Full manuscript request, but synopsis not ready (etiquette)

Arch Stanton

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Hey everyone, I'd appreciate a lesson in etiquette for this scenario.

I had a full MS request from a really good agent today. This agent also requested a synopsis.

However, I was not expecting to hear from this agent for a week (while I went over the MS one more time for clarity) and crafted the synopsis. I literally received the request one hour after submitting the query. I did calculate the average response time on QT, and assumed I had a week before hearing anything.

Should I email this agent and explain the delay, or should I just send the MS and synopsis on Sunday, when they will be ready, without explanation?

Thanks for any tips. This agent is amazing and I don't want to come off as:

1. lazy
2. unprofessional
3. rude
 

Sage

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You don't have to send right this second. Write a synopsis. Show you have a coherent beginning, middle, and end. Show it to someone who hasn't read the book to make sure it makes sense to them. Send with the full tomorrow or the next day. No explanation necessary.
 

Aggy B.

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It's perfectly okay to take a day or three to check over the MS before sending it. I wouldn't wait longer than a week, but you don't have to send it the instant you get a request.
 

Bolder

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write the synopsis really quickly then send it all over at once... that's what I would do.
 

Debbie V

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Never rush. When you rush, you may send subpar work. They'll wait a week or two for you to have everything in order. Better for it to be great than rushed.
 

The_Ink_Goddess

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write the synopsis really quickly then send it all over at once... that's what I would do.

Nononono, please, don't do this. It's tempting to get caught up in the adrenaline rush of "OMG FULL REQUEST" and send it off straightaway, but I alwaysalwaysalways wait a least a couple of hours before sending it off, so I can have another look at my MS and be comfortable-ish. Agents know that writers have full time jobs, or crises, and, y'know, lives. If you leave it too long (like a week), they might think you were totally unprepared and are trying to write the rest. :tongue (I'm joking, but I've heard of this happening before...) Do it ASAP and let it sit for a day or two so you can be happy with it.
 

Sage

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Ha, and to bounce off what TIG says, I often get caught up in the excitement of the request and can't wait to get home to send it off. And then after that initial rush, there's nothing like getting a response 4 days later from that agent, and you think, "OMG, it must be a rejection or an acceptance or an R&R," but no, they just got around to confirming that they received it. It's okay if you have to wait a couple days.