Attracting the attention of a literary agent or editor—for better or worse—is just like applying to college. Depending on your type of writing (short stories, novel, non-fiction book), that you hope to publish, there’s an established application process that every writer must follow. The basic application—query, synopsis or proposal, and sample chapters—remains industry standard. Just like applying for college, where the quality of your overall application (grades, SAT scores, personal essays) determines your acceptance rate, the same holds true for agents and editors. Indeed, writing awards, MFA’s, client referrals, publishing credits influence most agent and editors, but most important is the quality of your writing.
So before you embark on the journey towards publication, make sure you’re the best student you can be. Write, rewrite, and rewrite some more. Then show your mom, your friends, and attend a writing workshop before rewriting again. Your writing must be 150% Grade-A+ quality. Otherwise, you’ll be crushed with a disappointing acceptance rate. And in the world of publishing, there are no safety schools.
I want to publish:
NONFICTION
It is much easier to sell nonfiction in today’s marketplace than fiction. In fact, it’s the rare agent who only specializes in fiction because nonfiction serves as the industry’s bread and butter. Every psychologist, relationship coach, medical expert, design guru, culinary extraordinaire, talk show host, politician, ex-Hollywood assistant, and organic farmer has a nonfiction book to sell. So why not you?
It’s true that literary agents prefer nonfiction authors with credentials and a platform (professional in-roads for promoting your book). But if you study the nonfiction books sold by many of the agents in the AQ database, you’ll find that credentials don’t always mean a PhD or a ten-year gold star career. For example, spending a year as a university admission counselor gives you the authority to write a book on “How to Get into College.” Comb your life experiences and stretch your mind. You might just qualify as an “expert” nonfiction author after all.
As for the submission process… Agents require a query, describing who you are and why you’re qualified to write your book, and a proposal, including an outline, table of contents, and sample chapters. But that’s it. Agents don’t always need to see the whole nonfiction book because they can sell it to major publishers on the merits of your credentials and proposal.
So how do you write a nonfiction proposal? Carefully and professionally. There are a ton of books and websites out there that walk you step-by-step through the process.
NOVELS
The good news about getting fiction published is that there are no rules. You don’t have to be previously published. You don’t have to be a graduate of a MFA creative writing program. You don’t have to be the winner of a prestigious contest. And you don’t have to write like William Faulkner. You just have to tell a brilliant, intriguing story in 85,000 to 100,000 words. Write a story that neatly falls into a popular genre category like commercial fiction, women’s fiction, romance, suspense, or mystery, and you’ll be golden.
Still having trouble picking a genre for your book? Need help understanding the difference between chick lit and women’s fiction? What about the difference between mystery and thriller? Use our Genre Descriptions to help.
The fiction market is tight. You’ll hear that a lot, so get use to it. You’ll also find out that it doesn’t matter how beautiful you write. You better tell a good yarn or you’ll be rejected. A good story with the “oooooh” hook, some snazzy characters, great pacing, and an intriguing plot will garner agent representation and a six figure advance ten times faster than the next wannabe Raymond Carver short story collection. So if you’ve written a literary masterpiece, be prepared for a lot of rejection.
Are we advocating selling out? Not entirely. We just want writers to mentally prepare themselves. It’s easy to tell yourself that you don’t care about being published while you’re writing the great American novel. But four years later, when you’re finished with your masterpiece, and you begin shopping it around, you’ll find it hard to swallow all those positive rejections from literary agents who say, “Wow, you’re such a beautiful writer, but sorry, I can’t sell your book.”
Plot over prose is the mantra of publishing nowadays. Just prepare yourself.
One final thought, novelists… write a query letter and start soliciting agents, but ONLY if you’ve finished the whole manuscript. Agents will want to see the whole polished book before they extend representation to a newbie unpublished author, so don’t query agents until your novel is complete.
NOVELLAS/SHORT STORY COLLECTIONS
Publishers want novels, not novellas (adult novels under 60,000 words) or short story collections. And agents simply follow these orders. While it’s true that agents can sell linked novellas or short story collections to publishers, it’s often in a two-book deal in which the second book is a future novel. Although story stories are great for literary magazines, the mantra in the publishing world is that short story collections don’t sell. So if you’ve got one to peddle, be prepared for a long uphill battle for your short story collection.
Don’t get us wrong. It’s not impossible to sell a short story collection to a major publisher, but it does help if the stories are closely linked somehow—thematically or through a few reoccurring characters. It also helps if one or two stories in the collection have been previously published in notable literary journals. And no—being published on the internet doesn’t count—unless it’s on The New Yorker’s website.
Don’t take our downtrodden attitude towards short stories as dismissive poo-pooing of their merit. We fully understand that plenty of contemporary writers have broken into the publishing scene with their first short story collections. Aimee Bender, George Saunders, Melissa Banks, and ZZ Packer all come to mind. We just want all aspiring authors to know that novels are easier for agents to sell. So don’t sell yourself short—literally.
CHILDREN’S BOOKS
When we say children’s books, we mean children’s “picture books.” Picture books are tricky to get published if you’re an unpublished newbie writer. It’s a tough market to break into. Reprinted old favorites continue to dominate booksellers shelf space. Moreover, veteran children’s book authors have become mini-brands, cornering the market and making it very difficult for new writers to make an entrance. However, it can be done, and fortunately, writing a 3-8 page children’s book manuscript is a lot less time consuming than a 300 page novel, so set to work and explore every viable idea. If one doesn’t seem to be catching on with agents, try the next one.
When querying agents, send your complete 3-8 pages manuscript along with your initial query. Don’t ever send accompanying illustrations unless an agent represents illustrators as well as authors (most don’t). As a first-time children’s author, it’s unlikely that a major publisher will use your illustrations or the illustrations of your sister or best friend. They will hire their own famous big-wig illustrator to put pictures to your words. So start querying, keep an open mind, and see what happens. With a fabulous enough idea, anything is possible.
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This article is from agentquery.com (SOURCE).
Monday, 16 May 2011
The Breakdown of a Query Letter
Query letters? Do literary agents really read them?
Agents take queries very seriously, and yes, they really do read them. It’s not some universal rumor that agents have perpetuated because they all have a secret fetish for being bombarded with mail. Sure, agents make it sound like digging through the slush pile is the last priority of their day. Some agents even relegate the ambivalent task of reading unsolicited queries to an assistant or intern. But the fact of the matter is that most agents do read queries. Even more importantly, agents actually respond to ones that spark their interest.
So write a professional, intelligent, concise, intriguing query and not only will you entice an agent to ask for more, but you’ll move yourself one step closer to a book sale.
The Basics
A query letter is a single page cover letter, introducing you and your book. That’s it. Nothing more, nothing less. It’s not a resume. It’s not rambling saga of your life as an aspiring writer. It’s not a friendly, “Hey, what’s up, buddy. I’m the next John Grisham. Got the next best selling thriller for ya,” kind of letter. And for the love of god, it is NOT more than one-page. Trust us on this.
A query letter has three concise paragraphs: the hook, the mini-synopsis, and your writer’s biography. Don’t stray from this format. You won’t catch an agent’s attention by inventing a creative new query format. You’ll just alienate your chances of being taken seriously as a professional writer. A query letter is meant to elicit an invitation to send sample chapters or even the whole manuscript to the agent. It’s not meant to show off how cute and snazzy you can be by breaking formatting rules and going against the grain. Keep it simple. Stick to three paragraphs. The goal is to get the agent to read your book, not to blow you off because you screwed up the introduction.
