• Skip to main content
  • Skip to after header navigation
  • Skip to site footer

The Steve Laube Agency

Helping to Change the World…Word by Word

The Steve Laube Agency

The Steve Laube Agency

Helping to Change the World Word by Word

  • Home
  • About
    • Who We Are
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Interview with Steve Laube
    • Statement of Faith
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
  • Guidelines
  • Authors
    • Who We Represent
    • Awards and Recognition
  • Resources
    • Recommended Reading
    • Christian Writers Market Guide Online
    • Christian Writers Institute
    • Writers Conferences
    • Freelance Editorial Services
    • Copyright Resources
    • Research Tools
    • Selling What You Write
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Twitter
  • FaceBook
  • RSS Feed
  • Get Published
  • Book Proposals
  • Book Business
  • Writing Craft
    • Conferences
    • Copyright
    • Craft
    • Creativity
    • Grammar
  • Fun Fridays
Home » Blog

Blog

Why Does It Take Editors and Agents So Long to Read My Proposal?

By Steve Laubeon October 28, 2024
Share
Tweet52
9

Recently, a writer posted this question:

I submitted a proposal to a publisher 6 months ago. The guidelines said that a response would be provided at the end of 4 months. At the end of 5 months I sent an email query to confirm that they had actually received the submission–still no response. Now I am at the end of 6 months.…Do I give up?

I wish I had a magic wand to solve this problem for every writer.

Outnumbered

The simplest answer is that the agents and the editors are outnumbered by the amount of writers who want their manuscripts to be considered. I’ve written about the stats before, but agents can get a couple thousand submissions every year. And it only got worse when email became a cheap way to contact an agent or an editor.

“But it only takes a couple minutes to read mine,” cries the writer.  That may be true; but when the queue is backed up and there are 100-200 things to look at, the task can seem enormous.

Don’t forget that both an agent’s and an editor’s first priority is with their clients or their contracted authors. Those proposals and conversations are always going to be reviewed first. They are top priority, every time.

The Evaluation Process

I try to set aside time to go through the unsolicited pile. It isn’t “scheduled” per se, but happens when there is a lull in the otherwise chaotic week. (Often it will be on a weekend.) But when I do, I’m moving very fast, especially with email submissions. Poorly written cover letters, clichéd ideas, badly written manuscripts, and the bewildering ones are going to be eliminated fairly easy.

It is the ones that are “okay” or “interesting” that get me to slow down. As I’ve said, I see a lot of really good proposals. But I can only get behind the great ones. That is a wholly subjective decision. And it is not infallible.

Angry Writers

The hardest thing is deciding how to reply to the ones for which I have no interest. What few realize is that there are writers who take offense to a “no thank you,” no matter how gently it is written. I get vicious and hateful replies in return. Ad hominem attacks that can be shocking. I’ve had people call and scream at me on the phone saying awful things. I’ve received letters or emails claiming everything from my obvious lack of intelligence, to my entrenched greed, to my even more obvious lack of spiritual character. (Spawn of Satan?)

Or when I attempt to give a short tip or piece of advice, I get a reply that argues with my advice.

After a while, it can wear on the agent or editor, who think, Why bother? (Yes, even agents “argue” with an editor when receiving a rejection letter too! But at least we normally don’t yell.)

The default is to simply not reply at all. It is unfortunate that a few loud and coarse people can ruin it for others. However, each one in our agency attempts to continue to be gracious and helpful when we feel we can. (It is nice to have a writer tell me years later how much my rejection letter helped them to knuckle down and learn the craft!)

To return to the example from the beginning of this blog, six months is most likely a “no thanks” by virtue of obsolescence (if that is the right word). It may be a fine project, but it just didn’t stick in the mind of the agent or editor. Or that idea has been superseded by something bigger and better.

Advice

Most agencies and publishers have some sort of guidelines by which proposals can be sent. If there is a time frame listed in those guidelines, you are free to contact that company as a follow-up. We agents do this with publishers all the time. But don’t expect an answer, or expect them to look up your submission to see if it is in the queue.

If double or triple the deadline time passes, consider it a silent “no thank you.”

By the way, as a literary agent, my record for longest wait for a proposal to be accepted for publication is 22 months. Sent in the proposal, and 22 months later the editor called to make an offer. Both I and the author had archived the idea and moved on to other projects and contracts. When I called the author, she had to pause and ask, “Which book is this again?” Good thing the author is a professional and did not sit around waiting for an answer!

You might think, That isn’t real. You made that up. I promise, it happened. To underscore that this can happen, a couple months ago an editor contacted me, writing, “Well, I’m embarrassed to say that it’s taken me this long to get to the proposal you sent to me….” It had been 377 calendar days since I had sent the proposal. A full year. At least the editor replied with an apology!

I’ve lost proposals before. Moved the email into the wrong folder or placed the physical proposal in the wrong pile. Hate to admit it, but I’m not perfect. (Confirming the above designation as one of Satan’s minions.)

Leave a Comment
Category: Agency, Book Business, Book Proposals, Common QuestoinsTag: book proposals, Rejection

Fun Fridays – October 25

By Steve Laubeon October 25, 2024
Share
Tweet
7

I have only three words in reaction to today’s video: I want one. Please donate to SteveIsDreamingAgain_AndIWishHeWouldStop.com.

