five Things to Do When You Haven't Heard Back From an Editor or Agent: The Fine art of Following Up

In the 1980s and '90s, before nigh trade publishing houses were "airtight" to unsolicited material, writers would submit difficult copies of their manuscripts to editors and proceed to wait months for a reply.  Sometimes the writers would screw upwards their courage and telephone call or write the editor, and ask when they might expect a response.  They would go no reply.

In the current era, manuscripts are sent electronically, and most publishers will simply consider submissions that come from agents.  So now it'south agents sending your manuscript to an editor via email.  The agent then gain to wait months for a reply.  They make a phone call to follow upwards, and ask when they might expect a response.  They get no answer.

Ok, it's truthful that agents do get replies from editors almost of the time.  But peradventure less often than you lot recall.  And this web log postal service is virtually you lot, and about how to take the reins in your career and not wait for those correct-brained, gone-into-the-witness-protection-plan editors to get back to you.

5 WAYS TO FOLLOW UP WITH AN EDITOR OR Amanuensis AND WHEN TO DO IT:

Waiting for a reply can seem like watching the tumbleweeds roll...

Waiting for a reply can seem like watching the tumbleweeds gyre...

#i.  Maybe an editor said something encouraging to you lot at a conference, and, as requested, you lot sent them your manuscript.  Since then it has been radio silence.  Here's what you tin can do.  After 10-12 weeks, follow up with an email, reminding him or her, "we met at Thirty, you lot said you'd like to take a look at my story about Xxx, and considering 10-12 weeks have passed, I wanted to follow upwards.  Here is my manuscript once more, thank you very much for your time and consideration."  That'southward right, adhere the manuscript, don't have the editor go hunting for your email from 10 weeks ago. This fashion they can click and start reading.  If you haven't heard back in another month, motion on.

(In this example, move on means submit to the next person on your list, and don't wait ever to hear back from the original publishing house. You don't need to officially withdraw the manuscript.  If by some miracle the first editor after says he or she is interested in your book, and you oasis't however sold it, and so great.  But meanwhile you've taken your career into your own hands.)

Mandy and Bernadette knew it in Sunday in the Park with George: you've got to Move On.

Mandy and Bernadette knew it in Lord's day in the Park with George: yous've got to Move On.

#two. Regrettably, in this era, silence is the new no.  Many literary agents take realized they don't accept the time to reply to every query they receive, so they've enacted a policy of "if you don't hear from the states in ____ weeks, assume we've passed." Here'south what to practice when you've queried and agent and the allotted fourth dimension to hear back has passed: Motion ON.  Waiting for just the right literary amanuensis or editor, the one you've got your heart ready on, to say yes to yous is like existence in 7th grade and waiting for simply the right boy, the really beautiful one you lot know is perfect, to ask you out.  You lot are much, much amend off moving on to the guy standing right next to him in the lunch line.

This is also a good rule for a publishing business firm accepting unsolicited manuscripts, and for editors or publishers who are accepting submissions for a certain period after a conference. If you don't hear back from them afterwards 12-16 weeks, assume it'southward a no and move on.

#three.  You accept signed with a literary agent, but they aren't getting dorsum to yous.  Perchance they don't return your calls, maybe they don't answer your emails.  Anybody slips upwards now and over again, of course, and that's non what I'thousand talking about.  Have you left a few messages in a row for your amanuensis, either by email or telephone, and not gotten a reply? Has that happened several times? End the human relationship. The Final thing you lot want is an amanuensis who doesn't return your calls or emails . The publishing process is frustratingly slow and thorny and fraught with all sorts of issues.  Your agent is your champion; he or she goes into boxing for you.  You do not want to be in that battle not knowing when your weaponry is going to bear witness up.  Send an e-mail and say you're terminating the relationship. Do it now.

(And don't be scared. Nearly agents are splendid.  But I get asked well-nigh this every few months, then I'm including it.)

#4.An editor tells you he is taking your manuscript to an acquisitions meeting, and so y'all don't hear annihilation farther. Follow up, by phone or e-mail, remembering the rule, "always be polite and to the signal."  Say "You said you were bringing my book to the committee, has in that location been a response?" I know, I know, who wants to send that electronic mail and hasten the take a chance of hearing "I'm afraid the commission passed?"  But it's amend to hear "no" and move on. It'due south also possible your editor needs to be prodded to get that book onto the meeting agenda.  You but don't know.  You lot need to follow up.

