My first partial request

[Sommer Leigh]

Congrats to you!!! How wonderful and exciting. Keep us posted ok?

[Ishta]

CONGRATULATIONS!!

We're all pulling for you. Let us know how it goes!

[bcomet]

Thanks Marilyn, Robin, Sommer, Ishta. Wow, you guys! Thanks! It's really just a step. Okay, admitting tap dancing a bit about it too. So nice to share the dance moves though with you guys.

[FK7]

If you get a request for a full following the partial I shall make a dance of happiness around a campfire in your honor :D

[bcomet]

Yeah!!!! My second request for a partial!!!!!!! Whoopppieeeee!

[aspiring_x]

way to go!

[Petronella]

Way behind as usual, but you have my heartfelt congratulations and good luck wishes.

[RLS]

Best of luck to you. That's exciting.

[bcomet]

aspiring_x, Petronella, and RLS,

Thank you for your support. This is so exciting. I feel we are all in this together!

Much camaraderie!

-bcomet

[marilyn peake]

Way to go, bcomet! That's wonderful!

[bcomet]

Thanks Marilyn!

[bcomet]

Oh the anguish. I waited the full six weeks (that the agent website said to expect) for the review of my first partial and synopsis request.

So today, I checked in and resent my email as a reply to the original query response and partial request only to learn that the agent never received it previously. I just resisted checking in because I had not wanted to bug her.

So, I am gathering, for the future, that I should always hit "reply" and the keep the word "query" in the subject to make certain the agent gets it instead of the words "requested partial" (like I sent) which might bump it -whoops- into spam or deleted/unread email files. I think, it is also good to ask for confirmation (at the time you send in a partial) that it was received. The agent wrote me back immediately today that she now had received the materials.

So probably six more weeks...but at least she accepted it six weeks later.

[Quill]

Awww, that's too bad. I feel for you. At least you still have that iron in the fire.

This submission business is so darn tricky!

[bcomet]

Report of last two partial requests by agents:
Well, it didn't go beyond that, but the first request (one of my dream agents!) wrestled with the manuscript for four months (anything more than eight weeks with them is a serious deliberation)
before they passed.
And I made friends!
How cool is that?

The second liked the writing but passed.

Both agents were worried about how the book fit their "agency direction", but gave me great feedback.
That they even considered my book meant the world to me. I couldn't be more flattered.

And Now, I am going completely bonkers.
I've been talking with an acquisitions editor. First a synopsis, then a partial, now a full!

Shivers up the backbone!
They are making it very clear that they are interested.
And I am also trying very hard to remember that an agent or publisher has to fit my vision
for the book too and meditating on The Courage of Conviction in my work.

But how I wish I had an agent to sort through this for me and hold my hand.
Talking to publishers directly is a lot of swimming in the big water for a little writer.

[Holly]

But how I wish I had an agent to sort through this for me and hold my hand.
Talking to publishers directly is a lot of swimming in the big water for a little writer.

bcomet, best of luck to you.

Well-known science fiction writer Robert Sawyer says "When you get an offer from a book publisher, find yourself an agent to negotiate the contract." http://www.sfwriter.com/beginner.htm If the publisher makes an offer, I would tell them that I wanted an agent to handle it and then would contact agencies.