tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post1232011372534250217..comments2024-03-28T06:16:39.508+00:00Comments on Help! I Need a Publisher!: DEAR CRABBIT: how long till I can follow up a query?Nicola Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12189894289540344094noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-3520746527241757072012-06-30T09:48:22.939+01:002012-06-30T09:48:22.939+01:00Captain Black - I sense and understand your frustr...Captain Black - I sense and understand your frustration. But you say "How hard would it be for agents and publishers to set up a code of conduct (for both themselves and their prospective clients) and to communicate this to all concerned, say via their guidelines?" They do have a code of conduct for many aspects (to be honest, more fundamental and, in my view, serious, aspects) but I&#Nicola Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12189894289540344094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-40237003832067846072012-06-29T00:08:28.068+01:002012-06-29T00:08:28.068+01:00Thank you, Nicola. I have two outstanding submissi...Thank you, Nicola. I have two outstanding submissions from January and February which I had written off sometime around May and tried elsewhere (still waiting, but I can see from your post that that's fair enough!). Guess who I'll be emailing first thing in the morning - thank you! Invaluable as ever.Jackie Buxtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02186723392553752533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-52420301394533439262012-06-28T18:47:00.005+01:002012-06-28T18:47:00.005+01:00Given what's been said here, I fail to see how...Given what's been said here, I fail to see how the submissions aspect of the business can be considered professional in its current state. How hard would it be for agents and publishers to set up a code of conduct (for both themselves and their prospective clients) and to communicate this to all concerned, say via their guidelines? The whole process seems unduly crippled, due to a few bad Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-662371497766629132012-06-28T08:48:10.417+01:002012-06-28T08:48:10.417+01:00Dan Holloway and Nick - hooray! And my point exact...Dan Holloway and Nick - hooray! And my point exactly. which is why "assume it's a no" is unreasonable.<br /><br />And Nick, re not hearing back from one's own agent - indeed! Some aspiring writers think that once we're published it's all plain sailing. If only! I think it's quite hard for some people to understand just how time-consuming many aspects of an agent'Nicola Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12189894289540344094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-7654596829830867572012-06-27T22:43:26.736+01:002012-06-27T22:43:26.736+01:00Very helpful post. It occurred to me only this mo...Very helpful post. It occurred to me only this morning that I must chase up some stuff that's been 'out there' for too long.Jean Atkinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09619733874421657191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-26590939637981237272012-06-27T22:34:13.164+01:002012-06-27T22:34:13.164+01:00Nice to hear that you don't rule it out altoge...Nice to hear that you don't rule it out altogether. When I was submitting, it was back in the days when you mainly did it by post. I submitted to my dream agent and heard nothing for weeks, not even the prepaid acknowledgement postcard. I agonised because I didn't want to appear pushy but eventually sent another quey with an apology and "I hope you don't think I'm being pushyDan Hollowayhttp://danholloway.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-32319863712263987102012-06-27T15:38:46.996+01:002012-06-27T15:38:46.996+01:00My fastest response by email was a matter of minut...My fastest response by email was a matter of minutes. And my slowest, also by email, was a year and a quarter. I think there are some great points on this post and the comments that follow. Ultimately, writing is a profession so the best approach is 'do as you would be done by'.DThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11803989273524731892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-41956523542492145892012-06-27T14:43:27.664+01:002012-06-27T14:43:27.664+01:00DanielB - don't apologise: I was actually abou...DanielB - don't apologise: I was actually about to come along and say some of that in response to several comments, so thank you!<br /><br />Captain Black - I understand what your saying and your disapproval of a failure to respond at all is quite understandable and justifiable. However, you're hoping for an ideal world, a world in which every writer behaves in a sensible way and every Nicola Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12189894289540344094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-6091954730746229952012-06-27T14:15:17.918+01:002012-06-27T14:15:17.918+01:00The problem as well is not so much that they are b...The problem as well is not so much that they are busy people but the hierarchy of how they deal with work. An agent's first priority will be to the current work of her established clients (which can still require a lot of work after publication - overseas rights, TV & radio, etc.). Then it will be the newer, as yet unsold work of her established clients. (Oh, yes - we published folks Daniel Blythehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07487799866651688342noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-66567355097681444472012-06-27T12:30:38.666+01:002012-06-27T12:30:38.666+01:00I'm starting to suspect that this side of the ...I'm starting to suspect that this side of the business is erring on the side of unprofessional. However, before I launch into a negative criticism of the process, I'd like to check my facts…<br /><br />Is there any concept of a difference between a <i>response</i> to a submission and the <i>result</i> of a submission? By this I mean:<br /><br /><i>Response</i>: An acknowledgement that theAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-71442415978023754172012-06-27T11:01:48.089+01:002012-06-27T11:01:48.089+01:00Heck, I've waited that long to hear from peopl...Heck, I've waited that long to hear from people who already represent / publish me!<br /><br />Follow-ups can definitely pay off. My first publisher was one I'd written off completely, as they'd had my book for half a year at least. It turned out they hadn't even glanced at it.Nick Greenhttp://www.nickgreenbooks.webeden.co.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-75188647509313289852012-06-27T10:37:30.776+01:002012-06-27T10:37:30.776+01:00I just wanted to add that it might take a little t...I just wanted to add that it might take a little time for an agent to respond to your query about your query. I'm an intern at an agency and when we do get a follow-up email, I have to contact the other interns to find out who (if anyone) dealt with the original query so that we can trace it.<br /><br />I agree it's unreasonable for people to use the "if you don't hear from u in Lesleyhttp://liesandothernonsense.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-53664436606864898322012-06-27T10:26:28.975+01:002012-06-27T10:26:28.975+01:00After having waited 8 weeks from a reply from an a...After having waited 8 weeks from a reply from an agent to my initial query email I politely asked for an update (as you suggested along with with the previous email).<br /><br />She replied within two hours to say she hadn't received the initial email but having now looked at my query she did not wish to take things further.<br /><br />I sometimes think it's better to live in hopeful Sally Zigmondhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07520579251842006765noreply@blogger.com