How long to reply to/read a full MS request?

[allmywires]

Basically what it says - those of you who've had full MS requests from agents/publishers, how long did it take them to get back to you? I don't want to badger her about it, but it is playing on my mind...

 

[Jo Zebedee]

It can take months, AMWs. I've had five pages with an agent for nearly two weeks, and know from AW it can take weeks more, and that's not even for a full. Having said that, the group you're with (if it's the same ones) seem quick. Your subject matter, though, is a little outside the norm for them, so maybe there's some discussions to be had? I'd say sit on it a bit longer and wait. Bite your nails... I have none left.

 

[allmywires]

Gah! OK, thanks. I'm itching to make a large overhaul though, and I'm wondering if I start it will invoke sod's law...

 

[Boneman]

I've had six full ms requests and they breakdown like this (from best to worst)

1. ten days
2. thirty eight days
3. One hundred and two days.
4. One Hundred and eighteen days
5. Two hundred and seventy three days and still counting...

Numbers one to four all said it could take up to three months to get back to me, so it wasn't my intention to contact then until the three months were up.


6. Didn't hear for over five months, sent a very polite email asking, and was told the intern looking at it had left, had passed it upwards, but it was overlooked. Then waited another three months, another polite request, and they said no about three weeks later. (I am number six is all on my old computer, the dates pretty approximate, but the magic three months was in there.)

Whatever they say on the website, go by. If they say in their request it will take three months, then believe it. I wouldn't enquire after three months and a day, I'd (as you can see above) leave it a bit longer, and then be very polite and say you hate to be seen to hassle, but have they had a chance to read it? As brief as possible I think, though wait for others to add their advice.


ps: saw your post. I did continue to edit and rewrite certain scenes while I waited, because it was improving it... Made me feel silly thinking 'damn, they'll think I submitted before it was ready' but I even had feedback from an agent that this was acceptable, as long as I wasn't changing the story too much.

 

[Susan Boulton]

How long is a piece of string?

I had fulls out anything from three weeks to twelve months. My agent had it for six months before I was signed.

 

[allmywires]

The thing is, as springs mentioned, it's not exactly by conventional means - I got a partial request from a Twitter pitch competition. But then again, just because I essentially skipped the submissions process, I suppose it doesn't put me to the head of the queue...Sitting on my hands it is then.

 

[Mouse]

Ordinarily I'd agree with the others, but as I know who this is I'm not sure. They seemed to reply to the 'yes' ones pretty quick, and springs got a quick answer. I got a no reply which I'm taking as a no so it almost makes me think a non response is a no. Although, I can't see why they'd say no to yours. So... Yeah. I don't know.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

The fact they let me know from the full makes me think you'll hear, amw. Maybe leave a fortnight, then chase up?

 

[Mouse]

The fact they let me know from the full makes me think you'll hear, amw. Maybe leave a fortnight, then chase up?

Oh that's true actually. I make no sense!

 

[allmywires]

Yeah, I think I'll keep an eye on what happens with this week's Friday Frenzy, and if they start giving out offers for those books before I hear back, I'll give her a gentle prod.