Hi all. I've spent six years writing, and am on my fourth novel and they were all rejected - 80 rejections in all. So I'm a bit overwhelmed to get some interest for my new novel! I've had a request for three full manuscripts which I've sent. The agent I initially sent to knows nothing of the other full requests: and this is the agent I'm desperate for. I know you are supposed to mention in new queries that you've had a full request. But don't know whether to tell the first agent (the dream) one, as they already have the MS. Obv I'd tell new agents about the other interest, but am unsure whether to tell the first guys about the requests for fulls. I don't want to make them think I'm pestering them. Phew - I hoped that made sense. I thought some small success would make be feel great, but it's like being hit by a tidal wave, after 6 years of rejection. Thanks for reading and any feedback welcomed. TY Turniphead
I wouldn't tell agents you've already contacted, and I'm not sure about the advice to tell new agents, either. I just don't really see the point. If you get an offer from one of the other agents, then you contact everyone who has a full and let them know you have an offer. But just being asked for a full? If your query's doing its job you should be getting asked for fulls fairly regularly--not something you need to announce. (Not that it's not exciting, and an important step in the right direction! Congratulations, and good luck!)
Hi Bay, That's great advice, and I really appreciate it! Also one other thing: when the dream agent (the first one) requested the full manuscript - I sent him a text file saying manuscript will be following this one. (to avoid my full MS going into the junk box.) In the second email with the attachment, I asked him if he could tell me the file had been safely received, but he didn't respond. I guess these top agents are very busy. Should I contact him and ask whether he's received it? The last thing I want to do is pester him, but it would be good to know they have the MS. I'm all nerves, but in a good way. Obv, both agents could reject the MS. Thank you. Turniphead
I'd assume agents have their inboxes set up in a way that allows them to receive full MSs without the junk box interfering, so I'd also assume the e-mail went through. I wouldn't send another. But I am pretty laissez-faire about these things in general, so...
Thanks for that Bay - my initial instinct was to leave it alone and not send another email, you've made me sure about it. I just get irritated when you ask an agent if they've received the MS and get no answer. You've really, really helped me today Bay, as I was starting to panic about it. Thanks, for making my weekend. I wish you well on any projects you may be working on. Turnip
I've never heard advice to put it in a query if you've had a full request, or to alert other agents who have the full. I think it could read as you being pushy and hinting that they should read quickly, which won't go down well. It's annoying that the first agent didn't respond but it's very unlikely that your full went into his junk mail and hasn't been retrieved. I would assume he has a system that doesn't involve sending acknowledgements, and try to forget about it. Good luck! Hope the fulls turn into offers.
It does seem that any agent who requests a specific MS submission would have some sort of response system set up, to let the sender know it's arrived? And would let the author know beforehand that they WILL receive a notice when it does arrive? It's not pleasant, being left in limbo—worried that if you don't ask you'll be passed over, and if you do ask, you'll be considered a pest. I have a friend who missed the deadline for entering an important short story contest because the submission she sent (a day before the deadline) didn't reach them in time, due to server problems (their end.) They did write back to her, to let her know that the submission had arrived late, and that they were sorry it couldn't be considered for that particular contest. They said they hoped she'd re-submit to a future contest. She was very disappointed, but glad that they'd let her know what happened. Otherwise she would have been left wondering.
@jannert - oh when I was still in school, the library once ran a writing competition and I went in to submit mine on the day of the deadline, and the librarian told me it's already closed. I was so upset. I cried all the way home! (I was like 15 or so) I thought it was so damn unfair - if the day was the day of the deadline, then that should have been the final day of submission, not when submissions were not being accepted anymore. I've never honestly entered any writing competitions in my life, but based on that experience, I would say it's pretty unwise to submit only the day before the deadline - like your friend did. Always do it much earlier!! Esp with timezone differences.
Yeah, she intended to submit earlier. But she didn't have time to get it ready earlier ...she'd only found out about the competition two weeks' before, and she has a very busy job with the NHS. It was a UK competition, so the time zone wasn't an issue. But apparently the server the competition used had delivered several entries more than 24 hours after they had been sent. That can happen, unfortunately! My husband and I had to laugh a while ago. He sent me a photo via his email to mine ...we both use the same email server, and his computer is in the room next to where mine is. It took 5 days for me to finally receive it! And yet I kept getting emails from other people, no bother. And mine were getting through to him. So go figure, eh? Replace: lost in the post. With: lost in the ether. That certainly does seem weird, that the library would list a closing day that was AFTER the day they quoted. Unless they said: entries must be received before (whatever the date was.) It really seems harsh to disappoint a young writer like that.
Hi I've just found out one of the agents is on holiday which may be the reason my MS has got to him. The problem is, unlike many agents, he has the same email for fulls as he has for queries. Although he may route fulls to a different section of his in box. I hope he didn't go to Peru and leave my full request to go to the bottom of his normal submissions. Also I forgot to say in my first post (my bad) that I sent the dream agent guys a pure txt email saying full MS to follow. (with no attachments) Stupidly I asked him to tell me that he'd received the full. which was unnecessary. Thanks for all the support so far. Dan
I know it's hard but try not to think about what's happening to this manuscript, and concentrate on writing your next book instead. Agents request material all the time and you have to trust that their processes work and they'll get to your manuscript when they can. It's out of your hands and the only thing you can control is how quickly you have another manuscript to send your new agent, or to query again if this doesn't work out. And try to limit yourself to 3,000 email inbox refreshes a day.
@ Not a Man Thanks a lot - that's great advice - I have troubles with anxiety, and look for problems everywhere. So I think I'll take your advice: I've been so stressed by this I've been unable to send out new submissions. Guess I gave to increase the meditation time
Hey - thanks for the encouragement!!!! I now have three full MS with three agents, the dream one, a top non-fiction agent looking to branch out into fiction, and a very small agency. After six years of writing and almost a hundred rejections this is great for me as I've taken so many punches over a long period. Of course I could get rejections from all three - then I'll just carry on. I have a spreadsheet of over a hundred UK agents (you can get this by going to the Writers and Artists' handbook and subscribe to their online agency list - they list 100 UK agents and over hundred agents overseas) I'd really recommend you guys take a look - the subscription is cheap. And who knows, after six years of writing with endless submissions for my other books. This may be the one. So I'd encourage everyone to keep writing and submitting; if you believe in yourself, others will too. And good luck to all of you. As Winston Churchill said: Never, never, never give up. Turnip
