The Word Cloud

Sorry if this has been asked before (probably has, several times) but how long would you leave it before chasing up a full manuscript sent to an agent? Been 5 months, sent by email – so hasn’t got lost in the post…also, anyone have a tried-and-tested approach for how to do this politely?

I feel that after five months, it's either been lost in the undergrowth of emails, or it's a tacit no. Which shouldn't be allowed, IMHO.
Give them the benefit of the doubt by all means (i.e. assume it's been lost in the undergrowth) and send a polite follow-up along the lines of 'I wonder if you've had a chance to read my MS, 'Life of a Pirate', which I sent on the [FIVE MONTHS AGO]? Since it's an email, you could forward on the original (with that note attached), so they can match it up on their systems.
I did this once - and got a standard rejection by return; I assumed that they'd said a mental 'no' and hadn't bothered to tell me, so I'd jogged their memories. At least I knew.
OTOH, I heard of someone who did the same, and received a request for more by return - it really had been lost in the undergrowth.
I can't believe that asking would make the difference between a 'yes' and a 'no' so you've nothing to lose.
Generally, the length of time is stated in their guidelines. If they've said, 'you won't hear anything for six months' then wait a bit longer. Horrid, I know.

Feel your pain.......waited for 4 months so far after a request for a full ms from a publisher. Just sent a polite email (along the lines of "I'm guessing you didn't like it but any feedback or just a definate no would be great...") and still nothing, not even a delivery received auto responder. On the other hand, just received a positive email from an agent after seven months (and four days.....!!). I'm going to ring the publisher - maybe you could do the same? Nothing to lose! Fingers crossed for you.... x

Whisks: splendid idea to simply cite the date previously sent – and to forward the last email. I tried to figure out how to say ‘FIVE MONTHS’ without sounding demanding, but, for some reason, your suggestion never occurred to me. Idiot. Not you. I hope it’s lost in the undergrowth – at the time I sent my full, the agent, on Twitter, was actively requesting debut submissions (but only the first 3 chapters, he doesn’t request the full off everyone, thank God, just off rum-chugging pirates at York festivals). Still, there’s a chance mine was swamped by the hordes of chancers.

Dolly: seven months and four days?! That’s actually rather reassuring. Think I’ll wait till the 6-month mark then make my move!

I think - largely due to e-mail submissions - most agents and publishers are inundated. A lot of them have changed their original criteria (I will respond to all submissions) to - 'if I don't get back to you, then I'm not interested.' One agent did this while I was actually waiting for her response! It's annoying, as you don't get any sense of closure, but I would give any publisher/agent two months. And send out multiple submissions.

There's a very funny thread which I can't locate right now by an author who had his book with a particular publisher for nearly a decade. They asked for a sample but an inept administration, various changes - the company actually changed hands at one point - resulted in him waiting for ten long years. And even then he didn't get a definitive response. Needless to say, he had no real expectation of getting published by them at that stage anyway and had just developed a morbid curiosity re how long he could keep the whole thing ticking over.

I should add that he did get letters throughout this period (about every five or six months) saying that they were definitely still interested. Then there would be some glitch or other, and he'd be back to square one.