Read moreFun Fridays – October 25
Category: Fun Fridays

Point of View #3

By Lynette Easonon October 24, 2024
Share
Tweet
3

I’m back to talk a little more about point of view, continuing to build on what I talked about in the last post. If you’ll remember, last time I dissected POV into three different types—the ones most often in fiction. Today, in this last post on point of view, let’s dig a little deeper and talk in depth about deep point of view since this is the preferred POV in fiction writing. Someone asked why …

Read morePoint of View #3
Category: Craft, Writing Craft

Things My Editor Does That I Take for Granted

By Steve Laubeon October 21, 2024
Share
Tweet31
4

“You write to communicate to the hearts and minds of others what’s burning inside you, and we edit to let the fire show through the smoke.” – Arthur Plotnik “No passion in the world is equal to the passion to alter someone else’s draft.” – H.G. Wells You editor is someone with a special skill set. One that is often described as being intrusive, overbearing, heavy-handed, and just …

Read moreThings My Editor Does That I Take for Granted
Category: Book Business, Editing

Fun Fridays – October 18, 2024

By Steve Laubeon October 18, 2024
Share
Tweet
7

Writing can be a lonely, solo adventure. Publishing, on the other hand, is rarely done well in isolation. Today’s video is a metaphor for how publishing works. HT: Dan Balow

Read moreFun Fridays – October 18, 2024
Category: Fun Fridays

Publishing Advice Is Like Political Polling

By Dan Balowon October 17, 2024
Share
Tweet
10

Whenever you encounter information about any subject, the first step is to check the source. Unsurprisingly, a favorable political poll sometimes (often?) originates from a source with a vested interest in or closely aligned with the group most likely to benefit from the good news. There are relatively few unbiased, objective sources of polling research. For the same reason, the first question you …

Read morePublishing Advice Is Like Political Polling
Category: Career, Get Published, Trends

My Best Reading Advice

By Bob Hostetleron October 16, 2024
Share
Tweet
11

My wife and I, newly married and preparing to enter training for ministry, hosted a seasoned pastor in our home for one of our entrance interviews. He asked what sorts of books we’d been reading, and we answered. I expected him to be impressed with my answer. After all … well, never mind. But he smiled kindly. “May I offer a piece of advice?” What were we going to say? “No”? So we gave the …

Read moreMy Best Reading Advice
Category: Book Review, Career, Encouragement, Inspiration, Reading

Happy Birthday Winnie-the-Pooh!

By Steve Laubeon October 14, 2024
Share
Tweet
19

On this day in 1926 the book Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne was published by Methuen in London. Our household has celebrated this day each year with my wife baking Winnie-the-Pooh shaped cookies. (Yes, it is a scary thing to be a man in a house of Winnie-the-Pooh celebrations.) Some say the real birthday is the day Christopher Robin Milne was given his stuffed bear (August 21, 1921). But since …

Read moreHappy Birthday Winnie-the-Pooh!
Category: Publishing HistoryTag: Birthday, Publishing A-Z, Winnie-the-Pooh

Fun Friday – October 11, 2024

By Steve Laubeon October 11, 2024
Share
Tweet
7

Someone took a video of me trying to get into a hammock. I only wanted to take a nap! In the end, I took my frustration out on an unsuspecting writer. Poor fellow, he just wanted to ask a question; and I snapped. All caught on video.

Read moreFun Friday – October 11, 2024
Category: Fun Fridays

When Characters and Settings Go Wrong

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon October 10, 2024
Share
Tweet
11

A few months ago, I didn’t finish a general market book because of the setting and characters. Here’s what I believe happened: The author did not want to write about where she lives, but she needed: A police force allowing a crime scene to be contaminated, along with other sloppy police work. A police force with corrupt and adulterous officers. A remote vacation spot. A coffee shop within walking …

Read moreWhen Characters and Settings Go Wrong
Category: Rejection, Writing Craft
  • Previous
  • Page 1
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Page 11
  • Page 12
  • Page 13
  • Page 14
  • Page 15
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Page 329
  • Next

Sidebar

Get Blog Updates

Enter your email address to get new blog updates delivered via email. You can unsubscribe at any time.

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Grow as a Writer


Find Out More →

Popular Posts

Top Posts on Book Proposals
  • Hints for a Great Cover Letter
  • The Keys to a Great Book Proposal
  • What Steve Laube is Looking For
  • Book Proposals I’d Love to See – Tamela Hancock Murray
  • What I’m Looking for – Bob Hostetler
  • What I’m Looking for – Dan Balow
  • What I’m Looking for – Lynette Eason
  • What’s the Best Way to Submit My Self-Published Book?
  • What Is the Agent Doing While I Wait?
  • God Gave Me This Blog Post
Top Posts on The Business Side
  • When Your Book Becomes Personal
  • The Myth of the Unearned Advance
  • How Long Does it Take to Get Published?
  • What Are Average Book Sales?
  • Can You Plagiarize Yourself?
  • Never Burn a Bridge
  • Who Decides to Publish Your Book?
  • That Conference Appointment
  • Goodbye to Traditional Publishing?
  • Who Owns Whom in Publishing?
  • Ten Commandments for Working with Your Agent
  • Writers Beware! Protect Yourself
Top Series
  • Book Proposal Basics
  • Publishing A-Z
  • A Defense of Traditional Publishing
Top Posts on Rejection
  • The Slush Pile: Enter at Your Own Risk
  • Even the Best Get Rejected
  • Five Reasons Why You May Never Get Published
  • The Unhelpful Rejection Letter
  • Writers Learn to Wait

Blog Post Archives by Month

  • Home
  • About
    • Who We Are
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Interview with Steve Laube
    • Statement of Faith
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
  • Guidelines
  • Authors
    • Who We Represent
    • Awards and Recognition
  • Resources
    • Recommended Reading
    • Christian Writers Market Guide Online
    • Christian Writers Institute
    • Writers Conferences
    • Freelance Editorial Services
    • Copyright Resources
    • Research Tools
    • Selling What You Write
  • Blog
  • Contact

Copyright © 2025 · The Steve Laube Agency · All Rights Reserved · Website by Stormhill Media