Thanks Emma, at least I know now: I'll just have to hang on for the film rights... (of course, I've got to bag the agent first). It's this fertile imagination that's allowed me to write the book in the first place but, sadly, the same imagination has promised me a virtual farm, two pigs and a couple of great make-believe holidays.

Well it could yet happen, just maybe a few books down the line. I still have an image of Minette Walters sailing her cruiser out of Poole harbour...

Emma

I'm having another wobble: presumably caused by being alone with my characters and doing fifteen hours a day on rewrites, but...

Don't interested agents ask you to stop sending out to others? Or is the assumption that I'm no longer doing that as I've changed everything they've asked me to change? If they were desperate to have me, wouldn't they have tried to make sure no one else did?

Sometimes agents ask that you send them the full MS exclusively, but it's very important not to let that go on too long - the general consensus seems to be that a couple of weeks is fair, and you certainly shouldn't agree to something open-ended. But it's by no means standard practice. From your side it's bad form to give the impression that you're lining up all the interested agents and conducting a beauty contest, but they know perfectly well that if they're interested others may be. That's their problem, not yours...

Emma

Goodness, that figure of 10k is depressing, no?
I realise that I have been massively lucky.
HB x

That gives me hope!

I've sent it! Guaranteed next day delivery, in the hopes they'd print copies off to read over the weekend.

I've been head down in it for ten days, cut three thousand original bits and added 10,000 words more. I'm hoping they'll be impressed enough by my quick turnaround to give me another chance if it's not what they want!

I'll post as soon as I hear. Back to the waiting game: hideous!

Assuming I got the revisions right, how long should I look at waiting till the contact me again?

I was looking at Stefland's posts about his experience: most people's contact seems to be phone or email. All mine has been by letter. Do some agencies stick to letter all the way through until the meeting? Or am I waiting for a phone call? My mobile is stapled to my side, I can't sleep or concentrate: they've had the revised manuscript for a week tomorrow.

I know that 'other people in the office' have also read it: would they all read the revisions? Or just the agent? I need some hand-holding...

Pachelbel, I'm going through my own agent saga at the moment, but so far I've found that response time has been quite swift - maybe a couple of weeks. Having said that, because you've already been through a few rounds with this agency, they might be taking their time on it a bit more, just to make sure they're happy with it, as I doubt they'd ask you to revise it again without making some firm commitment. I must admit this is all just speculation though - just thought you needed some positive words! It all sounds like it's going in the right direction to me.

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Edited to add - mine have all contacted me by email, thus far.