Paragraph One—The Hook: A hook is a concise, one-sentence tagline for your book. It’s meant to hook your reader’s interest, and wind them in. The best way to understand how to write a hook is to read the loglines of the titles sold by agents in our free searchable AQ database.
Here are a few examples of hooks for well-known novels:
House of Sand and FogWhen Massoud Amir Behrani, a former colonel in the Iranian military, sinks his remaining funds into a house he buys at auction, he unwittingly puts himself and his family on a trajectory to disaster; the house once belonged to Kathy Nicolo, a self-destructive alcoholic, who engages in legal, then personal confrontation to get it back.
Bridges of Madison CountyWhen Robert Kincaid drives through the heat and dust of an Iowa summer and turns into Francesca Johnson’s farm lane looking for directions, the world-class photographer and the Iowa farm wife are joined in an experience that will haunt them forever.
The CorrectionsWhen family patriarch, Alfred Lambert, enters his final decline, his wife and three adult children must face the failures, secrets, and long-buried hurts that haunt them as a family if they are to make the corrections that each desperately needs.
The “When” Formula: As you can see, we’re a fan of the when formula: “When such and such event happens, your main character—a descriptive adjective, age, professional occupation—must confront further conflict and triumph in his or her own special way. Sure, it’s a formula, but it’s a formula that works.
However, be warned…everyone and their grandmother who reads this site will try using our “when” formula, so we recommend simply using it as a starting point. Write your basic hook, then try spicing things up as you get more and more into the groove of “hooking.” And don’t worry, it’s legal in every state, not just Nevada.
Check out these very simple, yet very non-“formulatic” fiction hooks:
The Kite RunnerAn epic tale of fathers and sons, of friendship and betrayal, that takes us from Afghanistan in the final days of the monarchy to the atrocities of the present.
The Da Vinci CodeA murder in the silent after-hour halls of the Louvre museum reveals a sinister plot to uncover a secret that has been protected by a clandestine society since the days of Christ.
Everything Is IlluminatedWith only a yellowing photograph in hand, Jonathan Safran Foer—both author and meta fictional protagonist—sets out to find the woman who might or might not have saved his grandfather from the Nazis.
Here are some non-“formulatic” hooks for a few nonfiction books:
Into Thin AirOn assignment for Outside Magazine to report on the growing commercialization of the mountain, Krakauer, an accomplished climber, went to the Himalayas as a client of Rob Hall, the most respected high-altitude guide in the world, and barely made it back alive from the deadliest season in the history of Everest.
The Perfect StormThe true story of the meteorological conditions that created the “Storm of the Century” and the impact the Perfect Storm had on many of the people caught in its path; chiefly, among these are the six crew members of the swordfish boat the Andrea Gail, all of whom were lost 500 miles from home beneath rolling seas.
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering GeniusThe memoir of Dave Eggers, who at the age of 22, became both an orphan and a “single mother” when his parents died within five months of one another of unrelated cancers, leaving Eggers the appointed unofficial guardian of his 8-year-old brother, Christopher.
Other Great Ways to Start Your Hook:
Give era and location: Three Different Examples:
Set up your main character: Three Different Examples:
Variations on the “when” formula: Three Different Examples:
There are literally scores and scores of hooks listed in our database, specifically in the past & present clients section of our agents’ profiles. We encourage you to read as many as possible, and learn what captures your attention in a single sentence. Then try to emulate a similar hook for your query letter.
Paragraph Two—Mini-synopsis: This is where you get to distill your entire 300 page novel into one paragraph. Lucky you. We’d like to offer advice on how to do this, but really, it just takes practice, hard work and lots of patience. Then, like we said before, get your friends to read it and if their heads hurt afterwards, go back to the drawing board. We don’t envy you. We really don’t. Summing up your entire book in an intriguing single paragraph is worse than a root canal.
So think of it this way. You had trouble writing the gist of your book in one sentence, right? Now, you get a whole paragraph. About 150 extra words. Here’s your chance to expand on your hook. Give a little bit more information about your main characters, their problems and conflicts, and the way in which adversity changes their lives. Read the back flaps of your favorite novels and try to copy how the conflict of the book is described in a single, juicy paragraph. You can do this. You really can. You just have to sit down, brainstorm, then vomit it all out onto the page. Afterwards, cut, paste, trim, revise, and reshape.
Paragraph Three—Writer’s bio: This should be the easiest part of your query. After all, it’s about you, the writer. Okay, so it’s a bit daunting, especially if you’ve never been published, never won any awards, hold no degrees from MFA writing schools, and possess no credentials to write your book. No problem. The less you have to say, the more space you have for your mini-synopsis. Always a plus.
If you do choose to construct a writer’s bio (and you should), keep it short and related to writing. Agents don’t care what your day job is unless it directly relates to your book. Got a main character who’s a firefighter, and that’s your day job? Be sure to say that. Otherwise, scrap it. Education is helpful because it sounds good, but it’s only really important if you’re offering a nonfiction book about A.D.D. children and you hold a PhD in pediatric behavioral science. If you’ve published a few stories in your local newspaper, or a short story in a few literary magazines, or won any writing awards or contests, now’s the time to list the details. Don’t go hog wild, but don’t be too modest either.
Your Closing: Congratulations! You’ve finished your query letter. As a formal closing, be sure to do two things. First, thank the agent for her time and consideration. Second, if it’s nonfiction, tell them that you’ve included an outline, table of contents, and sample chapters for their review. If it’s fiction, alert the agent that the full manuscript is available upon request. And in case you still don’t believe us, we want to reiterate: don’t query agents until you’ve finished your full fiction manuscript. Agents will want to read the whole novel before they offer representation to you and your book.
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(SOURCE)
Agents take queries very seriously, and yes, they really do read them. It’s not some universal rumor that agents have perpetuated because they all have a secret fetish for being bombarded with mail. Sure, agents make it sound like digging through the slush pile is the last priority of their day. Some agents even relegate the ambivalent task of reading unsolicited queries to an assistant or intern. But the fact of the matter is that most agents do read queries. Even more importantly, agents actually respond to ones that spark their interest.
So write a professional, intelligent, concise, intriguing query and not only will you entice an agent to ask for more, but you’ll move yourself one step closer to a book sale.
The Basics
A query letter is a single page cover letter, introducing you and your book. That’s it. Nothing more, nothing less. It’s not a resume. It’s not rambling saga of your life as an aspiring writer. It’s not a friendly, “Hey, what’s up, buddy. I’m the next John Grisham. Got the next best selling thriller for ya,” kind of letter. And for the love of god, it is NOT more than one-page. Trust us on this.
A query letter has three concise paragraphs: the hook, the mini-synopsis, and your writer’s biography. Don’t stray from this format. You won’t catch an agent’s attention by inventing a creative new query format. You’ll just alienate your chances of being taken seriously as a professional writer. A query letter is meant to elicit an invitation to send sample chapters or even the whole manuscript to the agent. It’s not meant to show off how cute and snazzy you can be by breaking formatting rules and going against the grain. Keep it simple. Stick to three paragraphs. The goal is to get the agent to read your book, not to blow you off because you screwed up the introduction.
