Form Q: March 19
Form Rej: March 23 Same kind form as others have received.

MG Fantasy

Query: 3/17/23
Form rejection: 3/23/23

Kind response, quick to reply

128000 adult fantasy

Form Query: 3/17/23
Very kind form rejection: 3/23/23

YA Fantasy, 99k

Timely rejection. I appreciated the professionalism and respect! Also, one of the most thoughtful and considerate form letters I've seen:

Thank you so much for your query. I appreciate the opportunity to consider your work, but unfortunately, after careful consideration, I have decided to bow out. I am truly sorry not to be able to offer you representation, and I wish you the very best of publishing luck as you move forward.

At ABLA, we understand that writing is a passion, an intensely personal calling, a long-time dream for many, and frequently a lonely endeavor. We have great respect for authors, and we share the writer's passion—that is why we are literary agents.

Unfortunately, publishing is a business that necessarily involves a lot of rejection, at every stage. One of the most difficult things for us as agents is to have to say no. Yet, we can take on only a small fraction of all the work we see, and this is simply a business reality.

We say no for many reasons—because of changing trends in the market; because we already have something similar on our list; because we know of similar published or forthcoming titles; because something isn't right for us; because although something may be strong, well-written and even publishable, we didn't fall in love with it.

Please do try to keep this one "no" in perspective. This is a highly subjective business and another agent may adore your work. All it takes is one "Yes." We wish you success in finding that "Yes," whether with us or another agent and publisher.

Thank you for thinking of us and giving us this opportunity to consider your work.

All best,

Laura

FQ: 3/19/23
Form Rejection: 3/23/23

Adult Historical Fantasy, 51k

FQ 3/13/23
FR 3/19/23
Thriller/Suspense 129K

A nicely worded form rejection.

Skipped my query and didn't respond to nudge, so I'm closing.
Bit disheartening but there you have it.

query 3/17/23
rejection 3/19/23

74k urban fantasy
standard form rejection

Form query, 97K adult sci-fi/time travel - 3/20/23

VERY fast but encouraging form rejection - 3/21/23

Form query, 80K historical 23-03-17

Rejected 23-03-20

Historical Romance 70k
Query sent Feb 10th
Nudged March 21st

Super fast response, but it was a rejection.

Update: Rejection came at 11:57 PM PST on 3/13/23. Very, very kind rejection. Idk if it was a form, but it was lovely.

Form Query sent 1/10/23, 81K WF

She usually responds quickly, but mine has been sitting there two months now.

Fingers crossed for a maybe pile, but I'm afraid it may have gotten lost.

QM 3/8/23
FR 3/9/23

Lengthy but encouraging form rejection.

YA Sci-Fi, 77,000 words

Query via QM sent: 3/9/23
Form Rejection: 3/10/23

Coming-of-age, upmarket horror 83,000 words

Super fast response. Certainly the longest and most trying-to-soften-the-blow form rejection I've seen. In looking at her query timeline, there seem to be almost 0% requests from her queries. Ah well.

@CCWrites

I think the other submitter used the "send a message" option on the status page on QueryManager, the same one they say to use to alert the agent if you got a rep offer/need to withdraw.

I try to nudge if there isn't a given timeline for assuming a pass. The submission website says: "If you have not heard from us within 10-12 weeks, please assume we are passing on your project."

I'm at 69 days, so crossing into that.

For the followup:
Therefore, if the first agent passes, you are welcome to query up to two other agents, again one at a time. Should all three pass on your project, please consider it a pass from ABLA and, unless you have undertaken a substantial revision, we request that you not resubmit the same project to others at ABLA.

@hcross13 @pkuroki

How do you nudge at that point? Do you say something like, just checking?

I've never nudged a query before...i've only assumed CNR.

@CCWrites @pkuroki

I'm also in the same boat (FQ 1/15) - did some scouring /way/ back in the comments and saw someone who'd nudged after a while. She replied back and mentioned the outer bound of her ideal response time was 8 weeks so it definitely feels worth a go after that.

Email query sent February 10th.
Has a quick response time but I haven't heard anything.
Possibly in "maybe" pile or has gotten lost.
Will nudge in 2 weeks.