Question: Agent submission

[Michael C]

Morning.

I find myself in a bit of a flap this morning. I'm working on improving/rewriting my WIP but, during a bout of online procrastination I researched agents and found someone who feels like an excellent fit for what I'm writing (or should that be the other way round?).

Anyway, despite the voice of mild panic in my head telling me to submit as they may not be accepting submissions when I've finished the whole thing, the voice of reason says to hold fast and keep working.

What are peoples' thoughts please?

Thanks!

 

[RK Wallis]

Listen to that inner voice. You only get one shot. Put your best foot forward. It’s unlikely the agent is going anywhere.

Just one opinion though, doesn’t mean I’m right, you need to go with your gut.

 

[E G Logan]

Hold, hold, hold.

If you look further online – more displacement activity – you will find several agents expressing the view that you should NOT send anything until it is absolutely as good as you can make it.

If you send it now and they reject it, you can hardly try again once you have polished it to a shine. You can really only do that if you have made a major revise, and even then it's probably a waste of time. (Exception being if they ask you to do the revise then resubmit.)

And if you send it, saying: "This isn't final yet", I suspect it'll go straight in the rejections for that reason. Agents aren't looking for reasons to read mss, they're looking for reasons to push them away.

 

[Michael C]

Thanks, I needed to hear that. I've bookmarked the agent's page for future use.

 

[E G Logan]

Sorry it's so downbeat, but based on painful experience.
I 'burned' one or two likely agents with my V1, and I wish now I had sat on it a bit longer.

 

[Barbara]

I'd hang back until you're ready.

I have a feeling no agent is ever fully closed to something that might make them money. Even if they say they're closed at the time of submitting, send it anyway. If they turn around and tell you to pee off for subbing regardless, it's not an agent you'd want anyway.

 

[Hannah F]

If it is not the best that you can make it, the answer will be a rejection. Wait until it is the best you can make it to give yourself a chance of a yes.

 

[AliG]

I agree; complete it. It's a small chance if it's wonderful and shiny, essentially none if it's another unpolished grain of sand.
Good luck with finishing it

 

[Robinne Weiss]

Yep. I agree. Hold off until it's ready. No agent will be closed to submissions forever. And there are plenty of fish in the sea when it comes to agents.