Dear Editor…
My writing partner and I decided to revise our manuscript after several agents rejected it. Today, one of the agents we hadn’t heard from requested the full manuscript. Yay! I know you are supposed to respond right away, but could we wait a few weeks to send the revision? The request comes through QueryManager and you download the submission there, so I don’t have the agent’s email. Should I download an email explaining that?
Sincerely,
Almost Finished
Dear Almost Finished…
I’m throwing down the Double Yes card today — Yes, tell the agent you’ve decided to give the manuscript one more pass to make sure it’s the strongest story possible and will send it along very shortly. That agent will want the best draft, so they’ll be happy to wait, and you’ll feel at ease having placed a temporary bookmark on the request. And yes, download that note via QueryManager. That’s the agent’s chosen method for fielding submission communications. A note downloaded there will stay within their submission management system, which is where they’d be looking for the manuscript they requested from you. I checked with an agent who uses QueryManager, and she confirmed this would be her preference. Congratulations on the request for a full, and good luck!
Happy writing!
The Editor
The Editor, Deborah Halverson, has been editing books for over 25 years and specializes in Middle Grade/Young Adult fiction and nonfiction, New Adult fiction, and picture books. For her editorial guidance in making your manuscript ready for submission to agents and publishers or for self-publishing, click Editorial services.