How long should I wait before following up with an agent?
- Always follow the agent's stated response time first.
- No stated time: wait roughly three months on a query.
- On a requested full or partial, six to eight weeks is reasonable.
- Send one polite follow-up, not repeated chasing.
- Many agents treat no response within their window as a pass.
Defer to whatever timeline the agent publishes. If they state none, wait about three months before following up on a query and six to eight weeks on a requested manuscript. Send one short, polite check-in — not a series. Note too that many agents now operate a "no response means no" policy, so the absence of a reply within their stated window is often itself the answer.
Chapter i·Why it matters
Agents are buried in submissions, and following up too early or too often reads as impatience — the opposite of the professional impression you want. Waiting the right interval respects their process while still keeping your submission from being forgotten, especially on a requested manuscript where a nudge is genuinely appropriate. Knowing the norms keeps you from either pestering or waiting indefinitely on a query that was never going to get a reply.
Chapter ii·What to include
- The agent's stated response time, checked first.
- A default of ~3 months for queries, 6-8 weeks for requested material.
- A single, brief, polite follow-up.
- A reference to the original submission date and what you sent.
- Awareness of "no response means no" policies.
- A tracker so you know exactly when each window closes.
Chapter iii·Example
An author submits a query in January with no stated response time. She waits until April, then sends a two-line follow-up noting the original date and title. For a full she sent in February, she nudges in late March — six weeks out — rather than after two. Her tracker tells her exactly when each window has passed.
Chapter iv·Related questions
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