Is No Answer the new No

popmuze

Last of a Dying Breed
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 31, 2005
Messages
2,610
Reaction score
183
Location
Nowhere, man
Here's some interesting stats from querying my latest novel.

Queries: 18
Requests: 5 Fulls, 1 Partial
"Not for Me" 3
No answer 9!!!!

*The request for pages all came within a day (sometimes within an hour) of the original email. Two of the three "not for me" only came after I followed up with another query (under the pretext that my email wasn't working right).

The no answers have now been lingering for quite a while but I have no expectation of receiving an answer. Many of them I've re-queried (just because I hate this new trend).
 

kellion92

A cat may not look at a king
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Sep 15, 2009
Messages
5,245
Reaction score
4,613
Location
The edge
Hey, those are pretty good stats, except for those lingering no answers! But I don't think re-querying the no answers is a great idea. I doubt you'll get a positive response from those agents, and if you don't like their policies, you probably don't want to go into business with them anyway.
 

Carmy

Banned
Joined
Dec 8, 2005
Messages
1,654
Reaction score
119
I think you're right, popmuse.

Look at it this way--if they're that unprofessional and rude, how well are they thought of by publishers? Methinks you had a few lucky escapes. Me too.
 

KTC

Stand in the Place Where You Live
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 24, 2005
Messages
29,138
Reaction score
8,564
Location
Toronto
Website
ktcraig.com
i have more no answers than you do. ha! no answer is not the new no...it's a very old no. trust me.
 

KTC

Stand in the Place Where You Live
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 24, 2005
Messages
29,138
Reaction score
8,564
Location
Toronto
Website
ktcraig.com
you mean they don't even have the decency to answer you, sometimes?

good christ! my ya that i shopped to about 50 agents last year...most of them didn't reply at all.
 

ChaosTitan

Around
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 8, 2005
Messages
15,463
Reaction score
2,886
Location
The not-so-distant future
Website
kellymeding.com
It's not unusual, especially for equeries, to receive no response if the agent isn't interested. A little research on their websites will tell you if they only respond if interested. It will also tell you expected response times.

I've had my share of no replies to queries--some of them very good agents I'd have loved to work with. *shrug* Chalk it up to a no and move on to the next agent.
 

Ken

Banned
Kind Benefactor
Joined
Dec 28, 2007
Messages
11,478
Reaction score
6,198
Location
AW. A very nice place!
... I like the way you phrased this: Is No Answer the new No

:-D

As to whether it is true or not I suspect so to some extent. At the same time, agents who have such a policy in place do so out of necessity, for one reason or another, and not out of lack of respect for sub'ers. So writers shouldn't take it personally. ps Very impressive stats you've got there: 5 fulls and 1 partial!
 

YAwriter72

someone let me off this crazy ride
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 15, 2008
Messages
2,384
Reaction score
263
Location
We all live under the same sky, but we don't all h
Website
www.leebross.com
My agent is a no answer is a no. I knew that when I queried him. Quite a few actually say on their sub page they will only reply if interested. If you read the particular agents sub page you'll know what to expect and won't have to wonder after awhile. (I'm not sure its on sites like agentquery or litmatch)

You wouldn't believe the number of people who will argue/email back after an agent sends an R.
 

Ken

Banned
Kind Benefactor
Joined
Dec 28, 2007
Messages
11,478
Reaction score
6,198
Location
AW. A very nice place!
You wouldn't believe the number of people who will argue/email back after an agent sends an R.

... heard of this happening, but wasn't aware it was so common. Definitely would explain the no reply = no policy, in part. Sheer number of queries is also responsible, I'd suppose.
 

Mel A.

settling in with my red pen . . .
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 12, 2009
Messages
203
Reaction score
38
Location
Ohio
agents who have such a policy in place do so out of necessity, for one reason or another, and not out of lack of respect for sub'ers.

Agreed, and most (but not all) agents now state in their guidelines if this is their policy. It is what it is, you know? No sense wasting your time/energy trying to figure out why or whether it's considerate. The "no answers" don't matter one bit when you're getting such a good request rate. And when you get the one "yes," it's all good!
 

