Hi all, I'm new.

I submitted my manuscript to an agent in late November. She liked it, but had a couple of reservations which we discussed. I changed the manuscript in places according to her recommendations and re-submitted it a week ago.

The following day she asked me to outline my notes for the series (it's a children's novel). I put together some notes, including story synopses for the next three books, and submitted that to her.

She has thanked me and said that she'll let me know about representation when she has done some research.

However, I also have another agent asking to see the full manuscript, having read the first three chapters.

How long, reasonably, should the first agent take to come back to me and let me know whether she'd like to represent my book? I don't want to push her too hard, but of course I don't want to lose the second agent's interest.

Any advice gratefully received.

I think there are wildly varying experiences of this kind of thing on WW, although personally I think that at the stage you're at, and as you know she's already read it once, the agent shouldn't make you wait for more than a month. This is a bit of a "how long is a piece of string" question, though.

However, I think you should email Agent 1 and let her know that another agent has asked for the full MS - maybe reiterating your interest in her own agency and saying that you are just keeping her informed. Agents know that you're unlikely to have submitted to just the one, no matter what the standard guidelines say... In the mean time, I would probably send your MS to agent 2 anyway, seeing as nothing is signed and sealed with 1 - though others may feel differently.

Hi Carot, and Welcome to WriteWords

Until you've signed with an agent - and unless you've agreed to a period of 'exculsivity' with the first agent while she looks at your ms - there's nothing to stop you from sending your ms to the second agent.
It is usually best to be honest with both agents and tell them that others are also interested.
At present the business is suffering from the recession and acquisition meetings are being cancelled, so it may mean an extra long wait, but it's good news that 2 agents are interested, so hopefully it should work out for the best in the end.


- NaomiM

<Added>

oops, apologies, that should of course have been 'Hi Carrots...'

Yep, agree with Becky. Sounds great, good luck!