Paragraph One—The Hook: A hook is a concise, one-sentence tagline for your book. It’s meant to hook your reader’s interest, and wind them in. The best way to understand how to write a hook is to read the loglines of the titles sold by agents in our free searchable AQ database.
Here are a few examples of hooks for well-known novels:
House of Sand and FogWhen Massoud Amir Behrani, a former colonel in the Iranian military, sinks his remaining funds into a house he buys at auction, he unwittingly puts himself and his family on a trajectory to disaster; the house once belonged to Kathy Nicolo, a self-destructive alcoholic, who engages in legal, then personal confrontation to get it back.
Bridges of Madison CountyWhen Robert Kincaid drives through the heat and dust of an Iowa summer and turns into Francesca Johnson’s farm lane looking for directions, the world-class photographer and the Iowa farm wife are joined in an experience that will haunt them forever.
The CorrectionsWhen family patriarch, Alfred Lambert, enters his final decline, his wife and three adult children must face the failures, secrets, and long-buried hurts that haunt them as a family if they are to make the corrections that each desperately needs.
The “When” Formula: As you can see, we’re a fan of the when formula: “When such and such event happens, your main character—a descriptive adjective, age, professional occupation—must confront further conflict and triumph in his or her own special way. Sure, it’s a formula, but it’s a formula that works.
However, be warned…everyone and their grandmother who reads this site will try using our “when” formula, so we recommend simply using it as a starting point. Write your basic hook, then try spicing things up as you get more and more into the groove of “hooking.” And don’t worry, it’s legal in every state, not just Nevada.
Check out these very simple, yet very non-“formulatic” fiction hooks:
The Kite RunnerAn epic tale of fathers and sons, of friendship and betrayal, that takes us from Afghanistan in the final days of the monarchy to the atrocities of the present.
The Da Vinci CodeA murder in the silent after-hour halls of the Louvre museum reveals a sinister plot to uncover a secret that has been protected by a clandestine society since the days of Christ.
Everything Is IlluminatedWith only a yellowing photograph in hand, Jonathan Safran Foer—both author and meta fictional protagonist—sets out to find the woman who might or might not have saved his grandfather from the Nazis.
Here are some non-“formulatic” hooks for a few nonfiction books:
Into Thin AirOn assignment for Outside Magazine to report on the growing commercialization of the mountain, Krakauer, an accomplished climber, went to the Himalayas as a client of Rob Hall, the most respected high-altitude guide in the world, and barely made it back alive from the deadliest season in the history of Everest.
The Perfect StormThe true story of the meteorological conditions that created the “Storm of the Century” and the impact the Perfect Storm had on many of the people caught in its path; chiefly, among these are the six crew members of the swordfish boat the Andrea Gail, all of whom were lost 500 miles from home beneath rolling seas.
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering GeniusThe memoir of Dave Eggers, who at the age of 22, became both an orphan and a “single mother” when his parents died within five months of one another of unrelated cancers, leaving Eggers the appointed unofficial guardian of his 8-year-old brother, Christopher.
Other Great Ways to Start Your Hook:
- Set in modern-day Jerusalem…
- During the summer of 1889 in a rural Texas town…
- Taking place in turn-of-the-century New York City…
- The tale of Una Spencer, wife of Melville’s legendary fictional whale harpooner Captain Ahab…
- A chatty cozy mystery starring 50-something college professor Bell Barrett…
- Narrated by Cot Daley, an Irish peasant girl kidnapped from Galway and sent to Barbados…
- Following a botched circumcision…
- While defending a drug-addicted prostitute accused of murder….
- After years of abuse at the hands of her alcoholic mother and step-father…
There are literally scores and scores of hooks listed in our database, specifically in the past & present clients section of our agents’ profiles. We encourage you to read as many as possible, and learn what captures your attention in a single sentence. Then try to emulate a similar hook for your query letter.
Paragraph Two—Mini-synopsis: This is where you get to distill your entire 300 page novel into one paragraph. Lucky you. We’d like to offer advice on how to do this, but really, it just takes practice, hard work and lots of patience. Then, like we said before, get your friends to read it and if their heads hurt afterwards, go back to the drawing board. We don’t envy you. We really don’t. Summing up your entire book in an intriguing single paragraph is worse than a root canal.
So think of it this way. You had trouble writing the gist of your book in one sentence, right? Now, you get a whole paragraph. About 150 extra words. Here’s your chance to expand on your hook. Give a little bit more information about your main characters, their problems and conflicts, and the way in which adversity changes their lives. Read the back flaps of your favorite novels and try to copy how the conflict of the book is described in a single, juicy paragraph. You can do this. You really can. You just have to sit down, brainstorm, then vomit it all out onto the page. Afterwards, cut, paste, trim, revise, and reshape.
Paragraph Three—Writer’s bio: This should be the easiest part of your query. After all, it’s about you, the writer. Okay, so it’s a bit daunting, especially if you’ve never been published, never won any awards, hold no degrees from MFA writing schools, and possess no credentials to write your book. No problem. The less you have to say, the more space you have for your mini-synopsis. Always a plus.
If you do choose to construct a writer’s bio (and you should), keep it short and related to writing. Agents don’t care what your day job is unless it directly relates to your book. Got a main character who’s a firefighter, and that’s your day job? Be sure to say that. Otherwise, scrap it. Education is helpful because it sounds good, but it’s only really important if you’re offering a nonfiction book about A.D.D. children and you hold a PhD in pediatric behavioral science. If you’ve published a few stories in your local newspaper, or a short story in a few literary magazines, or won any writing awards or contests, now’s the time to list the details. Don’t go hog wild, but don’t be too modest either.
Your Closing: Congratulations! You’ve finished your query letter. As a formal closing, be sure to do two things. First, thank the agent for her time and consideration. Second, if it’s nonfiction, tell them that you’ve included an outline, table of contents, and sample chapters for their review. If it’s fiction, alert the agent that the full manuscript is available upon request. And in case you still don’t believe us, we want to reiterate: don’t query agents until you’ve finished your full fiction manuscript. Agents will want to read the whole novel before they offer representation to you and your book.
x
(SOURCE)
Do's and Do NOT's of Query Letters
The Do’s:
- Do address your query specifically to an agent.
Nowadays, more and more agencies prefer email queries. Great for you, right? After all, email queries are free, fast and easy-peezy to send. Just the click of a button. Well, here’s the downside: Ri-DIC-ulous amounts of email queries are being received by agents every day. Like, over 100 queries a DAY. And that’s average for the more popular agents.
So if your query is addressed to “Whom it May Concern” — even if the agency’s submission guidelines state “send all email queries to info@primadonnaagency.com” — guess what is going to happen to your precious 1 little email out 100? Yeppers… The big ol’ DELETE.
For this reason, always, always, always address your email query to somebody… even if it’s the intern’s name (and sometimes it is the intern or assistant screening those 100-email queries-per-day). Always address it to a specific agent.
As far as salutations, there are lots of greetings from which to choose. Here are your options in order of best to worst:
Attn. Ms. Shermanstein:
Dear Adrian Shermanstein:
Dear Ms. Shermanstein:
Dear Ms. Shermanstein,
Dear Adrian,
Yo Adrian,
- Do state the title of your book.
