Hi
I've been submitting my novel since November to around eight agents a time, and the first round received replies within eight weeks with one request for full. The second round I sent at the end of January I have not received a single reply to other than auto acknowledgement of receipt from a couple. I know early year is a busy time for agents which is why I waited until the end of January. Should I chase them or just presume it's a no from all. The first round all sent a rejection email and this is awful just hanging!! Help what do I do?
I should add that - having marked so many ropey sixth-form essays for years - I can imagine waking up in purgatory and being forced to be an agent! Not a task that I would crave, I have to admit. In my case, of course, I always had to reply.....many students may have wished I hadn't. Two agents have just asked for the whole manuscript, so I'm quite happy with that; and no one has the 'right' to be published of course - it is just that on a personal level I would want to set a good personal standard in terms of how I would respond to submissions.
Unless you're extremely confident that your manuscript is ready to submit to agents, I wouldn't send out multiple submissions. If you don't get much, or any positive feedback I would get a professional literary editor to look at your manuscript to see how it could be improved.
That's a really good thing. Maybe you can get some agents to help you :)