• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Nathan Bransford | Writing, Book Editing, Publishing

Helping authors achieve their dreams

  • Blog
  • Writing Advice
  • Publishing Advice
  • About
  • Take a Class
  • Get Editing

How often to follow up with a literary agent

April 30, 2018 by Nathan Bransford 18 Comments

Contrary to popular belief among some fearful authors, literary agents will not be scared off and disappear into an angry puff of smoke the moment you send them a follow-up email.

An agent’s inbox looks like the electronic equivalent of Niagara Falls, and at any given time they will have literally thousands of pages in their to-be-read pile. As a result, most agents will appreciate a timely and extremely polite nudge. (And if they would get annoyed by one, would you really want to work with them anyway?)

But when do you follow up with an agent and how often? In this post I’ll give you some guidelines on when and when not to follow up with an agent based on different stages in the publishing process.

I also offer online classes with exclusive resources about finding and working with literary agents that you can take at your leisure. They will help you every step of the way!

And if you need personalized help, I can help edit your query letter or you can book a consultation to ask questions.

How often to follow up on query letters

Unless otherwise specified by the agent, it’s not customary to follow up on query letters. Many agents have “no reply means no” policies and they will get annoyed pretty fast if you start chasing after a query that they didn’t reply to.

Yes, I know, it’s really scary to think your query got lost in the ether and was never seen by your dream agent, but that’s the way the e-cookie crumbles.

The only exception to this is if the agent specifically requested a query letter from you, as in a referral situation or where there’s some sort of a personal connection. In that case, I’d wait a few weeks and check again.

How often to follow up on partial and full manuscript requests

If an agent requests a partial or full manuscript from you, they will expect you to follow up at some point if they haven’t gotten back to you in a timely fashion.

So how long do you wait? I’ve seen everything from a month to two and a half months recommended, but I personally would split the difference and follow-up once after six weeks and thereafter once a month until you get tired of following up.

Unless, that is, you receive an offer of representation from an agent. In which case…

How to follow up when you receive an offer of representation

If you receive an offer of representation, it’s customary to then follow up with all of the agents who are currently considering your manuscript, whether a partial or a full. Give them a reasonable timeframe (7-14 days) to get back to you so you don’t leave the agent who offered you representation hanging.

Opinions vary somewhat on whether to follow up with agents who just have your query letter, but if you have a dream agent on your list it’s not going to kill your chances to follow up with them. (I wouldn’t advise sending out new queries though).

Here’s more on how to handle an offer of representation from a literary agent.

How to follow up when an agent is representing you

Communication frequency is something that you should try to discuss with your agent at the outset. And remember agent Jessica Faust’s reminder that communication is a two-way street and you owe your agent good communication as much as they owe to you.

Bear in mind that things tend to move pretty slowly in the publishing industry. It’s not like other industries where swift communication is the norm.

Therefore, barring something really pressing or timely, plan to wait to follow up after a few weeks for normal communications and a month if they’re reading a manuscript or proposal.

When you send follow ups, remember: agents are busy

You have one manuscript to worry about. Agents are juggling dozens. Try to remember that the nature of the job is hectic and don’t let your impatience get the best of you.

Whenever you follow up with an agent:

  • Always be exceedingly polite
  • Double-check their guidelines before following up
  • Reply to your existing thread of conversation with the agent so they can easily see your previous correspondence.
  • Give them all the context they need to easily respond to your message (e.g. if you’re following up on a manuscript, re-attach the manuscript).

Have a scenario I haven’t covered? Disagree with any of the timelines? Let me know in the comments!

Need help with your book? I’m available for manuscript edits, query critiques, and coaching!

For my best advice, check out my online classes (NEW!), my guide to writing a novel and my guide to publishing a book.

And if you like this post: subscribe to my newsletter!

Art: Detail of Der Brief by Eduard Ender

Filed Under: Literary Agents

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. JOHN T. SHEA says

    April 30, 2018 at 3:45 pm

    “As a result, most agents will appreciate a timely and extremely polite nudge. (And if they would get annoyed by one, would you really want to work with them anyway?)”

    A very good question, Nathan! Which you have asked before, reminding us that we DO have some choice in the agenting area, however lopsided the situation may seem. A bad agent is worse than none at all, and sometimes even a good agent simply may not be a good match for a given writer.

    Reply
  2. Wendy says

    April 30, 2018 at 6:40 pm

    It’s always helpful to understand the situation from the agent’s point of view, so I appreciate this perspective. Thanks Nathan.

    Reply
  3. Lindy says

    September 21, 2019 at 6:38 pm

    Here’s my question. I got responses from some agents but many never replied. I checked them off as a no, but realized later I sent the queries right before the August dead month, which I knew nothing about. One agent I met said she never saw it and asked me to resend. Would a small nudge be inappropriate considering I likely sent it at a bad time? FYI, an agent at a T5 asked for a full manuscript based on two sample chapters and a synopsis, so it’s not a totally horrific writing job. Thx!

    Reply
    • Nathan Bransford says

      September 21, 2019 at 6:41 pm

      I doubt anyone would, like, blacklist you for following up on a query letter, but most agents are not going to look favorably on it. If you make a personal connection then sure go ahead, but I think you risk looking overzealous and not sympathetic to how long it takes most agents to get through their query pile.