You wouldn’t believe how many wanna-be writers sweat for weeks and weeks over their query’s hook and mini-syn, only to totally forget to include the title of their book in their query.
The title of your book should be included in at the beginning of your query — preferably in your hook — but at the very least, in the very first few sentences.
For some whacko reason, (and we have no idea why), newbie writers who don’t completely forget to mention their book’s title in their query, instead, do this really weird thing: they bury it at the end of their query. Like deep in the closing paragraph. Like it’s some big reveal.
Don’t be weird. Phhhhlease. State your book’s title somewhere in the beginning of your query. You’ve been warned.
BTW, if you’re sending an email query, include your title in the subject line: QUERY: AN AWKWARD FORM OF PROSTITUTION. And yeah, the catchier your title, the better chances your query will be opened and glanced over before those other 99-email queries.
- Do mention the word count and genre of your book.
Novels should be 80,000 to 100,00 words. Young adult novels can be significantly less: 40,000-60,000 words. Suavely insert word count and genre at the end of your first “hook” paragraph.
If your novel is a 200,000 word Weight Watchers candidate… our advice? Cut it down before you start querying.
Agents hit DELETE on a proposed first-time novel over 110,000-120,000, so you have two choices. You can either omit your word count (which is going to circle back to bite you in the bum when they request a partial, so we don’t advise this…) or you can cut it down. Unless your first novel is an family saga historical or a science fiction battle epic, agents have little tolerance for chubby debut novels because major publishers simply don’t buy them. Too expensive to print and distribute. Too risky of an investment.
- Do mention exactly why you’re approaching Ms. Agent.
Well, this one is more of a “Try-Your-Best-To…” Try your best to compare your book with other books that Ms. Agent has represented in the past. Or, at the very least, let her know that you’ve done some research, looked at her website, read her blog, checked out her submission guidelines and reviewed what she says she’s looking for, blah, blah, blah.
And we’ll admit, this “try-to” is one of those things that newbie writers do for the first 20-30 queries, and then it quickly gets dropped in favor of the numbers game. But if you met the agent at a conference or respond to a specific call for submissions that Ms. Agent posted on Twitter or her blog, then definitely mention it.
- Do adopt the “proper” tone for your query letter.
Yes, a query should be a professional business letter, but honestly, writing a query in the same manner as a regular cover letter is a recipe for snoozeville.
A great query should not only tell an agent what your book is about, but it should also match your book’s tone.
Got a cozy mystery novel with a witty, self-depricating female sleuth? Then, why are you making your query sound like a stuffy academic dissertation? Got a suspenseful thriller with a hard-boiled edge? Then, why does your query letter sound like a bone-dry, business letter?
Matching your query’s tone to the tone of your book is one of those tips that sounds like a “risk,” because everyone will tell you to keep it professional. But really, we’re not taking about writing your query from the POV of one of your characters. We’re talking about showing your voice through your query’s tone, and proving to an agent that you really understand your book’s genre, and ultimately, its marketability.
- Do keep your query to one-page only.
This is “old school” advice, especially since the majority of younger agents who are actively building their client list only accept email queries. A one-page query letter is a luxury. In the age of emailed queries and GenY nano-second attention spans, you’ve got to hook an agent in half that time. Your limit is 250 words. 300 max. If you really believe you can’t distill down your book into a 250 email query, you’ve either written one of those literary masterpieces in which there’s zippo plot, or you need some help learning the art of the query.
- Do format your snail mail query using standard business letter alignment and spacing.
That means: Single spaced. 12 point font. Everything aligned along the left margin. No paragraph indentations, but a space between each paragraph. One-page only!
However, if you’re sending an email query, be sure to send a version to yourself—and a few other email addresses—in order to search and destroy all those weird formatting blips. When you start copying and pasting from MS Word into email browsers, you’ll be horrified to see how fonts and indentations become all FOOKED up. One of the best solutions is to copy and paste your query into a text editor, like Notepad, strip it bare of any formatting, and then re-edit your query directly in your email’s browser.
- Do list your phone number, mailing address, and email address, but only IF you’re sending a snail mail query.
If you’re sending an email query, then don’t waste the precious space. Start with Dear Ms. Agent: and then vomit right into your query letter.
- Do include a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) with all snail mail submissions.
However, if you’re looking to streamline the whole snail mail thing, and you don’t feel the need to pay for the privilege of receiving rejection letters via your SASE, simply state at the end of your query that no SASE is enclosed, and instead, Ms. Agent can simply email you regarding a request for a partial or full; otherwise, no additional response is required from the agent (like a “form” rejection letter).
- Do have a pair of “fresh eyes” proofread for typos and grammar mistakes.
How many typos have you found thus far? Yeah, exactly. Bet it’s driving you nutszooooo…. Since most five year-olds can type and spell better than the AQCrew, be sure to get someone, anyone, even a five year-old, to proofread your query…
The Do NOT’s:
- Do NOT start off your query by saying, “I am querying you because I found your name in ‘such and such’ writing guide or internet agent database” (like AQ!). Not only does this take up valuable query letter space, but it’s also the sign of an amateur.
- Do NOT refer to your novel as a fictional novel. That’s redundant. Just call it a novel.
- Do NOT sing the praises of your book or compare it with other best selling books.
- Do NOT send gifts or other bribes with your query.
- Do NOT print your query on perfumed or colored paper. Use plain business stationery.
- Do NOT shrink your font down to 9 point so it all fits on one page. 12 point is standard. 11 point if you’re really desperate.
- Do NOT Fedex or mail your query in a lavish, signature-required fashion in order to make your query stand out. It will stand out, but in a very “annoying, over-zealous, bad first impression” kind of way. Not to mention, it’s a friggin’ waste of money.
- Do NOT apologize in your query for being a newbie writer with zero publishing credits and experience. Your goal is to write a tight, alluring, eye-catching query and sound like a professional. If you’re worried about your lack of writing credentials, just keep quiet and let the writing speak for itself.
- Do NOT include sample chapters of your novel with your query UNLESS an agent’s submission guidelines specifically SAY to include sample pages with your snail mail query. If you really feel compelled to show an agent your writing style along with your query letter, include only the first 5 pages of your novel. Never send more than the first 5 pages with your query unless the guidelines say, “A-Okay!”
- Do NOT forget to list your email address or contact phone number on your query.
- Do NOT forget to enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE)
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This is an article from agentquery.com. It’s a really helpful site; every writer who wants to get published should check it out. (SOURCE)
Getting a Literary Agent
What exactly is the “standard submission process”?
Let’s breakdown the submission process into three distinct rounds: 1) introduction via query 2) invitation to submit a partial and 3) invitation to submit the full manuscript.
Of course there are exceptions to this. Aren’t there always exceptions? First, nonfiction is a different ballgame than fiction. In fact, it’s really a different universe. With nonfiction, you can often submit a query and partial (sample chapters) at the same time.
Plus, an agent can often sell your unfinished, nonfiction book to major publishers on the basis of your nonfiction proposal and credentials. In other words, you don’t have to finish the whole nonfiction masterpiece before querying agents because they can sell your nonfiction "concept" to publishers on the basis of your proposal: outline, table of contents, and sample chapters.
