Don't Rush Editors and Agents

I tell authors when they submit to me, to give me up to three months to answer your query. Now, in reality, I get really annoyed with myself when I extend that to over 1 month. However, in recent weeks, I have had several authors (let me know that every one of these were from Query Manager submissions) write to me after I requested a partial telling me that they just heard from another agent and need an answer from me immediately. In one author's case, she had sent me a query, I replied the next day (good timing on her part) she sent me the partial a couple of days later and then in 5 days, was pushing to get a reply back because someone else had asked for a full and was now offering representation. 

There are couple of things to say here. 

First, you should only send out projects to agents that are at the top of your list. If any of those offer, you should take it. Telling that person you want to wait to hear from someone else implies you were not their first choice. 

Secondly, remember that agents DO have their own clients they work with and those people take a priority over your new submission. As for editors, they also have to work with their own authors as they navigate the publishing gauntlet as well, even if they did like your writing, having to take it to the team to see if it fits with the all of the other projects.

Finally, and I honestly think there are authors out there doing this, telling agents in particular you have an "offer" when you don't, or maybe the other agent just asked to see a full is not cool. I have no way of proving this, but my gut instinct says it is happening. 

I get it. It takes you all of 10 minutes to click on every agent out there on Query Manager who might be looking for your genre. It might take you all of 1 hour (I am really stretching that one) to copy and paste that same generic, non-specific query letter to every agent who's last name ends with E-G and hit send. 

This business takes time. 

You SHOULD be looking for an agent that does more than just crank out contact negotiations for you. You work for an agent for a long time to build your career. 

If you just want to get that immediate satisfaction of saying your are a published author, please, take the time to check out those self-publishing sites. As for me, I am going to continue to take the time necessary to find quality authors and quality stories.