Nudging

[Kimmy]

Has anyone noticed that if they nudge, they get faster responses and more positive responses, or no change in times, or quicker rejections?

[Tabris]

The only time I tried nudging an agent it was someone who imagined herself an immovable object. This was in 2006 and I'm convinced I'd still be waiting for her to reply if I hadn't emailed her and said to forget about it.

Oh, wait! No, there was one other, whom every time I nudged her (at 4 month intervals) she either asked me to resend my stuff or said she was getting to it, orI should send it to her son, etc. A friend of mine (we'd pitched at a conference) had the same experience of this woman.  At one point she emailed me and asked me to resend the material, and I never bothered to respond to her.

[violet]

I nudged once...it resulted in an almost insta-rejection. From then on, I never nudged again.

However, there are plenty of folks who will tell you they're happy they nudged. Someone on this forum did so and I believe it resulted in an upgrade to a full and then an offer.

This probably doesn't help you at all...sorry! 

[bodwen]

An agent (Janet Reid?) once compared nudging an agent to reminding a teenager to clean his room. 

Some forget and rely on nudges to jog their memories, while others see it as nagging.  It's best to hold off for at least three month in either case. (Easier said than done, I know!)

[Kimmy]

Thanks!

[AshK]

Do you mean to nudge on a query or on a submission?

I wouldn't nudge on a query. I might nudge on a submission. And I'd shove with a shoulder if I got an offer from someone else.

[Kimmy]

AshK, if you had a query out longer than 3 months or longer than their website says is usual, would you  just requery?  If so, i recently updated my query. SHould I send the original or the new one? And, should I say this is a s resend?  NOT SURE WHAT TO DO!!!!

[AshK]

I'd have to check their guidelines and blog. Some agents aren't put off by a nudge. Some are.

However, if your new query is completely different and their stats here reveal they usually respond much sooner, I might send a new query without mentioning the old. But the query would have to be completely different--not just tweaked. And shake up the format--if you intro'd yourself first in the old one, go right in with the hook this time.

I DO NOT RECOMMEND every querier doing this on every unanswered query. But if your book looks like a good fit for the agency and the agent seems like a perfect fit for you--and I mean really really and not just our hope of getting them convincing us it's a good fit--try it. They didn't answer once. The worst they'll do is not answer again.

(Notice I didn't say the worst they'll do is reject you. Not knowing is far worse than knowing.)

I've queried an agent or two twice. By accident, I swear. It happens.