In the next galaxy, lies fiction. Beware to all newbie unpublished fiction writers. While you most certainly can get a literary agent without previous publishing credits, we recommend that you don’t query agents until you’ve completely finished your novel. Often, agents want to see the complete fiction manuscript before they offer representation to an untested, unpublished writer. So if you query without a completed novel—don’t come crying to us when an agent actually requests to see your full manuscript—and whoops, you ain’t got one.
What about children’s picture books? Literary agents want to see the whole manuscript, often only 3-8 pages along with your query. Forget about the illustrations. If you succeed in intriguing an agent with your children’s picture book and your agent sells it to a Major Publisher, the MP will hire their own big-wig illustrator to put pictures to your words.
How do I contact literary agents about my writing?
There are only two ways to approach potential agents: snail mail or email. Don’t ever cold call. We’re warning you. Don’t do it. You’re wasting everyone’s time, including your own. And although we do list agent phone numbers in our database, we do NOT encourage you to cold call and harass agents regarding your book. Bottom line: don’t cold call as a preemptive method of querying—don’t do it, ever.
How do I email a literary agent about my writing?
Some agents accept email queries, others don’t. Don’t be lazy and shoot off a bunch of agents your email query with your fingers-crossed, hoping Ms. Agent will simply fall in love with your writing and forget that she hates to be queried via her business or personal email address. You’ll be ignored, and maybe even blacklisted. (Okay, blacklisted is unlikely, but you get our point).
Email query etiquette and format?
An email query is a brief, text-only version of a regular snail mail query. Unless specifically requested by the agent, don’t send your MS Word query as an attachment. Copy and paste the text into the body of the email. Agents are paranoid about receiving virus-tainted attachments, and they should be. So don’t send email queries with attachments. They will be unread and deleted every time—guaranteed.
Flag your query as such in the subject line of your email: QUERY: GRAPES OF WRATH. Otherwise, agents will miss it, skip over it, or simply disregard it as spam.
Also, personalize your email queries to specific agents. Don’t just send out one mass email. You will get zero responses. Oh, and by the way, it is becoming commonplace for agents to respond only if they are interested in knowing more. So don’t check your email thirty times a day, wondering why Ms. Agent hasn’t even bothered to take the time to reject you. She won’t. Just like in high school, cold silence is her rejection.
Why should I bother snail mailing literary agents about my writing?
In the past two years, we've noticed an explosion in the number of agents who have actually switched their submissions preference from snail mail queries only to email queries only. While this is great for writers and their pocketbooks (because email is free and easy), the fact remains that many agents who do accept both email queries and snail mail queries—without stating a preference—only respond to the email queries that interest them. In other words, writers who exclusively send out email queries often complain that they're getting zero responses from agents. Really, these writers are getting responses. That cricket chirping silence = rejection from the agents. No response required because they ain't interested.
If you think that's rude or you can't handle not being formally sent a rejection, then send out snail mail queries to agents who don't specify a preference, and be sure to send an SASE (self addressed stamped envelope) with your query letter. Most agents will always reply to a snail mail query with at least a form rejection, if you've bothered to include an SASE.
Snail mail etiquette and format?
Most agents are happy to review a one-page query with a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) for their response. Unlike email queries that often don’t receive any response if the agent is uninterested, many snail mail queries still receive formal rejections, adding some closure to the process.
We recommend that you print your one-page query on plain white or ivory stationery paper, and mail it in an 8”x11” plain white envelope. Drop a standard No.10 self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) inside, and you’re done. Mail it first class or priority. In our experience, agents respond much faster to priority mail than first-class. Not necessarily any more or less positive, but simply weeks faster.
Can I mail some sample chapters along with my query?
Sometimes. Sometimes not. Each agent has his or her own specific preferences. Some agents like to see a synopsis along with the query. Some prefer to see a sample chapter or two in order to evaluate the author’s writing style. Upon first introduction, some agents want a query accompanied with a partial of the first 50 pages. Each agent is different, and our AQ database attempts to list—in detail—the best method for querying each agent, depending if you’re shopping around fiction or non-fiction.
What happens when a literary agent likes my query?
If your query does its job, you will intrigue Ms. Agent and she will invite you to send her sample chapters of your writing. This is dubbed “a partial.” Don’t freak out when this happens. Hopefully, it will—and often. With fiction, a partial is typically the first 50 pages. Or an agent will ask for the first three chapters. If your first three chapters are longer or shorter than average, just send the first 50 pages, give or take a few pages in order to allow for a full chapter break at the end of your partial. No agent will mind that you submitted 55 pages instead of 50 in order to forward along the final pages of a chapter.
Format your manuscript with 12 point Times New Roman, one inch margins all around, double spaced. Some people also use Courier, but we feel Courier font is more a screenplay standard than a literary manuscript standard. Be sure to number all your pages in the upper right hand header, as well as your last name and title in the upper left (example: Steinbeck/Grapes of Wrath).
Construct a title page. Your manuscript's title page should have your name, address, phone number, and email address listed as four separate lines in the upper left-hand corner of your title page—the same way you would list your contact info in a business letter. Then drop one-third down the page and set your auto-indentation to "center." Type your manuscript's title, "GRAPES OF WRATH," (ALL CAPS—no quotes!) in the center, then hit "enter" twice. Type "BY" (ALL CAPS—no quotes!). Hit "enter" twice more. Then type your name "JOHN STEINBECK" (ALL CAPS—no quotes!). Voila, you've got a professional manuscript title page. Don't forget to put "WORD COUNT: 85,000" in the upper-right hand corner (Again, ALL CAPS—no quotes!)
Then, send your partial off with a cover letter, reminding the agent that she requested a partial of your work. Include a copy of her original request. Mark your address label with the tag “REQUESTED MATERIALS,” so it won’t get sucked into the slush pile abyss. Send it priority with confirmation. Don’t call or email her to make sure she got it okay. That’s the oldest trick in the book. Just breathe and wait.
How long does it take a literary agent to respond to my snail mail query? Partial manuscript? Full manuscript?
For snail mail queries, average is two weeks to a month. Some bigger agencies are bombarded and it may take several months. But we don’t consider this the norm.
For partials, 50 pages or less, the average is one to two months. Yes, two months. Just for a partial. So simmer down chickpea. Sit on your hands and wait another month before you make that chipper, but eagerly desperate “just checking up” phone call or email.
For full manuscripts, the average is anywhere between one month to four months. Two to four months is typical. If you’re not a patient person, become one. If you haven’t heard anything from the agent in four months, shoot them a quick email, inquiring about its status. Unfortunately, in our experience, most agents ignore follow-ups from writers, so be prepared for silence. Agents will respond when they have time to respond. When they’ve read your full manuscript, they will let you know.
Is it okay to “simultaneously submit” to literary agents?
Simultaneously submitting to agents means you’re querying more than one agent at a time. And yes, you must simultaneously submit QUERIES, or you’ll never get anywhere. However, we do recommend that you pace yourself by sending queries out in batches. No more than ten or so. As you receive rejections and acceptances, you’ll also receive feedback, wanted or unwanted, warranted or not. You may find yourself revising your work, revising your query, or simply revising your search. Although we have hundreds of agents in our database, there are a finite number of agents who will be interested in representing your genre of book. Meter out your queries, and be sure to send your best work out into the world. Inevitably, your best work will evolve through revision and review—so don’t burn up all your options from the get-go by sending out forty queries in the first round. Instead, send out bunches of ten queries every two to three weeks.
