Share your full MS stats

[mysticatical]

I cannot find a thread like this but can we log how long it takes to hear back? These are only for my full MS requests. The others haven't got back to me yet/perhaps won't!

Agent 1 Sent 10th January. Waiting to hear back (I thought it was CNR but I spoke with him at a lit festival as part of an agent speed dating thing and he said he is looking forward to reading it).

Agent 2 requested the full MS in twenty minutes based off the first page. 2 weeks later, a rejection. Revise and re-submit. Re-submitted 2 weeks later. 'Very strong edits but unfortunately, still can't connect.'

Agent 3 19th January requested full MS (the day after I sent out the sample). Rejected 8th February.

Agent 4 Sent 18th February, waiting to hear back.

Agent 5 13th pitched book, 14th March sent out full MS to agent, waiting to hear back

Agent 6 26th sent full MS after pitching at festival - 26th March - waiting to hear back

Agent 7 sent full MS after pitching at festival - 26 March - waiting to hear back

Agent 8 sent full MS after pitching at festival - 26th March - waiting to hear back

Agent 9 sent full MS after pitching at festival - 26th March - waiting to hear back


4 more agents from the day requested it but I didn't want to put all my eggs in one basket.

[Viddiest]

My story so far-

Agent 1 - Queried Nov 11, heard back within hours, sent manuscript same day. 2 nudges March 1 and Match 25 No response so considering CNR
Agent 2 - Queried Dec 12, heard back next day, form rejection approx month later.
Agent 3-  Queried Dec 12, partial, rejected 2 weeks later but a personalised note from assistant that client list was heavy but the writing was strong.
Agent 4- Queried Jan 3, heard back immediately, revise and submit on March 25 with detailed notes and very involved throughout. Loved story, characters and voice, but wants me to work on structure.
Agent 5- Queried Jan 3rd, full request Jan 15, responded to nudge on March 26 with revise and submit. Also loved characters and story and suggested structural edit.
Agent 6- Queried in Nov sometime, heard back March 5, awaiting response
Agent 7- Queried in Nov sometime, heard back March 15, awaiting response

[mysticatical]

Thanks for sharing Viddiest! It is kind of exciting as well as anxiety-inducing to know agents are reading your work, isn't it!?

[MegTravelz]

For my last project that I queried:
Agent 1: Queried April 15th 2020-- full requested May 7th 2020-- form rejection 3 months later (very end of her timeframe, July 28th 2020)
Agent 2: Queried an agent on May 9th 2020, was referred to her colleague on July 30th 2020; queried her and had full requested same day. Three weeks later got an R&R from her. Required with revised manuscript 2 months later; got a very detailed (and nice) rejection two weeks later
Agent 3: Queried July 21st 2020-- full requested September 9th-- personalized rejection Nov 9th 2020

For my current project:
Agent 1: Queried 11/11/2021--partial requested 12/01/21-- rejection with feedback 12/08/2021
Agent 2: Queried 02/11/2021--full requested 02/15/2021-- still waiting, her QT page suggests 3 months is typical
Agent 3: Queried 02/11/2021--partial requested 02/16/2021-- rejection with kind feedback 03/03/2021

The best way to judge response times (at least that I've learned), is to look on their page on QT. Lots of aggregated data for viewing

Also, congrats to both of you for all the requests!

[mysticatical]

Hi Meg, thanks for sharing and well done on the full requests! Can I ask, why did you stop querying your last project?

[MegTravelz]

Hi Mysticatical,

Yeah! I stopped querying my first project for a few reasons.

1. After the R&R for my first project (YA Mystery), I loved my book a lot more but there was still *something* about it that didn't sit right with me. And I didn't know how to fix it. So I decided to shelve it and work on my new project. I realized as soon as I started querying my new project (YA contemp), that my response rate for the YA Mystery was terrible. I basically had a 5% response rate for the YA mystery. And since I'd had an agent at a big and well respected agency read it *twice*, and say very specific, nice things about it, I know it's not that my writing sucks or that my first pages fail to draw people in. I think it might just be a hard book to sell at the moment, or that it's too dark for the current global situation we're in. Or a million other reasons, but all I know is it's not getting requests. (and I've revamped the query too)

2. With that being said, I realized my new project was way more marketable (own-voices LGBTQ, fun uplifting summer YA contemporary). And as soon as I started querying, my request rate was at 15%, so wayyyy better than my last book haha. I think I have a better chance of getting an agent with this book, and then, fingers crossed, I would get to return to my old book one day.

[richardclin]

Hi Mysticatical,

I won't go agent by agent but will aggregate my query journey data so far:

- Started querying about six weeks ago
- Have queried around 50-55 agents
- Have received four requests for partial, five for full, one for proposal (since it is a memoir)
- Of the ten requests for more material, three have rejected me, but then I asked one to allow me to R&R and she agreed

It seems that agents only offer rep to about 2-6% of the authors from whom they requested material. So I see a long road still ahead of me, especially if agents feel I am a stronger query writer than manuscript author (or they feel they cannot figure out how to sell what is essentially a YA Romance disguised as an #ownvoice memoir from the 80s...