      Reply
  4. Karen says

    May 14, 2020 at 12:49 pm

    What are you thoughts on following up on a full manuscript request during this pandemic (especially considering that agents are in NYC)?

    Reply
    • Nathan Bransford says

      May 14, 2020 at 7:00 pm

      Try to be patient and understanding because everyone seems to be moving at a slower speed these days and you don’t know what someone might be going through, but I still think it’s fine to check in on a regular basis according to the guidelines in this post.

      Reply
  5. Kirsten says

    July 15, 2020 at 10:25 pm

    Is it appropriate to send a one-sentence “thank you” to a particularly helpful rejection? (One in which the agent compliments your writing and suggests someone who might be a better fit, allowing you to use their name?) I don’t want to clutter the agent’s inbox, but want to know the etiquette. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Nathan Bransford says

      July 16, 2020 at 9:33 am

      If they send something personalized and helpful I think that’s fine, otherwise if it’s just a general response I’d move on.

      Reply
  6. Jack says

    October 30, 2020 at 8:42 am

    One agency I submitted my partial manuscript to asked for a nudge if any other agent had requested to review the full manuscript. One has requested, so I have nudged. My question is: would it be totally frowned upon to nudge the other agents I submitted the partial manuscript to, along the same lines, even though their websites do not ask for it?

    Reply
    • Nathan Bransford says

      October 30, 2020 at 10:43 am

      At the manuscript request stage I’d only nudge the ones who have specifically asked to be nudged.

      Reply
  7. KJ says

    November 29, 2021 at 7:16 pm

    No idea if this comment thread is still active, but just wondering about certain situations where say – I have had several fulls out – for months – and have nudged each agent with no response (none of the agents gave me a specific turn around time but I waited at least three months to nudge). I have now decided to self-publish instead and take control of my own work, but I wonder if the no response really means no, or if I should send a courtesy email to each agent and let them know that I am pulling the manuscript for consideration. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Nathan Bransford says

      November 30, 2021 at 10:21 am

      If you haven’t heard from them in months, I think this one is up to your discretion.

      Reply
  8. Patrick says

    January 17, 2022 at 12:52 pm

    Hi, Nathan. Thank you for all the information on your website. An agent who has a full ms has asked for a nudge re “movement from any other agents.” Does that mean other requests for a full ms or does that mean any offers of representation? In either of the cases, should I give the names of the other agents?

    Reply
    • Nathan Bransford says

      January 17, 2022 at 1:02 pm

      I would assume they mean offers of representation. It’s up to you whether or not to provide the other names.

      Reply
  9. Anna says

    June 7, 2022 at 3:05 pm

    Hi Nathan. My agent has been submitting my manuscript out to publishers. I haven’t heard back from my agent in 6 months. I know they are busy and publishing is slower than ever. Should I email my agent? Should I hold off. He is usually very good with any updates.
    Thanks

    Reply
    • Nathan Bransford says

      June 7, 2022 at 3:28 pm

      Why are you scared of emailing your agent?? He’s not going to collapse into a puddle.

      Reply
  10. Sarah Dollar says

    November 6, 2022 at 10:59 am

    Hi Nathan,

    I received an R&R during an agent 1-2-1. She seemed genuinely keen on one of my picture book texts and suggested some changes for a second one – I submitted two texts prior to the 1-2-1.
    I made changes and resubmitted.
    I sent a polite nudge 6 weeks later. I am now approaching the 4 week mark for a second nudge – the Frankfurt Book Fair has been going on in the meantime.
    How on earth do I send her another nudge without sounding pushy?

    Dear ….

    I hope the Frankfurt Book Fair went well for you. I just wanted to check in with you to find out if you are still considering my submission, ‘……’ and ‘……’.

    Kind regards

    …..

    Does this sound okay to you?

    Thank you for your thoughts!!

    Sarah

    Reply
    • Nathan Bransford says

      November 6, 2022 at 12:27 pm

      Don’t overthink this!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

About Nathan

Hi, I’m Nathan. I’m the author of How to Write a Novel and the Jacob Wonderbar series, which was published by Penguin. I used to be a literary agent at Curtis Brown Ltd. and I’m dedicated to helping authors achieve their dreams. Let me help you with your book!

My blog has everything you need to know to write, edit, and publish a book. Can’t find what you need or want personalized help? Reach out.

Learn more about me

Need Editing?

I'm available for consultations, edits, query critiques, brainstorming, and more.
Learn more!

My Books

How to Write A Novel
Cover of How to Publish a Book by Nathan Bransford
Jacob Wonderbar and the Cosmic Space Kapo
Jacob Wonderbar for President of the Universe
Jacob Wonderbar and the Interstellar Time Warp

Forums

Need help with your query? Want to talk books? Check out the Nathan Bransford Forums
Footer Logo
Nathan Bransford

Helping authors achieve their dreams

  • Editing Services
  • My Books
  • About Me
  • Blog Directory
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
Twitter Logo Facebook Logo Instagram Logo
As an Amazon and Bookshop Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Amazon and Bookshop links are usually affiliate links.