I sent out a proposal, synopsis and three sample chapters of my fiction novel early last year. After two rejection letters, one which called my work 'imaginative' and one standard letter the third (well known) agent asked to see my full MS. Which I had not yet written.

I wrote to them saying that I was just finishing a psotgraduate qualification and would submit my full MS as soon as possible.

I sent it last Tuesday! I didn't get it back yet, so do you think they will still read it? What is the normal response time?

It is variable. If you've sent it direct to the Agent who asked to see it originally, then hopefully it'll bye-pass the slush pile and you'll get a reasonably speedy response - a few weeks. If its landed on the slush pile then expect to hear in a few months. If you get it back within the week, it's most probably been returned by the receptionist who's been asked to 'clear the decks', so re-submit direct to the Agent.


- NaomiM

If you originally contacted the agent early last year, I'd be prepared for them not to remember you/your manuscript straight away, tbh. I'd leave it a couple of weeks, then get in touch and politely enquire as to whether they received it, and remind them that you were in touch previously etc.

If you reminded them in your covering letter that they asked for the whole thing, then they'll be reading it fairly seriously, I'd imagine. Which of course means setting aside some time, maybe at a weekend or something. As everyone's said, you could check just that they've got it, but an answer in anything under six or eight weeks would be too much to hope for (which doesn't mean you won't get it, necessarily) and up to three months would be absolutely standard.

Emma

I did the same thing, a really long story resulted, but I got taken on by the publisher I submitted the unfinished novel to, albeit for a different novel and a few years later! Good luck...

Oh, a question I can answer!

An agent asked for the exclusive on the full of my novel in November last year. I sent it on 29th. He rang me on 16th December to say that a reader had read it and given him a good report and that he'd read it over Christmas. He got back to me on 10th Jan with feedback (a request to rewrite and return it to him when I was done).

So what's that...about 6 weeks in total but it was over the Christmas period so you might hear back more speedily?