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How Not to Write a Novelby Howard Mittelmark |
| Friday February 10, 2012 | 
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Writers Ask the Expert A Literary Agent's Response Time
| A Literary Agent's Response Time |
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| By Rachel Vater | |
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Q: After an agent requests your work, how long should a person have to wait to hear back? -Dee A: Agents vary on their response rate to manuscripts, usually one to three months. If you haven't heard back from the agency after a month and a half or two months, it's fine to follow up with a brief phone call. If you call during lunch hours, you'll likely get the agent's answering machine, and you can leave a polite message like this one: "Hi, this is Jane Smith at (555) 123-4567. On May first your agency requested my manuscript, When the Snow Falls Up, my novel about orphans in Alaska, and I sent it to you that weekend. I was wondering if you'd had a chance to review it yet. There are a few other agents who'd like to take a look at it, and I wanted to make sure you'd had a chance to consider it first before I sent it out to anyone else. Again, you can reach me from 9 to 5 o'clock at (555) 123-4567. Thank you." This approach is polite and professional, and the agent should get back to you more quickly if you give her a nudge to remind her that you're waiting. Letting her know that there's a demand to see your manuscript increases her urgency to see what the buzz is about. Informing her that you're allowing her to consider it first will make her feel special, and she should get back to you quickly. Following up by phone is the best method, but you could send an e-mail instead if you find a phone call too intimidating. If the agent doesn't respond within a reasonable amount of time afterward, a week or two, you should cross her name off the list and send your work to the next agent. Rachel Vater |
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