Jamesaritchie

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 13, 2005
Messages
27,863
Reaction score
2,313
No answer has always been common. I started writing thirty years ago, and it was common even then. Most agents or editors who used to practice this policy had a standard two months without word meant no policy, and that made things a little easier. Agents and editors these days generally do not put this in the guidelines, but it's still largely the rule of thumb. If you haven't heard within two months, you never will.
 

JMBlackman

I’m trying.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 30, 2009
Messages
858
Reaction score
185
Location
Atlanta, GA
"No answer" = "new no" seems pretty common, which honestly, I don't mind as long as it's specified on an agent's page and with a certain time frame. The agents who state "no answer means no" and leave no time frame just make you wonder. I don't see how putting that on your site is very difficult.

But what really bothers me is the agents who do not state any of that and claim to respond within a certain time frame, but then don't respond. I suppose they expect people who are querying to figure, "Oh, they said they typically respond within 3 mos., but since it's been 5 with no answer, that must be a no." Well, how do I know you got it at all? I don't want to pester you with another query if you're not interested. So, just make sure you specify what "not interested" means and all is good.

End of mini-rant.
 

kellion92

A cat may not look at a king
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Sep 15, 2009
Messages
5,245
Reaction score
4,613
Location
The edge
It would benefit authors and agents if agents specified guidelines that no answer means no, but if they do that, I don't think it's rude. With the ease of e-queries, many writers query so widely that agents are inundated. The older convention is to reply to manuscript queries, but that differs from other types of unsolicited business calls, letters, or emails. I myself don't reply to those unless I am interested.
 

Wayne K

Banned
Joined
Dec 3, 2008
Messages
21,564
Reaction score
8,083
I sent 147 hard copy queries out last year and got 146 rejects and 1 no answer. It's a shame we have to save the paper because it was a much better response ratio.
 
Last edited:

JMBlackman

I’m trying.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 30, 2009
Messages
858
Reaction score
185
Location
Atlanta, GA
I sent hard copy queries out last year and got 146 rejects and 1 no answer. It's a shame we have to save the paper because it was a much better response ratio.

Holy Helvetica, Batman.

1. You are persistent. Kudos.
2. I so need to start sending hard copy queries.
 

icerose

Lost in School Work
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 23, 2005
Messages
11,549
Reaction score
1,647
Location
Middle of Nowhere, Utah
The vast majority of the e-queries I sent out were no answer. Especially from agencies who sent back a form letter of "I am out of the office I will be responding in a few days to your query."
 

Mel A.

settling in with my red pen . . .
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 12, 2009
Messages
203
Reaction score
38
Location
Ohio
I so need to start sending hard copy queries.

Maybe so. In my experience, not only are response rates better, but so are request rates. My request rate was 50 percent with snail mail queries, which was a nice bit higher than with email ones. Maybe there are fewer writers querying the old-fashioned way, so the pool is smaller?
 

Wayne K

Banned
Joined
Dec 3, 2008
Messages
21,564
Reaction score
8,083
Maybe so. In my experience, not only are response rates better, but so are request rates. My request rate was 50 percent with snail mail queries, which was a nice bit higher than with email ones. Maybe there are fewer writers querying the old-fashioned way, so the pool is smaller?
I figured that too. It's a lot of work and expense, so I would assume a lot of writers have gone to e queries.
 

JMBlackman

I’m trying.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 30, 2009
Messages
858
Reaction score
185
Location
Atlanta, GA
Maybe so. In my experience, not only are response rates better, but so are request rates. My request rate was 50 percent with snail mail queries, which was a nice bit higher than with email ones. Maybe there are fewer writers querying the old-fashioned way, so the pool is smaller?

That's pretty logical. I suppose I need to put together a small list of agents and some materials then. The best time for me to do it is coming up--Christmas break--but I think that's the worst time to query maybe? Perhaps if I got things ready and then started sending things off after people start coming back from vacation. Kinda thought I was getting an agent recently, but haven't heard back in a bit. [Sorry for the hijack; end tiny-rant.]

I am that. Thanks.

You're welcome! An inspiration, you are.
 
Last edited: