Why agents reject requested manuscripts

and what are they doing while you're waiting

I find it fascinating to read any and all “how I got my agent” posts. Everyone has a specific journey to connecting with their agent. But there’s a moment that nearly every writer experiences: the euphoria of agents requesting the full manuscript, the anxious wait for responses, the letdown when some of those agents respond with rejections.¹

In today’s post I am going to write about two things: what agents are doing during the ‘anxious wait’ time, and some general reasons why agents reject manuscripts they request.