Can I query two literary agents in the same agency?
Unless an agency specifically says you can NOT query different agents in the same agency, then we say “yes”. But DON’T query multiple agents in the same agency at the same time. Query one agent first and wait for a response. If the first agent is a no-go, wait a few weeks, then query a second agent in the same agency.
A literary agent wants an “exclusive.” Should I grant it?
Once an agent expresses interest in your writing, she may request an exclusive read of your partial or full manuscript. This means you promise to stop shopping your manuscript around to other agents while Ms. Exclusive Agent takes two to four months to read your work and decide whether or not she wants to offer representation. Exclusives are very disadvantageous to the writer, but often writers cave in and grant them, especially if Ms. Exclusive Agent is considered a top-tier mover and shaker.
Our opinion? Be honest, upfront, professional, and discerning. Handle each request for an exclusive as it comes, and don’t offer an exclusive without being directly asked for it. In general, we don’t recommend offering exclusives on partials. But if you must offer an exclusive on a partial, cap it at two weeks. If you grant an exclusive on your full manuscript, only offer it for four to six weeks. No more. And if you do grant an exclusive, honor it. Your future reputation is at stake.
By the way, if you don’t offer exclusives and multiple agents are reading your partial or full manuscript at the same time, be sure to follow basic rules of professionalism. If you are offered representation and accept it, be sure to alert via email any agents who still are considering your manuscript that you’ve accepted representation elsewhere. Otherwise, you contribute to the “exclusive vicious cycle,” and encourage more agents to ask for exclusives because they’ve been burned by writers like you in the past.
x
(SOURCE)
Let’s breakdown the submission process into three distinct rounds: 1) introduction via query 2) invitation to submit a partial and 3) invitation to submit the full manuscript.
Of course there are exceptions to this. Aren’t there always exceptions? First, nonfiction is a different ballgame than fiction. In fact, it’s really a different universe. With nonfiction, you can often submit a query and partial (sample chapters) at the same time.
Plus, an agent can often sell your unfinished, nonfiction book to major publishers on the basis of your nonfiction proposal and credentials. In other words, you don’t have to finish the whole nonfiction masterpiece before querying agents because they can sell your nonfiction "concept" to publishers on the basis of your proposal: outline, table of contents, and sample chapters.
In the next galaxy, lies fiction. Beware to all newbie unpublished fiction writers. While you most certainly can get a literary agent without previous publishing credits, we recommend that you don’t query agents until you’ve completely finished your novel. Often, agents want to see the complete fiction manuscript before they offer representation to an untested, unpublished writer. So if you query without a completed novel—don’t come crying to us when an agent actually requests to see your full manuscript—and whoops, you ain’t got one.
What about children’s picture books? Literary agents want to see the whole manuscript, often only 3-8 pages along with your query. Forget about the illustrations. If you succeed in intriguing an agent with your children’s picture book and your agent sells it to a Major Publisher, the MP will hire their own big-wig illustrator to put pictures to your words.
How do I contact literary agents about my writing?
There are only two ways to approach potential agents: snail mail or email. Don’t ever cold call. We’re warning you. Don’t do it. You’re wasting everyone’s time, including your own. And although we do list agent phone numbers in our database, we do NOT encourage you to cold call and harass agents regarding your book. Bottom line: don’t cold call as a preemptive method of querying—don’t do it, ever.
How do I email a literary agent about my writing?
Some agents accept email queries, others don’t. Don’t be lazy and shoot off a bunch of agents your email query with your fingers-crossed, hoping Ms. Agent will simply fall in love with your writing and forget that she hates to be queried via her business or personal email address. You’ll be ignored, and maybe even blacklisted. (Okay, blacklisted is unlikely, but you get our point).
Email query etiquette and format?
An email query is a brief, text-only version of a regular snail mail query. Unless specifically requested by the agent, don’t send your MS Word query as an attachment. Copy and paste the text into the body of the email. Agents are paranoid about receiving virus-tainted attachments, and they should be. So don’t send email queries with attachments. They will be unread and deleted every time—guaranteed.
Flag your query as such in the subject line of your email: QUERY: GRAPES OF WRATH. Otherwise, agents will miss it, skip over it, or simply disregard it as spam.
Also, personalize your email queries to specific agents. Don’t just send out one mass email. You will get zero responses. Oh, and by the way, it is becoming commonplace for agents to respond only if they are interested in knowing more. So don’t check your email thirty times a day, wondering why Ms. Agent hasn’t even bothered to take the time to reject you. She won’t. Just like in high school, cold silence is her rejection.
Why should I bother snail mailing literary agents about my writing?
In the past two years, we've noticed an explosion in the number of agents who have actually switched their submissions preference from snail mail queries only to email queries only. While this is great for writers and their pocketbooks (because email is free and easy), the fact remains that many agents who do accept both email queries and snail mail queries—without stating a preference—only respond to the email queries that interest them. In other words, writers who exclusively send out email queries often complain that they're getting zero responses from agents. Really, these writers are getting responses. That cricket chirping silence = rejection from the agents. No response required because they ain't interested.
If you think that's rude or you can't handle not being formally sent a rejection, then send out snail mail queries to agents who don't specify a preference, and be sure to send an SASE (self addressed stamped envelope) with your query letter. Most agents will always reply to a snail mail query with at least a form rejection, if you've bothered to include an SASE.
Snail mail etiquette and format?
Most agents are happy to review a one-page query with a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) for their response. Unlike email queries that often don’t receive any response if the agent is uninterested, many snail mail queries still receive formal rejections, adding some closure to the process.
We recommend that you print your one-page query on plain white or ivory stationery paper, and mail it in an 8”x11” plain white envelope. Drop a standard No.10 self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) inside, and you’re done. Mail it first class or priority. In our experience, agents respond much faster to priority mail than first-class. Not necessarily any more or less positive, but simply weeks faster.
Can I mail some sample chapters along with my query?
Sometimes. Sometimes not. Each agent has his or her own specific preferences. Some agents like to see a synopsis along with the query. Some prefer to see a sample chapter or two in order to evaluate the author’s writing style. Upon first introduction, some agents want a query accompanied with a partial of the first 50 pages. Each agent is different, and our AQ database attempts to list—in detail—the best method for querying each agent, depending if you’re shopping around fiction or non-fiction.
What happens when a literary agent likes my query?
If your query does its job, you will intrigue Ms. Agent and she will invite you to send her sample chapters of your writing. This is dubbed “a partial.” Don’t freak out when this happens. Hopefully, it will—and often. With fiction, a partial is typically the first 50 pages. Or an agent will ask for the first three chapters. If your first three chapters are longer or shorter than average, just send the first 50 pages, give or take a few pages in order to allow for a full chapter break at the end of your partial. No agent will mind that you submitted 55 pages instead of 50 in order to forward along the final pages of a chapter.
Format your manuscript with 12 point Times New Roman, one inch margins all around, double spaced. Some people also use Courier, but we feel Courier font is more a screenplay standard than a literary manuscript standard. Be sure to number all your pages in the upper right hand header, as well as your last name and title in the upper left (example: Steinbeck/Grapes of Wrath).
