# Newcomer to Publishing



## mariec (Sep 16, 2014)

Hello,

I am a newcomer to this all and as I have just dived into this whole process I was hoping to get some advice/help from experienced writers. I have recently finished a manuscript, submitted it to agents, and have received some positive results. I have researched the publishing process extensively but the information tends to abruptly end after submitting your manuscript to an agent.  How long is the normal time it takes for agents to read/respond about manuscripts? Will they respond at all if they are not interested? Is a longer time better or does a quick response mean they are more interested?
Thanks for all/any answers to my many question!


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## Seedy M. (Sep 16, 2014)

It depends on the publisher. Some will answer in a few weeks, some not for several months, some never.
Be careful who you send it to. Vanity publishers will tell you how great your work is, so send the whole MS and five hundred dollars for the setup, etc.
Do not pay. Do not give them any rights whatever. They are vanity publishers or downright crooks.
If you look for an agent, stay far away from any who want pay up front. They get paid when they sell the work, not before.


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## TWErvin2 (Sep 17, 2014)

To add to what was said by Seedy M...

Most agents and publishers will have a listed response time on their website along with their guidelines. Expect it to take a little longer, especially if they're interested.

Check into the agents and publishers before you send to them (making sure you work is a good match--genre, novel length, etc. and also any works they've represented or had published, normally found on their website). But go step further. See if those published works are doing well, check the cover for quality and some ebooks have read inside, so you can get an idea. Check on Amazon or B&N for sales numbers (especially for smaller publishers). If all of the publishers books are in the millions, it's not good, especially for ones recently released. Check by googling and other forums and sites for positive and negative concerns.

It's worse to have a bad agent or an inept publisher than have no agent/publisher at all.


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## mariec (Sep 17, 2014)

Thanks for both of your answers! I definitely have made sure to only send queries to agents (as far as I have researched) that are reputable and specific to my genre (young adult fiction) even to the degree of their preferences within that genre. To clarify, I have only submitted a full manuscript when specifically asked, without a fee. For one it has approached two months, I suppose I can still possibly receive a response even after this long? When in your experience did you usually receive a response? And if they have decided to pass on your work what should I expect? Or the opposite- that they decide to try and help you publish your novel- what kind of response should I expect?
Thanks again!


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