mental slush

Big announcement: My submissions inbox is…clear! With prepping for SCBWI Editor’s Day last weekend and subbing a project this past week, I’ve been getting woefully behind on work reading. Well, determined, I hunkered down this weekend and read ALL queries directed to me (note: if your query was sent to the agency and not specifically to me, it may not have been read yet), and even a handful of partials/fulls (and still some to go, they take more time…). To further relish in the rare glory of an empty submissions inbox I decided to once again tally my stats. Here they are:

43 queries read

39 passes (91%)

4 partial or full requests (9%)

     Genres of requested materials: YA novel in verse, YA sci-fi/fantasy, MG light fantasy, YA dark urban fantasy

Disclaimer: These stats (rejection rates, genres of requested materials) vary greatly from week to week and aren’t necessarily the norm. This post is for entertainment purposes only.  Funnily though, the breakdown is similar to the last time I did this…(more stats)

As indicated by my newly added Ask page, I’m now open for questions! I’m happy to answer anything about queries, writing, agents, or publishing. Note that I will only answer general questions—please don’t ask for specific feedback or a manuscript critique (save these for a conference—check my Calendar to see which ones I’ll be attending).

Please also be aware that any question I respond to will appear on my tumblog so everyone can benefit from the Q&A, unless you specifically request a private response.

Okay, that’s all, ask away!

I went into manic clearing-out-the-submissions-inbox mode this weekend and decided to tally up my response statistics. I’ve never made a point to track my response stats before so I can’t tell you whether this is at all typical or not. Still, I thought those of you going through the querying process might find it interesting (i.e. I’ve gotten this question at conferences).

Note: I still have some queries left to read so don’t panic if you have one out with me and haven’t received a response. Also, these queries have various times of receipt—not all came in this weekend, though most are from the last 7-ish days.

Stats:

Of 49 query responses…

• 1 full request (2%)
• 5 partial requests (10%)
• 43 rejections (88%)

Like I said, I’m not sure if this is typical for me…though the breakdown is about what I expected it to be. Authors, don’t put too much stalk in this, sometimes I request 5 partials in a query-reading session, sometimes none, you get the idea. As evidenced in my nice little list, it’s a tough process, but it’s also exciting. Going through submissions is actually one my favorite parts of being an agent. It never ceases to amaze me the innovative concepts writers come up with; I get a little thrill every time I go into the inbox, anticipating what exciting new projects await me. Thank you to all of you authors who have already shared your work with me, and if you’re querying me soon, I look forward to reading!