How long do trade publishers normally take to respond to a ms.?

[carolinayellowdog]

Hey,

I've published before with a university press which sent the entire ms. to readers for reports; it took 2-3 months to get them back IIRC. But now I have just an intro and first chapter in the hands of a NY trade editor. Although this isn't someone I've met, we've had cordial email communication on other matters. It didn't occur to me to ask when I might hear something back, but now it has been more than two months. I alternate between thinking he hates it, it's hopeless, and thinking that this might be completely normal and all is not lost.

The last thing I want to do is call or email asking what's up, but can anyone suggest a reasonable waiting period in this situation?

CYD

[OldLeftieLawyer]

1. Snap out of it

Call or email and ask what's up. The ms could have gotten lost.

You cannot be shy in matters like this. You just can't.

I have an agent who does that kind of stuff for me, but I'm also very fortunate in that my publisher - HarperCollins - gets right back to my agent and to me. I learned, though, that if I didn't speak up, no one was going to read my mind.

So, email them now and ask them what's up. There's no suspense like what you're enduring now, and there's absolutely no stigma attached to asking them anything. It's the conscientious and professional thing to do.

[carolinayellowdog]

4. It's not lost-- he did confirm receipt in March

I will take your advice. This was a long shot; if it weren't for the personal connection I'd never have submitted anything this early in the process. My plan all along was to start queries when I'm halfway through the first draft, around August. So I'm not really losing anything here except peace of mind, but that's costly enough. The suspense is hurting my progress with the second chapter.

Thanks!

[OldLeftieLawyer]

5. Receipt is one thing

Lost in a pile of other mss is another.

Call.

Ask.

What do you have to lose? If the suspense is hurting you, then quit being such a weenie and call...................

[carolinayellowdog]

9. What I have to lose

You got me to ask myself, and the answer is that at this point I assume that it'll be rejected. But if I wait patiently I might get a thoughtful, useful rejection letter when he gets around to it, whereas if I ask for a prompt reply it might be brief and unhelpful.

All along I'd envisioned this as a university press book, but several omens (like this editor telling me that he had an inkling we would work together in the future) made me think at least one try with a trade publisher might be worthwhile.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

10. Seriously?

You honestly think that inquiring as to the status of your ms after two months would somehow - this smacks of magical thinking coupled with understandable paranoia and fear - cause it to be rejected?

Jesus, honey, you're going to be lunch in the world of commercial publishing.

Try this - what if you called to find out how what was up, and you were told that they loved it and would be in touch soon?

Why isn't that part of your scenario, instead of your doom and gloom vision?

If my anxiety were putting my current projects in jeopardy and making me unhappy, what kind of idiot would I be not to do whatever I could to ease that tension?

And, after all of this, what if it's rejected? Think of what you've lost being all nervous. Listen, odds are that it will be rejected. So what? The mark of a writer is that you get up and do it again.

My agent has a great saying: "Everyone says 'no' until someone says 'yes.'"

Call them, and quit being a rationalizing, self-flagellating weenie.

Break a leg, kid...................

[carolinayellowdog]

11. No, that's not what I mean at all

I assume it *has been* rejected because otherwise I'd have heard something by now, and he just hasn't gotten around to telling me. It's not that my inquiry will cause it to be rejected but it might cause the rejection to be less constructive or diplomatic than if I wait. However, as you remark, waiting is causing enough stress that I need to do something. Having already written three university press books I just figure that's my niche, which isn't quite self-flagellation. This book *will* find a home. I wouldn't even have queried a trade publisher except for dealings with this editor in other contexts. Waiting periods of 2-3 months were not unusual with my university press, because they had to send mss. out to readers all over the country. I really didn't know that this delay was out of line with a trade publisher, but thanks to DU I won't shrink from asking what's up.

Thanks again.

BTW my paranoia is informed by a recent novel by Howard Owen, about a novelist who is so frustrated by months of runarounds from an editor that he takes him hostage.

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. ok I might have to clue you in

Commercial Editors eihter accept teh manuscript or not. When they don't, the rejection letter is NOT diplomatic or helpful, they don't have time for that crap, sorry, but that is the reality..

[carolinayellowdog]

13. It was both diplomatic and helpful

Encouraging too. I do have some history with this editor.

[SmokingJacket]

2. That's what agents are for...

most NY editors get back to agents in a couple of weeks. I don't know how they treat nonagented writers, but two months seems like a while.

I wouldn't think it would be too wrong to email after two months. You have a career to think of, and should be marketing it to other editors if this one's not interested.

[Finder]

3. did you get a confirmation?

Seems like your query may have been lost in the slush. Send a followup to confirm if the editor received it. Double check the guidelines too since some do state how long it usually takes. Did you enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope?

If you had communicated with the editor before it doesn't make sense that they didn't request more than one chapter. Usually an editor will solicit at least 3 chaps and a synopsis.

[DavidDvorkin]

6. The awful truth

is that you may never hear back at all, and that will be your answer.

That kind of rudeness used to be rare, but it's common now. Not because of some general decline in manners, but because of the way the publishing industry has changed.

[carolinayellowdog]

7. In the circumstances that would be *really* awful

Our previous communication involved my writing an endorsement for another author's book edited by this fellow, and my authorship of one of sixteen chapters of a collection he edited. He was very flattering in his comments, so to just blow me off would be out of character. (But perhaps not out of character for the industry, sounds like.)

[DavidDvorkin]

8. In your case, I was probably too cynical

I've had my response consist of no response with editors I knew and had exchanged personal, non-professional e-mails with, but the situation was never anything as professionally advanced as what you've described.

Since you do have so much involvement with this editor, a follow-up e-mail surely wouldn't be a problem or taken in the wrong way.