Congratulations! After all that work, an agent finally wants to read your entire manuscript. But what now? Is it as simple as emailing them a document?
You only have one chance to send them the best version of your work. But at this point, you’ve probably done so many rewrites that it’s hard to see what needs polishing.
Before Sending Your Full Manuscript
It’s tempting to upload and hit send while you’re still at an all-time high. However, it’s important to take a moment, breathe, and ask yourself: now what?
Here is what you need to do.
1. Read and follow instructions carefully.
Every literary agent has their own style and will have different instructions. Carefully read their email to understand their request fully, especially regarding formatting.
If they request for your manuscript as a PDF document, it should be a PDF document. Failing to follow the simplest instructions might make you look sloppy or uninterested. Ask questions and clarify statements if you need to.
Remember, an agent likely handles multiple manuscripts at a time. They’ll prioritize others if you send them a sloppy manuscript.
2. Proofread your manuscript.
Give your manuscript a quick look-over for mistakes. You don’t want to send a manuscript full of typos, errors, and other issues.
Don’t edit as you go. It’ll only complicate your process. Highlight issues and note where changes are necessary. You’ll fix them later on.
3. Read aloud.
Reading aloud is an excellent way to identify awkward sentences, rhythm issues, and dialogue inconsistencies. If a particular passage is hard to read, it needs improvement.
Make sure to pace your reading. Reading too fast or too slow will create false perceptions of your manuscript’s flow.
5. Do a round of editing.
A round of editing can involve many things. However, you’ll likely focus on line or copy editing. This is where you correct all the issues you’ve found after a proofread.
Line editing means looking at your work from a paragraph and sentence level. This means reviewing word choice, syntax, and sentence structure. Copy editing is more technical and includes grammar, formatting, and fact-checking.
6. Don’t take too long.
You should only send queries when your full manuscript is ready. That way, you can respond to their requests within a few days.
The longer you take, the more their interest wanes. You want to send your manuscript to them while they’re still eager to read it.
On the other hand, being too fast can also be detrimental. It tells them you didn’t take the time to check your work before sending it to them.
7. Be patient.
Literary agents are busy people. Give them time and space to review your manuscript. It could take them mere days to months.
In most cases, they’ll give you an estimate of how long it will take. Once that has passed and you haven’t received a reply, feel free to follow up. Be brief, polite, and appreciative in your message. Don’t spam them.
8. Inform the agent of other developments.
You’ve probably sent queries to multiple agents. What happens if more than one agent responds?
First off, you shouldn’t promise any agent an exclusive read, even if they ask. That’s unfair to you, as it effectively cuts off other opportunities.
When you have multiple requests, let each agent know. You don’t need to inform them who. All they need to know is that someone else is interested. Hopefully, that’ll make them prioritize your manuscript.
It’s not just about gaining interest; you’re also signaling the possibility of accepting an offer from another agent. If an offer does come in, inform the others immediately and give them a chance to respond. This shows you respect their time
You want to maintain a cordial relationship with these agents, even if they end up not representing you. Blindsiding them with sudden decisions or lack of communication will sour that relationship.
8. Prepare to move on.
Once an agent reviews your manuscript, one of four things can happen. They may offer to represent you, reject your work, ask you to resubmit after making specific changes, or request a different manuscript.
The latter two means they like your writing—it’s just not quite at the level they’re looking for. However, they’re interested to see if you can make the necessary improvements or have another manuscript that better fits their needs.
If you do get rejected, always ask for feedback. Good literary agents will always provide you with clear, actionable suggestions. Bad agents either give you vague reasons or do not respond at all. If that happens, shrug it off and move on to the next query.
Finding Literary Representation
A full manuscript request is not a guarantee the agent will represent you. It is, however, proof that someone thinks your work has potential. That’s an achievement you shouldn’t forget to celebrate!
Each rejection, revision, or request for more of your work is a sign of progress. You just need to keep going until you find an agent who is willing to represent you. It might sound overly optimistic, but a lot of successful writers rarely found success with their first query.
Have you ever received a full manuscript request? Share your experience below!
If you enjoyed this post, then you might also like:
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- Why Novels Get Rejected: Acquisitions Editors Share What They Look for in Manuscript Submissions
- What’s the Difference between Revising and Editing?
Cole is a blog writer and aspiring novelist. He has a degree in Communications and is an advocate of media and information literacy and responsible media practices. Aside from his interest in technology, crafts, and food, he’s also your typical science fiction and fantasy junkie, spending most of his free time reading through an ever-growing to-be-read list. It’s either that or procrastinating over actually writing his book. Wish him luck!
