Well, after spending the last half-hour crunching some numbers and putting together a couple of handy-dandy graphs, I decided it might be best to wait until I'm done querying Bob to share all of that with you. (But I promise to post them sooner or later, since I'm too much of a math nerd to keep them to myself:) )
Total queries: 56
Pending queries: 1
Non-responses: 4
That pending query hasn't quite reached the three-month mark, but I'm sure it'll turn into another non-response in another couple of weeks. In all honesty, if I hadn't been in the middle of a big revision, I probably would have followed up with at least a couple of those non-responses (and I still might sometime), but for the time being, it is what it is.
In other news, I picked up another partial-turned-full request last month as well as another R&R. When I informed the agents that I was currently working on a revision, they both said they'd be happy to wait. And just so I don't leave you completely statistic-less, here are a few more numbers:
Minimum response time (requests): 0 days
Median response time (requests): 12 days
Maximum response time (requests): 92 days
Minimum response time (rejections): 0 days
Median response time (rejections): 15.5 days
Maximum response time (rejections): 96 days
If you compare these response times to the ones I reported in December's query update, you'll find that both maximum response times are a lot bigger than they were back then, but that makes sense, since I've been querying Bob a lot longer now. Interestingly, however, the median response times are still both relatively small, which suggests that those maximum response times really are outliers. (In fact, I heard back from both of those agents after I followed up with them.) These data suggest that 50% of agents respond to queries within about two weeks, which is actually pretty good.
Is anybody else querying a manuscript right now? Have you seen similar trends in your statistics?
22 comments:
One thing I've noticed along my querying travels: the increasing number of "no response means no" category of agents. Sigh. I know it's a fact of the industry but it sucks. I've got about 4 right now that I'm in that boat with.
Thanks for sharing your stats! It helps to see what others are going through.
I've been querying for a month now. It seems like I got the majority of responses within the first three weeks. The last week has been ominously quiet. Nothing. It feels strange, like I should be sending out more queries, but I know I need to see what happens with the first batch before I move on.
I'm querying and I think I'm around the same number as you (in the 50s). However, I am querying women's fiction. I've had response in 20 minutes from clicking "send" to see the full. The longest has been three weeks and they requested to see the first 100 pages. Otherwise, it's been "no" or no response at all. I will say I've been hearing crickets the last two weeks and I'm wondering if my email is broken. Usually, I get something... Not a thing. Since February, I've had 2 "no-s" (one took 4 weeks for response, the other 2 weeks) for my full. Another "no" after reading a partial (2 weeks). And I have a full out (it'll be a month tomorrow since she's had it) and a partial out (3 weeks since they've had it on Friday). Have you noticed lots of silence this past week? Or is that me?? GOOD LUCK!!! Keep us posted!
I've been querying my current ms since October- but I haven't sent out any in at least a couple of months. I have 2 fulls out- one has been out for 5 months now and the other about a month. I have been tossing around shelving this project for a while, so I haven't sent any additional queries out.... working on something new right now... sigh.. :)
I just started querying a new novel today.
I'm very excited at the number of R&Rs you've gotten--you're really close! Good luck.
I find it so fascinating to see other writer's query statistics! Thanks for sharing yours. I started querying recently, but I don't have any stats yet-- it's a bit too soon!
I'm a little higher than you w/the #of queries, but am finding faster responses--and also more non-responders.
I hear ya, Jeanmarie. I've been surprised at how many agents have gone to the no-response-means-no policy since the last time I queried. (Actually, that very thing has dissuaded me from querying a few agents I queried with my last manuscript.)
Liesl, last week seemed strangely quiet for me as well. I haven't been querying lately, but I have been contacting agents about doing interviews and such, and if I remember right, I didn't hear from ANYONE last week, either. Interesting.
Christie, thanks for sharing your response times on requested material! I've seen similar trends with my own requests, lots of replies within a month or two. (And as I mentioned above, I didn't hear from anyone last week, either. Maybe it was Ignore Your Inbox Week and we just didn't get the memo:) )
Steph, good for you for working on something new! If you're anything like me, you'll fall in love with that new project and have a hard time going back to the other one.
