The Waiting Game

It is notoriously difficult to gauge how successful a pitch has been. Some publisher representatives will talk candidly and excitedly about your product, often expressing how delighted they would be to sign it. However, this generally indicates that they aren't personally in a position to do so, and therefore their excitement should not be misconstrued as acceptance.

Equally, other publishers might leave stony faced having hardly said a word, but this too should not be misconstrued as rejection. It can take time—sometimes months—for publishers to make a decision on a product. Many people in numerous territories are involved in the process, so don't expect an immediate answer.

You should follow up your meeting with a courteous e-mail thanking the representatives for visiting and that you looking forward to their feedback. Do not worry if you don't get a response; like developers, publishers are extremely busy people, and in the same way developers hate to be hassled by vendors, publishers don't take kindly to persistent pressure.

If you have pitched to multiple publishers simultaneously, the wait for responses won't be quite as intense, and if you start getting further interest you can use this as gentle leverage with the remaining publishers.

Unfortunately, some publishers are known for simply not responding, and in this case remember that a telephone call is far harder to ignore than an e-mail. Here lies the importance of noting your correspondents' direct line or mobile number during the contact phase.