When to let it go

[Cole Gibsen]

I have four agents that I have not received responses from and it has been well over six weeks. Most of them I noticed, thanks to the statistic information provided by this site, have responded in a timely matter to other queries sent to them. What I wonder is if I should bother resubmitting my query. I know that some agents reject by simply giving you no response, but when I see that they have been sending rejections to other people well within a month, I have to wonder if something happened to my letter. When is it appropriate to resubmit, if it's even appropriate at all?

[Patrick]

I've had rejections take six months to get back to me, so you never know.  It's funny how those delayed ones don't seem to hurt as much as the quick ones.  Maybe they were thinking really hard about it and after many agonizing weeks of indecision finally rejected it?  Or maybe they just misplaced my query?

As for re-querying, that is a no-no with most agents.  Many of them keep a database and if you query for the same thing again, they will likely not even respond (again.)  One way around the double query problem is to perform a major re-write of your query letter (which is supposed to be based on the fact that you re-wrote your manuscript, but who will know?)  It is also a good idea to change the title of your book if you are going to re-query.

[Lotheus]

Once they hit the mailbox, they are dead in my mind.  Queries that come back as rejects are noted, but ones that never come back, and there are quite a few, are simply marked no reply/closed.  Thanks to QT for that little bit of closure.  It also gives us more data as to which agents are responding and which aren't.  If there is a trend showing that a certain agent is not replying to queries, authors will see that on QT and filter them out.  See how we can help each other?!

Just a little rant here:  I find it terribly unprofessional that active agents are not responding to queries.  It is bad enough that they have their little interns snip a tiny piece of photocopied paper and drop it unceremoniously into your SASE, but to completely ignore a query is unforgivable and will result in said agent or intern languishing in literary Hell for a long period of time.  That being said, there are agents listed on some other sites that are in fact dead.  If, in your query adventures, you find an agent listed that is no longer living, please let us know.  We try to keep up on these things, but you never know when someone is going to die.  When an agent dies, do three more pop up to take his place?  Just wondering...   

[Cole Gibsen]

It is so frustrating, (not to mention a perfectly good waste of a stamp) to not  have your query answered in some way shape or form. Why even tell us to include a SASE at all? I am going to query Merrilee at writer house again, only because her website states that if she doesn't answer within 4-6 weeks to go ahead and resubmit. It's almost been three monthes, so why not? The rest of them (about six) I'm going to let die, but not before I post about their lack of response on their comments section!

[Lilly_Grant]

Never Give Up!  Never Surrender!
 

[Patrick]

Personally, I think the whole thing is a scam to acquire postage stamps.

[Cole Gibsen]

 

[Lotheus]

Love the Galaxy Quest reference, Lilly.  Great movie.  You know, I have submitted a few email queries, and those are even worse.  No response is considered a rejection.  That's not fair at all to someone who spent so much time crafting and has so much riding on this letter to say, "Ah, if he doesn't hear anything he'll get the idea." 

[Diowe]

I dunno Senshi, you've got to consider the time of year now too. I was under the impression that there's nothing but tumbleweeds stirring on Publishers Row from June to September -- aren't all respectable agents in the Hamptons or have I been misled?

Still. I had one I'd completely given up on - I queried back in early November and just recenty got an email request. So. Never say never.

Diowe

[Patrick]

I was under the impression that there's nothing but tumbleweeds stirring on Publishers Row from June to September -- aren't all respectable agents in the Hamptons or have I been misled?

This is one of the things which QueryTracker will be able to answer (after we have collected enough data from members.)

[JeffCrook]

Summer are slow months. August is when agents and editors alike disappear, or so I have heard.

[Lotheus]

Anybody have any idea why this is?  I mean it's not like these guys are in grade school and when the bell rings they are out for the summer, right??  If so, I may be on the wrong end of this whole business.

[Patrick]

Miss Snark made a reference to it once.  She said that the city is hot and miserable in the summer and a lot of people who can, just leave.  (kind of like our justwrite)

She also said that those who stay are cranky.  That even she seems to be less tolerant of little mistakes in queries because of the heat. I guess they don't have A.C. in New York.  Or maybe they are cranky because the others get to leave and they had to stay.

[JeffCrook]

They are naturally prone to crankiness anyway.

[Patrick]

So I've noticed. 

But, if any agents are reading this, I didn't mean you specifically.  Oh, and let me tell you about this book I wrote...