Breaking Down 2015

After reviewing all the stats, I have to say: I kicked 2015's ass. I had a baby; I negotiated a deal while having that baby. I kept turnaround times, contracts, correspondence, sales and pitches moving, all with a brand new baby in tow...because challenge: I THRIVE ON THEE! :)

Here's how my agent life stacked up in numbers for 2015:

Queries (unsolicited) rec’d:

Request rates (based on above):

Partial: .2%
Partial Request genres:

• MG funny contemp
• historical romance with mystery
• YA contemp
• YA historical magical realism
• contemp romance

Full: .6%
Full Request genres:

• adult multi-cultural
• Chapter Book boy funny 
• PB author/illustrator
• PB text only (2)
• MG speculative
• MG magical realism/multi-cultural
• MG funny contemp
• YA adventure
• YA historical
• YA historical magical realism
• YA magical realism
• Gritty YA contemp
• YA fantasy

Offers: .2%
Signed Genres:

• MG magical realism/multi-cultural
• YA magical realism
• Chapter book boy funny

R&R’s requested: 2 (.1%)
Offers from R&Rs: 1

This means, roughly, that I requested a partial on 2 out of every 1000, a full 6 out of every 1000, and offered on 2 out of every 1000 queries I received.

This year, I was 40% likely to request the full from a partial
I was 29% likely to make an offer on a full request

In sum: I was more likely to request a full, though I was not as active with signing and requesting as last year (down from 70% likely to request full from partial, and 59% likely to make an offer on a full).

Avg. response time:
Partial: 7 weeks
Full: 8 weeks

After tracking my turnaround times for several years now, this has been pretty consistent. I always wish I could be faster, but, considering this year I felt like a literal black hole as I adjusted to everything baby, it's an accomplishment to have kept things the same.


Months with most queries: June-July, Sept-Oct (last year March, June-July)

Months with most requests: July, Oct (last year Feb, April-May)

Most active period of offering and signing: Aug-Nov (last year Jan-Feb & June)

With being closed to submissions until May 1, everything shifted down!


My agent resolution last year was to keep up the momentum; I was pretty on par for deals, and managed overall growth while being shut down for four months, which is a 100% success!!  I pulled in to focus on my fabulous clients, and this year...

My agent resolution: GROW, SELL, GROW!!