Sometimes the mail gets lost. Sometimes manuscripts get lost in piles in cluttered offices. But not all these.
Making allowances for the vagaries of the postal service and office personnel, I figured that a follow-up e-mail would clarify the situation. Why didn't the agent get back to me? As wanna-be novelists, we all wonder how long the literary agent is going to take to review the material that we send. For these folks, the answer would be - never.
Matt McGowan at Francis Golden's agency has never responded. Was he able to download the submission? Did he read it? Or is it just another throw-away stab at finding something new? We'll never know, because he ain't talking.
Ethan Ellenberg has a reputation for not responding if the submission is a no - so I guess he did reply, in his own unique way. It's been over a year and I don't expect to ever hear another word from him.
Riley Kellogg over at Jane Lord's office sent me an e-mail when she got the material and claimed that she would get back to me after she'd had a chance to read it. My word, but they must be backlogged. I haven't heard a peep out of her since last April. Too busy to even answer a request to let me know if it's still being considered. You'd never guess agents were so swamped, based on the drivel that's getting published.
Sterling Lord Literistic has an excellent reputation, but I guess that Robert Guinsler doesn't have to deal with writers with no reputation. Did you get the material, there, Robert? Hello? Are you there?
Over at Susan Golomb's firm, Jon Mozes was working as her assistant when he asked for a partial manuscript last May. Since he does not answer my e-mail, I have to wonder if he's still there, or if anyone is picking up the slack.
As writers, we gnaw our fingernails down to bone as we fret and wait to hear back. The fact that some agents never get back to the writers might give one pause. Then again, isn't there always that outside chance that the manuscript being submitted is the one - the best thing since Gone With The Wind, only better?
2 comments:
I am a writer and have been represented by Mr. Guinsler at Sterling Lord. I would just like to say he's an excellent literary agent. It's appropriate to keep in mind these guys get literally dozens, if not hundreds, of contacts a day. They're under a lot of pressure.
-Saint
He got back to me in April, after having the manuscript for a year.
Agents are known to put a manuscript aside if the initial reading goes well, to see if the first impression holds up. In my case, it didn't. Close, but not quite there yet.
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