Construct a title page. Your manuscript's title page should have your name, address, phone number, and email address listed as four separate lines in the upper left-hand corner of your title page—the same way you would list your contact info in a business letter. Then drop one-third down the page and set your auto-indentation to "center." Type your manuscript's title, "GRAPES OF WRATH," (ALL CAPS—no quotes!) in the center, then hit "enter" twice. Type "BY" (ALL CAPS—no quotes!). Hit "enter" twice more. Then type your name "JOHN STEINBECK" (ALL CAPS—no quotes!). Voila, you've got a professional manuscript title page. Don't forget to put "WORD COUNT: 85,000" in the upper-right hand corner (Again, ALL CAPS—no quotes!)
Then, send your partial off with a cover letter, reminding the agent that she requested a partial of your work. Include a copy of her original request. Mark your address label with the tag “REQUESTED MATERIALS,” so it won’t get sucked into the slush pile abyss. Send it priority with confirmation. Don’t call or email her to make sure she got it okay. That’s the oldest trick in the book. Just breathe and wait.
How long does it take a literary agent to respond to my snail mail query? Partial manuscript? Full manuscript?
For snail mail queries, average is two weeks to a month. Some bigger agencies are bombarded and it may take several months. But we don’t consider this the norm.
For partials, 50 pages or less, the average is one to two months. Yes, two months. Just for a partial. So simmer down chickpea. Sit on your hands and wait another month before you make that chipper, but eagerly desperate “just checking up” phone call or email.
For full manuscripts, the average is anywhere between one month to four months. Two to four months is typical. If you’re not a patient person, become one. If you haven’t heard anything from the agent in four months, shoot them a quick email, inquiring about its status. Unfortunately, in our experience, most agents ignore follow-ups from writers, so be prepared for silence. Agents will respond when they have time to respond. When they’ve read your full manuscript, they will let you know.
Is it okay to “simultaneously submit” to literary agents?
Simultaneously submitting to agents means you’re querying more than one agent at a time. And yes, you must simultaneously submit QUERIES, or you’ll never get anywhere. However, we do recommend that you pace yourself by sending queries out in batches. No more than ten or so. As you receive rejections and acceptances, you’ll also receive feedback, wanted or unwanted, warranted or not. You may find yourself revising your work, revising your query, or simply revising your search. Although we have hundreds of agents in our database, there are a finite number of agents who will be interested in representing your genre of book. Meter out your queries, and be sure to send your best work out into the world. Inevitably, your best work will evolve through revision and review—so don’t burn up all your options from the get-go by sending out forty queries in the first round. Instead, send out bunches of ten queries every two to three weeks.
Can I query two literary agents in the same agency?
Unless an agency specifically says you can NOT query different agents in the same agency, then we say “yes”. But DON’T query multiple agents in the same agency at the same time. Query one agent first and wait for a response. If the first agent is a no-go, wait a few weeks, then query a second agent in the same agency.
A literary agent wants an “exclusive.” Should I grant it?
Once an agent expresses interest in your writing, she may request an exclusive read of your partial or full manuscript. This means you promise to stop shopping your manuscript around to other agents while Ms. Exclusive Agent takes two to four months to read your work and decide whether or not she wants to offer representation. Exclusives are very disadvantageous to the writer, but often writers cave in and grant them, especially if Ms. Exclusive Agent is considered a top-tier mover and shaker.
Our opinion? Be honest, upfront, professional, and discerning. Handle each request for an exclusive as it comes, and don’t offer an exclusive without being directly asked for it. In general, we don’t recommend offering exclusives on partials. But if you must offer an exclusive on a partial, cap it at two weeks. If you grant an exclusive on your full manuscript, only offer it for four to six weeks. No more. And if you do grant an exclusive, honor it. Your future reputation is at stake.
By the way, if you don’t offer exclusives and multiple agents are reading your partial or full manuscript at the same time, be sure to follow basic rules of professionalism. If you are offered representation and accept it, be sure to alert via email any agents who still are considering your manuscript that you’ve accepted representation elsewhere. Otherwise, you contribute to the “exclusive vicious cycle,” and encourage more agents to ask for exclusives because they’ve been burned by writers like you in the past.
x
(SOURCE)
When Agents Offer Representation
We want everyone to be prepared for the best case scenario: that all their hard work and research will pay off in the form of an offer of representation from one or more agents.
It's not a fantasy. It can and does happen, and we've certainly witnessed it more and more, especially now that so many agents are reaching out to so many new writers through our website by updating their profiles and letting writers know exactly what kinds of work they want to represent.
When an agent wants to offer representation to me and my book, how will I know?
When an agent wants to offer you representation, they will contact you and say so.
Often an agent will email a writer and explicitly say, "Hey, I want to discuss representation. When would be a good time to call?" Other agents will simply call and let the writer know that they are making the offer at the beginning of the phone conversation.
However, some agents call writers and conduct a casual "interview" conversation before formalizing an offer. These agents want to discuss the manuscript and "feel" out the writer. And guess what? That's okay. Go with it.
Agents who call to discuss a writer's manuscript before offering representation simply want to learn more about the writer. They want to gauge your personality. They want to see if there's a connection. Remember, this is likely your first experience working with an agent, but it is not the agent's first experience working with a writer.
Many agents want to hear how the writer sounds on the phone before they officially extend an offer: does the writer have a professional demeanor? Can the writer eloquently and passionately talk about their writing? Is the writer a one-hit wonder, or do they have plans to write more books? Does the writer have realistic expectations about the agent-client relationship? What about realistic expectations regarding the potential for a sale and the estimated $advance$?
Some agents will hold back on making the offer until they assess the initial vibe of the first conversation. And at the end of this conversation, it is always the writer's right to come right out and say, "So, now that we've had a chance to discuss my work, are you interested in representing me?
However, most of the time, agents rarely beat around the bush when making an offer. When they want to sign a client, they know it. And they let the writer know it, too. For more on the agent's perspective of THE CALL, please read our symposium series, When Agents Call...
What happens if I receive an offer of representation from an agent, but I am still waiting to hear from other agents who also have my full manuscript? What do I do?
This happens more than you think, and writers are notoriously bad at handling this situation. The first thing that you need to know is that Ms. Offering Agent won't be offended if you don't accept her offer of representation right away after the initial phone call. Ms. Offering Agent will only be offended if you accept her offer of representation, and then one month later, change your mind because your real top-choice agent finally calls and makes you an offer.
For this reason, it is very important that you not accept the first offer you receive from an agent until you've had a chance to alert all the other agents who are still considering your full manuscript that you have an offer...
Yes, you should still take the time to speak with Ms. Offering Agent on the phone. Ask questions. Feel her out. Consider the chemistry. Get a sense of her personality. Is she someone you can trust? Does she sound easy to work with? Do you both have the same view of your project? Will she require a rewrite that you agree with?
However, at the end of this initial conversation, you should let Ms. Offering Agent know that you are excited about her offer, but you'd like to take some time to consider it. Also, let her know that other agents are still considering your full manuscript, and as a professional courtesy, you'd like to alert them that you have an offer and give them a chance to respond. Tell her you are very interested in working with her, and that you'd like two weeks to think over your decision. End the initial phone conversation with Ms. Offering Agent on good terms, and agree to touch base again with her in two weeks regarding your decision.
