Just a quick question for anyone with any relevant experience: If an agent likes your work, will they tend to let you know by post or by phone/email/ fax/ text message/ carrier pigeon?
ta
B

i received an email requesting the full manuscript, followed by an email explaining the reason behind the rejection
sam

most immediate rejections happen by post, in my experience

I had an email one Saturday lunchtime. Took me completely by surprise. A friend had a phone call. I think it depends on the agent.

Are you waiting for news?

Dee

Yeah - sent a query on the off-chance by email just over a week ago, agent requested 3 chapters and a synopsis, and I'm waiting to hear. I guess it hasn't been long yet, but just wandering whether i should obsessively check the post, my phone or the computer!

It’s very early days yet. Most of them take at least a month, some take longer. You have to learn patience in this game.

Dee

Becky,

All my rejections have come by post. The longest took 66 days, the shortest only 4, but I guess the latter didn’t even bother reading my submission.

As Dee said, patience is the word

Grinder

My rejections have come by letter with my SAE, and I've had requests for the rest of the MS by phone, and lately by email.
Emma

I've had rejections by post and by email. I've never had a phone call. The full MS was requested by email, and six months later I recieved the offer of a contract via email.

JB

Mostly they send a standard, many times photo-copied letter, which is just their way of telling you to fuck off.

Sion, you must have sent subs off to the same agents as me. Either that or we're both crap. (joke)

This question is a bit beside the point but does anyone have any idea of what proportion of full manuscripts requested get taken on? I know that the proportion of unsolicited first chaptes is tiny but once the agent expresses interest by asking for the full ms, what are the chances?

I think Becky is asking about positive responses, rather than rejections…

All the rejections I had – and I lost count eventually – came through the post in my own sae, apart from one email in the very early days from the lovely Robin Wade (I’ve never heard anything but good about that guy!)

When I first approached my agent he was taking the standard 2 or 3 chapters plus synopsis submissions by email. I had two finished novels at the time. I tossed a coin, and sent novel 1. He asked to see the full ms. I sent it by post and, fairly quickly, got an email very regretfully rejecting it. I persuaded him to read the first 3 chapters of novel 2 and, after a fairly lengthy re-write to change one of the threads, he read the full ms. The result was a totally unexpected email one Saturday lunchtime offering to take me on.

Ashlinn, I think getting an agent to request a full ms is a massive step forward so the percentage must take a very steep rise. Considering the vast numbers of submissions they see, I cant imagine they would ask for a full ms if they weren’t excited by what they’ve read. Reading a full ms involves a time investment that they wouldn’t consider if they didn’t feel a strong possibility to take on the author. No idea how you’d find out the exact figures though.

Dee

Dee,

Thanks for replying. Anything to make the wait a little less nerve-wrecking!

Ashlinn

Even though Mr.Wade rejected me like so much chaff, he was really encouraging and positive about my novel, and said he was impressed by the originality of the idea.

It's things like that, keeps you going right?

JB

Dead right, JB. He was among the earliest agents I approached, but I've never forgotten the gentle way he let me down.

And, yes, things like that do keep you going.

Dee