Querying a literary agent is a daunting task, but not knowing when you should follow up with a literary agent can be even worse. You’ve sent out your agent query pack, you’ve waited weeks for a reply, but you’ve received nothing. Now you have to ask yourself: should I follow up?
If this is something that turns you into an anxious mess or seems worse than just querying another batch of literary agents, that’s okay. But you might still want to think about it if you’re holding out hope for that perfect literary agent to reply to you still.
Find out how to follow up with a literary agent and why you might not have heard from them below.
When should you follow up with a literary agent?
After querying a literary agent, you’re in for a wait. Many literary agencies will give you an idea of how long it might take before you can expect a reply. Most waiting times are around 1 to 2 months, but you’ll often see anywhere up to 4 months on submission pages.
In general, it’s a good idea to wait 2 to 3 months before following up with a literary agent. You should also check if their submission guidelines suggest an appropriate time to check in with them, if you haven’t received any reply.
You should also only follow up once. Emailing multiple times without a reply will only fill up their email inbox more, and it’s also considered rude.
Remember: agents talk to each other! Being rude to one agent guarantees that not only they won’t consider you again in the future, but they might warn others in their agency.
How should you follow up with a literary agent?
When following up with a literary agent, it’s important to first remind yourself that it’s impossible for an agent to read and reply to every submission.
A simple email can be really effective. Remain polite and professional at all times. You might send an email that says, “Hi, I queried you # weeks ago and wondered if you’d had an opportunity to read my submission. Thanks so much.”
If you’ve received an offer of representation, let them know that another agent has been in contact about representation but you’d like to give them a chance to read the manuscript as well. Don’t send the manuscript without being asked for it!
You can always give a small nudge like: “I’d be grateful if you could let me know if you’re interested in reading the full manuscript at your earliest convenience.”
Then set an internal deadline. If you don’t hear back within two weeks, move on to other agents.
Why many writers don’t hear back from literary agents
It’s so common not to get a response from literary agents that many writers feel dejected and like their writing might not be good enough to publish. The reality is that the reason you’re not hearing back has almost always nothing to do with you!
The main reasons writers don’t hear back from literary agents are:
- There are so many emails in their inbox that it takes them months to get through
- The query isn’t relevant to them, usually because it’s not a genre or audience they represent
- Emails go to spam folders and get lost
- You might have misspelled their email address
- The agent is on holiday, parental leave, or in the process of moving agencies/jobs
Rarely, and it’s unlikely that you reading this now have done this, it’s because you’ve done something wrong. Common errors here are:
- Addressing the wrong agent at the start of your email, or referring to them as “Mrs” or “Mr”
- Not following submission guidelines
- Being rude or entitled
Ultimately, the reason you haven’t heard back from a literary agent has nothing to do with you. So keep querying!