Nota bene: Ever be nice. Never lose your cool and yell at an editor, even by electronic mail, fifty-fifty when he deserves it.  First, y'all never know the full story—I got screamed at, really screamed at, once when it was my dominate causing the delay, but what could I do but have the heat? And second, venting is what you lot accept friends for.  The editor is disorganized, doesn't value your time, has kept you lot hanging, repeatedly breaks her word nigh when she'due south going to respond… all true.  Still, be professional, courteous, and polite. For i thing, when a writer is nice and agreement, we, the editors, just experience more guilty and determined to treat you well and to finally get you an answer.  Secondly, i day you may demand that person you lot but reamed out.  He may be sitting in the audience at sales conference, and be able to tell a rep "Oh, I know that author, so talented." Or y'all may end up sitting side by side to that editor on a console at a conference, who knows? Don't burn bridges.  Act professionally and then get out for drinks with your BFF and go it all off your chest.

#5:  Perhaps your book is under contract, just your editor isn't getting dorsum to you with editorial notes, or with anything else.  You want to revise, you take some other volume you need to work on, and you lot need to know what's going on.  Only although y'all've emailed the editor iii times to enquire about the volume's schedule, you hear nothing.  If you lot take an agent, easy, just tell the amanuensis and he or she volition deal with it.  (Unless the agent doesn't return your calls, in which case, see #2).  But if you lot don't have an agent, and you aren't hearing back from your editor? Email her dominate.  Yup.  E-mail the publisher, remembering to be professional and curtailed, saying "I oasis't had an answer to my questions about the book'south schedule and I'm getting worried that my revision might conflict with some other projection; of form I understand how busy my editor is, just I wonder if you have information for me?" The publisher then forwards it to the editor who deals with it immediately.

Ok, everyone hates that answer, but it really works.

The credenza at one venerable publisher held the manuscripts of a famous editor. Legend had it that its capacity to hold manuscripts was bottomless, making it the Roach Motel of furniture.  Manuscripts went in, but they never checked out.

The credenza at one venerable publisher held the manuscripts of a famous editor. Legend had it that its capacity to agree manuscripts was bottomless, making it the Roach Cabin of furniture.  Manuscripts went in, just they never checked out.

#half-dozen.  Bonus tip! Believe me when I say this: The long, seemingly countless look for a reply is not personal. Information technology is SO non personal.  You've probably had a groovy conversation with a lovely, warm editor at a conference, and that editor gave a speech and talked about 5 award-winning novels he edited.  And withal you lot tin't get this person to fifty-fifty say "no" to the manuscript he asked you to send.  What y'all don't know is, anybody else has the aforementioned experience with this editor, likewise.  Yes, he (or she) turns out some great books, only they are usually quite tardily, involve many delays, and he or she has hundreds of people in their past whom they have pissed off. Every publishing house has one or two genius editors who are brilliant visionaries and will understand your book like no 1 else, and yous may fifty-fifty cease up publishing i volume every 6 years with them.  But information technology won't exist speedy, and at that place will be weeks and months when you don't know what'southward going on.  And, my point is, that's not happening simply to you.

Back when The Satanic Verses was first published, Yalta the explosive-sniffing dog had to check all of Viking's mail, which also caused delays.

Back when The Satanic Verses was outset published, Yalta the explosive-sniffing dog had to check all of Viking's mail, which also caused delays.

When I think back on the writers I didn't reply to, mostly in the starting time 10 years or then of my career, I am mortified.  Here's what would happen.  I would read something, and it would almost work equally a novel, or there would exist an element of it I liked. I would recall, "I demand to write that writer and ask them to endeavour starting on page 25 and to make the girl two years older and to maybe think about the next-door neighbor."  I know, that seems and then easy to exercise when I recollect it now, then why didn't I but write to all those people whose manuscripts were piled up?  I can't even say.  I always meant to.  And equally time went past, I felt I owed them a meliorate letter and even more assist.  About twice a year I would exercise a major clean of my function and write lots of apologetic letters, but there were always a few manuscripts I couldn't quite say no to.

I remember a story from when Jill Davis and I were both editors at Viking Children's Books, which Jill has given me permission to tell.  In those days, when hard copies of manuscripts saturday piled up in our offices, we periodically stayed belatedly to read through them and see if there was anything proficient.  Once Jill establish a promising novel in the bottom of a long-overlooked pile and chosen the author to meet if it was yet available.  The author said, "No. In fact, information technology was named a Coretta Scott King Honor Book in January."

See what I mean? It happens to everybody, and information technology'southward never personal.  I'1000 sad it'southward non a better system, but leave in that location and follow up.  And good luck, everybody.