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
WriteLoom's Pitch studio tracks each submission's date and response window, so you follow up at the right moment, not too early.
Track your submissions