 8 fulls! That’s impressive.
Excellent advice. Time moves so differently for those waiting. Having other projects to work on helps not to focus on the inbox too much. After publishing two books with small presses (un-agented), I am slowly becoming more patient about publishing. One acceptance wipes out a lot of rejections. I’m feeling very optimistic for the writer with eight fulls out. I hope we will get a follow up when an agent snaps the book up!
Kate, put this in your end of year "best of" round-up or something! It's a good one. Everyone wants to know the trick that will get the agent to respond faster (with an offer of rep of course).......
Thanks for reading my mind, again, with this topic. I’m sitting on two (only two!) reads right now, and it has only been two (overeager) weeks of waiting. I guess I better hunker down a little. FWIW, I spend the excess energy of waiting by combing agent lists on Publishers Marketplace and falling in love with/querying various agencies and agents. Always good to have a new crush while await the “I do” or “no thanks.”
I have four fulls out. Three of them have been out for more than A YEAR. I've basically assumed those are a no and gone on with my life. And if one of those agents does get back to me? Not sure I'd want to work with them. Would they make me a priority as a client?
My previous agent's career blew up on Twitter (it was a whole thing), and I've heard from him more after he left the business than before -- because he wanted to ask me about helping him find a job. I'll admit it has kind of soured me on the whole business.
I really appreciated the article and reminders to follow protocol for agents or other publication houses. I read something like this years ago. Thank you.
Since there are so many silences on the fulls I wonder whether the sample's quality and promise are borne out in the larger ms. Or whether you have a great sample that the full can't match. In any case K, your entry prompted me yesterday to change a couple of chapters which weren't matchng the impact of the others. Thanks to you and Kate, it's now way better.
So so useful, real, candid and did I say useful! I feel like so ma y of my friends and fellow writers need to read this, as did I.
The part which stomach-punched me: thinking about agents juggling 10th ours reading time into evenings and family life. Suddenly four months doesn’t feel like very long from that pov! So good to remember every person has so much going on. As the writer, I’d be over the moon to have 8 fulls out. I think I’d take the time to work on the next thing if it were me. Or take a little holiday!
This was perfect for me to read today, thanks so much Kate! It’s just so hard to keep waiting and waiting and waiting…
Ack! This was exactly what I needed to read this morning. Thank you! I had similar questions as I’m fairly new and I am clueless to all the behind-the-curtain shenanigans. Congratulations on 8 fulls! That’s impressive.
Excellent advice. Time moves so differently for those waiting. Having other projects to work on helps not to focus on the inbox too much. After publishing two books with small presses (un-agented), I am slowly becoming more patient about publishing. One acceptance wipes out a lot of rejections. I’m feeling very optimistic for the writer with eight fulls out. I hope we will get a follow up when an agent snaps the book up!
Thank you! This is very timely. I am currently querying my novel and it helps to hear an agent's perspective.
Thank you for all the sage advice, Kate! This was super helpful and comforting to read today.
Also, congrats on having eight fulls out!
Kate, put this in your end of year "best of" round-up or something! It's a good one. Everyone wants to know the trick that will get the agent to respond faster (with an offer of rep of course).......
Thank you!
Thanks for this. I haven't started querying yet but I'll be keeping your words in mind when I do!
Thanks for taking time out of your 25 hour work day to talk us off the ledge. Best. advice. ever.
Thanks for reading my mind, again, with this topic. I’m sitting on two (only two!) reads right now, and it has only been two (overeager) weeks of waiting. I guess I better hunker down a little. FWIW, I spend the excess energy of waiting by combing agent lists on Publishers Marketplace and falling in love with/querying various agencies and agents. Always good to have a new crush while await the “I do” or “no thanks.”
I have four fulls out. Three of them have been out for more than A YEAR. I've basically assumed those are a no and gone on with my life. And if one of those agents does get back to me? Not sure I'd want to work with them. Would they make me a priority as a client?
My previous agent's career blew up on Twitter (it was a whole thing), and I've heard from him more after he left the business than before -- because he wanted to ask me about helping him find a job. I'll admit it has kind of soured me on the whole business.
I'm sorry. That's tough all over.
Thank you, Kate... sage advice! Only have one manuscript out and trying to go on with life and keep busy! What great info! Thank you again!
I really appreciated the article and reminders to follow protocol for agents or other publication houses. I read something like this years ago. Thank you.
Since there are so many silences on the fulls I wonder whether the sample's quality and promise are borne out in the larger ms. Or whether you have a great sample that the full can't match. In any case K, your entry prompted me yesterday to change a couple of chapters which weren't matchng the impact of the others. Thanks to you and Kate, it's now way better.
Maybe, but the larger point here is that you can't prognosticate from the silence.
Right.
So so useful, real, candid and did I say useful! I feel like so ma y of my friends and fellow writers need to read this, as did I.
The part which stomach-punched me: thinking about agents juggling 10th ours reading time into evenings and family life. Suddenly four months doesn’t feel like very long from that pov! So good to remember every person has so much going on. As the writer, I’d be over the moon to have 8 fulls out. I think I’d take the time to work on the next thing if it were me. Or take a little holiday!
Very zen advice from an agent’s perspective. Thank you!