STATUS: It was kind of chilly here in Denver today. I know it’s November but I want to hold on to our lovely and mild fall for as long as possible.
What’s playing on the iPod right now? O HOLY NIGHT by Paul Potts (I know, it’s a bit early for holiday songs but it’s on the CD.)
I imagine writers wonder if agents have a drop-dead date for submissions around the holiday season—as in we won’t submit after a certain day in December.
The answer is that it depends on the agent. Some won’t submit after the first week of the month. Some won’t after the second week. Some agents continue to submit. If the editor doesn’t read before the holiday, chances are good he or she will read soon thereafter. One agent told me that she once got a pre-empt for a project on Dec. 23rd. That means anything can happen!
As for me, all I know is that my agency always closes for 2 weeks in the month of December. We need a break with no queries, no sample pages, no nothing. It really helps to rejuvenate us for the next year.
So in that sense, my drop-dead date is December 19th.
wish publishing houses could close, too… i only get two days for christmas & new year!
Oh, heck. I’m still waiting to get stuff read from when it was sent over the summer and now I have to worry about it not being read until after December. UGH…
I imagine that if our dear agents and editors take a well-earned break they will come back to the table refreshed, un-grumpified, and ready to tackle new projects.
You deserve your holiday, Kristin. Enjoy!
Charlotte
http://charlotteforbes.blogspot.com/
Do you see a jump in queries in January, thanks to New year’s resolutions?