And yet, apart from the standard lines, saying thanks but no thanks, I haven't heard a thing. It's 15 agents that I've already sent things off to - and this is a really small number! In a recent post on his daily blog, San Francisco Agent Nathan Bransford showed how from over 300 queries in one week, on only 4 did he actually request full submissions - so that's 1%! So realistically, I know I need to send to another 85 agents before statistically one of them will request my complete book. Clearly, if Nathan is your average agent, there are a lot of factors, besides actually having a good book, that go into things....for example, how far down the pile yours gets read, how many on that particular day the agent receives, how busy they are the week you send in.
Because if an agents knows they are going to get 350 enquires in the week, then they know they can be super selective. And, for example, the first one they read that week, in my view, has less chance of being requested than maybe the 300th, by which time the standard has been revealed to be a little disappointing, the genres rather different, and knowing that they've only requested two so far and have only 50 more to read, they go for the 300th one....which might have been just the same as the 1st.....so timing and luck, as well as a great story, clearly all go into the selection process!
I am finding it hard though.....and yet, as a career, I've not even yet started!
I also should be writing my second novel now....something I said I would do, but with all that's been happening, as well as the frustration with hearing nothing, I've not been. In fact, I could be writing now, but am instead typing here, talking about how I should be writing instead!
So enough of that....maybe I am about to write my truly break through novel!!
