An agent who has my partial has now requested the complete manuscript, and I sent it off earlier this week. Does anyone have any idea how long it takes for an agent to go over the complete before responding? I’m happy to wait however long, I’d just like some idea so I know approximately what to expect. Another thing is that she wanted to see it on an exclusive basis only. My ms wasn’t a simultaneous submission or I would have mentioned it, but I’m wondering now if she wanted me to affirm this when I sent off my package? I’m really excited she wants to see the whole thing, but also a little nervous… any help/insight would be greatly appreciated!
Does the agency/agent have any guidelines? That's the first place to look. It could take months to hear back (I think the average is around 3 months), or it could take just a few weeks. It really depends on the agent. You can always send her a quick email to ask how long she thinks the process will take. As for your second question, I don't think you have to explicitly state that this isn't a simultaneous submission. The way I see it, submitting the manuscript to her implies that you've acknowledged her guidelines. Also, congratulations on making it this far.
I see it as thirdwind does. I'd wait three months, though being that she has requested it, hopefully it could be a bit quicker than that. Congats also.
Thank you kindly for your responses. Three months is better than what I was expecting, and I had no way of knowing since the guidelines didn’t specify how long it could take. Again, thanks!
Ask. Because she is asking for exclusivity, it's reasonable to know how long you need to keep your ms on hold.
I hadn’t thought of asking her since I was under the impression that most agents preferred complete manuscripts on an exclusive basis. Appreciate the advice!
