Hello, dreamers. #QuestPit has come and gone. I haven’t received any industry interest as yet, but to be fair this time around I wasn’t overly active. The Writers of the Future, Vol. 42 release continues to soak up the majority of my time. Still, I had fun and met cool people. This time I actually spent most of my time on Bluesky rather than Twitter, which was a unique experience.

Longtime reader will know that I normally bookend a query round with a pitch event: sort of a combination celebration and last-ditch attempt. However, this time around I still have one card left to play. This weekend, with the help of my beloved WOTF42 group, I’ll be composing a nudge for an agent I’ve queried. Said agent may have already decided not to dignify my query with a response. Or, given that he’s the head of his agency, he might just be really, really busy. Regardless, I found a great Substack article that may have provided a rough template for this fateful email. It suggested it may be appropriate to nudge an agent if you have important news to share. And, well, I have some…

In any event, as I said last week, I remain “cautiously optimistic”. I haven’t been querying long, but I spent enough time researching the process and watching others suffer through it to know there’s no sure thing. But this new avenue has given me a shot in the arm, which has me thinking about requests.

I’ve talked a lot about what happens when an agent says “no” to a querying writer. But what happens when they say “yes”? Well, as with querying itself, it’s a process. And it begins with the request.

“Tell me more…”

As I’ve said before, literary agents are very busy people. They receive hundreds, or even thousands of queries every time they open. And it’s not like they have nothing to do but read queries all day; they also have existing clients to work with. Edits to run through, submissions to send to publishers, book deals to negotiate, and so on. So very few agents actually ask querying writers to send along their complete manuscript. Generally they ask for a brief sample, as few as five pages or as many as fifty. The standard length varies, with most hovering around 10-20 (or the first chapter).

If an agent reads your query letter and sample pages and is interested, the first step is a request to read more. This can come in one of two forms: the partial request or the full request.

In a partial request, the agent will ask to see more of your manuscript, but not all of it. Usually such a request will be made when an agent it’s sure your work is exactly right for them, but either the hook or the writing style is enough to pique their interest. Generally the request will be demarcated by chapters: “Could you send me the next two chapters?” or something like that.

While a partial request is a good sign, it’s by no means a guarantee that the agent wants to represent your work. It’s also not the end: it’s not uncommon for an agent to make another partial request after the first. Or another. Or another. One particularly frustrated querying writer I’m connected with had an agent essentially request her entire manuscript, two chapters at a time. And ultimately said.

A full request is exactly what it sounds like: an agent is interested enough to want to read your entire manuscript. This is often the first step toward an offer of representation. If nothing else, it’s a sign you’re on the right track. In any event regarding a request, the next step is to send the requested materials to the agent, either by QueryTracker or email. What comes next, you ask?

You Wait.

So, yeah, in case I haven’t made it fully clear yet, most of the query process consists of waiting. And when you get a full request the waiting isn’t over. Once you’ve sent the requested materials, it’s up to the agent to read them. And while agents won’t keep you waiting forever, more than likely it’ll take a while. A month or two is fairly typical. It’s not uncommon for a busy agent to take around six months to get around to your manuscript.

It’s acceptable, in some instances, to give agents a gentle nudge. If you’ve made substantive changes to your manuscript due to critique or beta reader feedback. If you have big news, like winning a writing contest or fellowship. If you received a clear referral from one of their clients (note that clear part – it needs to be explicit, not “Oh yeah, my agent is great to work with”). But at most you get one nudge. After that, all you can do is sit and wait. Again.

The Response

Ultimately, a request can end one of two ways. If the agent loves your manuscript, they’ll set up a call to represent you (they could also set up an “R&R” call if they don’t think your work is quite there yet, but let’s not needlessly complicate things). If, however, your full manuscript doesn’t quite grab them, they’ll send along a rejection letter.

It’s distressing, I’ve no doubt, to get this far and receive a “no” after all. But as I’ve said, in all things writing-related, rejection is part of the deal. Even the majority of full requests end in a rejection. But at least a rejection on a full request will likely provide more detailed feedback. The agent has taken the time to read your entire novel. They’re invested in your success, even if they don’t feel like they’re the right agent to help you. More than likely, they’ll feel inclined to tell you exactly why they passed, and what you can do to make the next request end in a “yes”.

The Long and Short of It

Regardless of how it ends, receiving a full request is a major milestone for a querying writer. It represents validation: letting you know, at long last, that your query is working. Your story is not only well-written but also marketable. If your request ends in rejection (which is likely), you’re still not there, but you’re getting close.

It’s important to remember that the vast majority of queries, including those that lead to a full request, end in rejection. But as long as you keep improving your query materials and keep querying, the longer you go the better your chances are. It pays to stick with it. Your agent is out there. You just need to find them. – MK