Thank you, Lucy! Congratulations right back at you! Sounds like you're querying the right agents if you're getting bunches of requests within a day or two:)
Connie, that's awesome! Good, good luck with those queries! And thank you for your words of encouragement. Some days I feel really close, and other days I don't. Just have to keep pressing forward on this revision...
Exciting news, Shallee! I'll have to pop over to your blog and find out more about your manuscript. It was YA science fiction, wasn't it? I'm all about the YA sci-fi:)
Interesting, Bethany. A few comments up, Lucy said she was seeing lightning-fast responses, too. That's great! (In fact, I can't help but wonder if all the no-response-means-no-ness has freed agents up to make quicker requests...)
I don't have any statistics to share, but I have to say how impressed I am (again) with yours. I wish my brain worked this way! :)
I hope you had a happy Easter, Krista!
Amy
Wow, that's a lot of number crunching. Congrats on the partials!
I, personally, don't care what my statistic are. I've had a couple requests for partials (didnt' pan out obviously), but right now, there are so many other options that I won't be upset if I don't get an agent on this novel. There's always the next one. :D
Oops, that sounded snotty, didn't it. It wasn't meant to be that way.
I keep my fingers crossed for your success! :)
Thanks for sharing your stats. It looks like agents typically respond more quickly than editors.
So interesting to see your stats! You're definitely moving in the right direction. I know it feels like a struggle at times. So glad the direction your revisions are taking!
I'm a bit stalled right now on querying, but yeah, I agree "no response means no" is tough. Agents who have responded responded quickly. Good luck! (And good record keeping).
Amy, we did have a happy, if low-key, Easter. Instead of cooking the traditional ham, we made pizza-inspired pork chops and tomato and fontina risotto. Yum! (I did have to wrestle with the kids at church a little, since Honey Bear was singing with the choir, but then, that's not unusual...)
Darke Conteur, I didn't find your comment snotty at all. On the contrary, I think you have a great attitude. "There's always the next one" is a great thing to chant when it comes to writing and querying:)
Myrna, I definitely think that's the case. Editors are usually salaried employees, so their incentive to read quickly and find their next paycheck isn't quite as high.
Thanks, Kris! I certainly hope I'm moving in the right direction.
Sarah, I'd probably make a good bookie, since I always keep insanely detailed records:) Good luck with your project. I'm sure you'll figure out what to do.
It's not no-response week. I got a rejection on Sunday and another off a partial yesterday. The rejection off the partial is particularly annoying bc I had a partial out to that agent, it had been 6 months, so I nudged with a request to send my revised manuscript to the new assistant, (and it was a referral from another agent) and got a no thanks, without even having new pages to look at.
So basically, I took a partial and turned it into a form query rejection. That takes skill!
I didn't want to work with them anyway! lol
Good luck Krista, and good luck to all the commenters in the boat with us:)
Hey Krista!
I'm taking a long query break (I haven't queried anybody since January.) I've been working on revisions for my second novel, which I hope to start querying in the fall. However, I'm going to a conference in May so I may start sooner. Interestingly, the agent and editor I'm going to meet have a partial and a full of my first novel (but neither one ever gave me an answer.) I'm also waiting on another partial but it's been too long so I don't expect to hear from this agent again.
Lorena
Thanks for sharing, Kelly. Disappointing that the agent never took a look at the revision, but what can you do? Good luck with the rest of your queries!
Lorena, I'm sorry that agent and editor never responded! I can tolerate the no-response-means-no policy when it comes to queries (especially if the agent has an auto-responder to let you know your query made it to her inbox), but I don't think I'll ever be okay with a no-response-means-no policy on requested material.
This is great and interesting. I have had a tricky time tracking because I have rolled out my queries slowly. I think response time depends on if you have something the agent is looking for at that moment. Good luck! And don't let fear get in your way.
First off, Christa, I just have to say that I think your name is pretty great:) Secondly, good luck right back at you! Querying is a tricky business, so I don't think there's anything wrong with a careful, methodical approach.
This is fun! Glad I'm not the only one getting query weary. I'm up to twenty, all in the last month. Six form rejections and a request for full. Now, I'm distracting myself with my new novel.
Callie, it's always a good idea to distract ourselves, isn't it? :) Good luck with those queries (and that request!), and good luck with your new project!
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