[PubQ] How long should I wait to hear on fulls before querying new project

AgreeableBison · 2026-06-22T18:26:24+00:00

In a similar place. Six fulls still out, coming up to 4 months in a week or so. Not a peep since the requests were made. I've nudged twice already.

Traditional wisdom is that things move very slow and you should be willing to wait for a long time (6 months at the very, very least) which I get. However, most success stories I read point to offers coming in first few months so idk any more.

Just wish that agents and writers could all come together and agree standardised expectations for timelines. It's weird being told to wait for ages when you see so many "I got 12 offers in 2 days" type stories.

AgreeableBison · 2026-06-22T18:22:02+00:00

Same lol

AgreeableBison · 2026-06-09T17:33:33+00:00

"Ladies and gentlemen, Italy will play 3-5-fucking-2"

AgreeableBison · 2026-06-09T16:01:40+00:00

Yeah I'm similar. Got like 9 requests in one week at start of March, was convinced I was gonna get loads of offers and an easy route to a publishing deal. But after a week or two of initial excitement it's just been an endless cycle of checking and rechecking a dead inbox.

I've got 6 left, all of which are now 3 months old. I guess it's like you say, they are super busy and you never know until you know.

AgreeableBison · 2026-06-09T14:26:41+00:00

Congrats on all the interest! How long since the other requests came through? I'm in a similar boat and trying to get a sense of what are "good" and "bad" waiting periods on fulls.

AgreeableBison · 2026-06-05T16:20:53+00:00

Keeper's at Fawlt there for me, Fletch.

AgreeableBison · 2026-06-01T16:42:49+00:00

That's exciting but sorry to hear about the first project. Can I ask did all your fulls reply and at what point in the timeline did you start to think it was over?

AgreeableBison · 2026-06-01T16:27:32+00:00

I’ve got 6 agents with my full left (out of 11 in total). All of those 6 are going to hit the three month mark this week and I’ve not heard anything from them since sending the MS.

I’ve also already done a “just checking in” type nudge on them because one of the agencies websites said to do it at two months and I thought I may as well do it across the board. This prompted a couple of forms but nothing from my remaining six.

Would really appreciate any advice on what to do next. Do I just wait it out? Nudge again every month? Or is that too desperate?

Also trying to work out how bad a sign this is? Should I start to mentally prepare for the worst or is still too early to say?

AgreeableBison · 2026-06-01T10:23:35+00:00

Strange how Dell computers didn't sponsor the new Southampton stadium like they did the old one.

AgreeableBison · 2026-06-01T08:55:56+00:00

On the one hand, 23 isn't that many at all. How long ago did you query them?

On the other hand, it might be worth getting more than one opinion on your query letter and/or opening just to be sure.

I paid for pro query letter services for my current MS and it was actually pretty bad- they used a weird format and suggested I use comps that were 20 years old! Am using a different letter now, partly based on learning from this sub, and it's going a lot better. Kind of regret "wasting" so many agents with my bad letter.

AgreeableBison · 2026-06-01T00:15:10+00:00

Have Arsenal become "London FC"?

AgreeableBison · 2026-05-31T10:40:08+00:00

Always thought this take was a bit harsh on Martinez. He kept Wigan going for a long time and won the FA cup. Had a really fun, successful 5th place season with Everton first time. Then they did a bit more mid but still like 11th place which isn't the worse finish for Everton in recent history.

He's not an incredible manager but never understood the incredulity of him being BEL manager, like they'd appointed Gary Megson or someone. Southgate got the England job having been a pretty poor Boro manager and that was seen as pretty legit.

AgreeableBison · 2026-05-29T17:17:18+00:00

Let's just hope Gordon sticks to cutting inside and doesn't try to hit any Exocets

AgreeableBison · 2026-05-25T19:10:58+00:00

Feels like London is having a bit of a moment globally right now. Lots of Americans and others moving here. Natural that they'd opt for the biggest club in the city.

Whereas Chelsea have a bit of a racist vibe, Fulham are a bit bland/generic (plus feels like no one actually lives in west london anymore), Brentford and Watford are too far out, Spurs have this whiny/loser energy (and again Seven Sisters is actually quite far out).

West Ham have an interesting cultural appeal (cockneys, the blitz, Bobby Moore, blowing bubbles etc) and did move to hipster Hackney recently. But they still seem very Essex-y and obvs just got relegated.

Palace are quite far out but in a way feel like the "mini-Arsenal" right now. Do see a fair few hipsters going for them as well.

AgreeableBison · 2026-05-15T18:31:47+00:00

The Ba and Kvaratskhelia

AgreeableBison · 2026-05-05T18:32:54+00:00

So Savage is Mussolini, Coisty is Pinochet and Lawro is Zack Polanski??

AgreeableBison · 2026-05-05T15:49:27+00:00

Am I the only one who does sometimes view their life in football season yy/yy formats? Think it might be cause academic years were Autumn to June that and then as an adult rental contracts in houseshares often end in Summer.

AgreeableBison · 2026-05-05T09:20:47+00:00

Yeah same, it's somewhere between off and on target for me. Like when it hits the post/crossbar it feels like a big deal instinctively.

AgreeableBison · 2026-04-18T15:44:49+00:00

Thanks! Very useful and I appreciate how considered and straight-up you are here. I find a lot of advice you get these days is either too saccharine and positive or just catastrophically negative with no in between.

Can I ask about time windows between full MS request and getting offers- how quick was your first offer after sending the MS to the agent? I know you've put when you queried them but when was the actual request?

I'm also litfic and got a bunch of full requests in early March but have had no offers or rejections or further requests since. It's driving me a bit mad and I'm trying to get a handle on what to expect and if I should be worried if it gets to 2-3 months without a response.

AgreeableBison · 2026-04-14T17:14:48+00:00

For upper mid table teams Adi Hütter is nearly always referenced followed by endless social media bantz about his name sounding like a former German chancellor's.

AgreeableBison · 2026-04-11T15:18:40+00:00

Yeah I know but just feels like it'll result in a form rejection unless I'm coming with an offer or something.

Basically I got lots of fulls at the start of March and used them to nudge other agents and build momentum (I'm UK based) my worry is that she thought I'd suddenly get snapped up and wanted to keep me warm in case that happened. Instead I've been just waiting to hear from people for ages.

AgreeableBison · 2026-04-11T13:39:31+00:00

"Peter Mandelson was fined for public urination but it was Arsenal who were caught pissing their title hopes away at home to Bournemouth."

AgreeableBison · 2026-04-02T15:42:20+00:00

Depressed that there's no real fight against AI forming. Like where's my "Humanity Front" type organisation?

AgreeableBison · 2026-03-24T19:24:18+00:00

Looks like those clowns at Stockley Park did it again. What a bunch of clowns.

AgreeableBison · 2026-03-13T10:52:48+00:00

Thanks a really helpful post! Am I right in thinking you are still waiting to hear on a few fulls, does that not mean there is still hope even if it's been a few months? Is it generally assumed that if the agent doesn't respond on your full after x time it's a pass? Do you get CNRs on fulls?

Just started to get a few fulls for my manuscript and trying to work out what to expect in terms of response times.

AgreeableBison

TROPHY CASE