Sounds simple, right? But you wouldn't believe how many writers botch this part of the process up. Not accepting an agent's offer—right then and there—is not offensive to the agent. It's business, and she knows it. In fact, she'll likely respect your honesty and professionalism because all agents have been on the other side of this fence, finding out that a writer has accepted an offer of representation without first giving them the chance to make a counter-offer. Agents really hate that.
As a result, it is a professional courtesy to let the other agents know that you have an offer, and give them a chance to respond. Ms. Offering Agent will respect that, even encourage it, because good agents want to make a good agent-client match. They want their prospective clients to feel happy about their decision, and they want to work with clients who want to work with them. If a writer regrets their decision a month later, or feels bad about jumping at the first offer they've received, then nobody wins. Agents are smart enough to know this, and will respect writers who understand this as well.
Once an agent has made me an offer of representation, how long can I keep them waiting for my decision?
It is important to know that you should not make Ms. Offering Agent wait forever. You should be able to make a decision in two weeks. Three weeks tops. If you have put Ms. Offering Agent on hold because you are waiting for your "first choice" agent to get back to you, and over and over, she doesn't, then Ms. First-Choice Agent might have a problem making a decision of her own.
Once you inform the other competing agents that you have an offer of representation, they will often ask for an extra week to read it and decided whether or not they want to make a competing offer. (You wouldn't believe how fast agents can read a full manuscript when they want to, even after sitting on it for months). If these same agents do not come back with a response within a week, then it's important to move on, and perhaps revise your expectations of who you thought your "first-choice" agent would be.
Otherwise, if you wait longer than a month to make a decision, Ms. Offering Agent is likely to feel dissed. There is a point, after all, when decisions need to be made, and not making them becomes a sign of unprofessionalism.
Okay, so I understand that I have to alert the other agents who are reviewing my manuscript that I have an offer? What's the best way to contact them?
The moment you have an offer of representation from an agent, you should alert all the agents who have requested your full manuscript (and even partials).
Contact these agents via email. In your email, use a very clear subject line: OFFER OF REPRESENTATION—Title of Project. Then draft a very brief email, letting these agents know that you have received an offer of representation. However, tell them that you have not accepted the initial offer. Instead, out of professional courtesy, you are checking in with them regarding the status of your manuscript.
Within hours, we guarantee the remaining agents will email you back with one of two possible answers.
First possible answer: Thank you so much for alerting me about your offer. I apologize that it has taken me so long to review your manuscript, but I am still very interested, and if possible, I'd like a few extra days to read it. Please let me know if this will work within your parameters.
Agent are competitive. When they find out a manuscript, which has been sitting on their desk for months, has suddenly received an offer of representation, then that manuscript moves to the top of their reading pile. Agents can read your manuscript in two days if they know there's a chance that a great manuscript might get scooped up by their competition.
Second possible answer: Thank you so much for letting me know about your offer of representation. I apologize that I have not had a chance to review your manuscript, and I wish you the best of luck with your new representation.
Translation: they aren't interested in throwing themselves into the agent rat race.
There is a third possibility: you won't hear back from some of the agents at all. In this case, we suggest calling after you've sent an email, especially if Ms. Silent Agent is one of your top-choices. If you can't get her on the phone, leave a detailed message, citing the fact that you've received an offer of representation, and you are alerting all the agents who are still considering your work before you accept the initial offer. After the phone call, if Ms. Silent Agent gets back to you within a day or two, great. If not, Ms. Silent Agent is silent for a reason. Move on.
An agent has called and left me a message to call him back. Does that mean he is going to offer me representation?
If an agent calls you on the phone and leaves a voice message, do not jump to any conclusions.
Yes, most of the time, if an agent reads your full manuscript and calls to discuss it, it's a good sign. But it may not always be the call.
Are you freaking kidding, you say? What the heck do you mean it's not THE CALL?
We have known a fair number of writers who have received THE PHONE MESSAGE, which is not the same as THE CALL, although it can be deceivingly similar to newbies.
The PHONE MESSAGE goes something like this: Mr. Agent finally has read your manuscript after sitting on it for months. He calls and leaves a voice message, saying that he wants to discuss it. However, what Mr. Agent doesn't say in his voice mail is why he'd like to discuss it. Mr. Agent makes no mention of wanting to discuss representation. He simply says he wants to discuss the manuscript.
The good news is that the agent finally called, right?
Uhm...sort of. As writers, our little literary hearts flutter any time an agent calls. We've been waiting for THE CALL for so long, and here it is!
The bad news? Mr. Agent is not calling to offer you representation. He's calling to discuss all the reasons why he cannot offer representation.
Yeah. Exactly. It kinda makes you want to find the nearest window.
We can’t explain why some agents feel compelled to do this, we just know that it happens. Maybe the agent wants to call the writer, to be "encouraging" (although in the moment, it usually feels like the exact opposite). Maybe the agent really likes the writer's voice, but the story isn't for him, but he wants to "encourage" the writer to query him again with her next project. Maybe there’s been a long history of email back and forth between the writer and the agent, and the agent feels obligated to let the writer know—voice-to-voice—why he can't take her on as a client. Or maybe some agents just feel really bad about rejecting writers, and they want to let us down easy. Kinda like inviting the neighborhood teenager to present his entire steak knife pitch, then waiting until the very end to explain why you can't buy any new steak knives because you already have three sets.
Bottomline: we don’t really care the reasons why agents call writers to reject them. We just know that writers often confuse THE CALL with THE PHONE MESSAGE, and we don't blame them.
THE CALL: when an agent calls to offer representation, what do I say? What questions do I ask? How can I make the best impression possible?
Assuming that the agent is calling to offer representation, THE CALL is perhaps the best chance you'll have to determine your compatibility with Ms. Offering Agent. (unless you live near NYC, in which case, agents will often ask to meet).
You should definitely ask questions—during the second-half of the conversation. But for first-half, we recommend letting the agent drive the conversation. So if you're nervous, let the agent do the talking. Truly. Agents like to talk. They like to engage. And they're usually the ones making the first move by calling you to discuss your book, so let the agent set the initial agenda of the conversation, especially if you're insecure about what to say.
Most agents will say, right away, that they are interested in offering representation. Other agents might wait and feel you out. Either way, the agents will likely have questions, just like you. Let the conversation proceed casually. However, don't get intimidated into silence. Be prepared to talk passionately and eloquently about your book. Ask questions, too. Here are some important questions that writers should ask of every offering agent:
This is your chance to really find out if you and Ms. Offering Agent see your project the same way BEFORE you commit to working together.
You don't have much time in this initial phone call, so try to avoid squandering precious minutes with basic questions like: What other books have you sold? Are you a member of AAR? Who are your other clients?
Technically, you should already know the answers; that's why you queried Ms. Offering Agent in the first place. Instead, spend your time "connecting" over the work and discussing the mechanics of how your future agent conducts business with her clients. For more on the agent's perspective of THE CALL, please read our symposium series, When Agents Call...
I have received an offer of representation from an agent, but he doesn't use a written agent-client contract. Is that a bad sign?
There are many agencies that do not use a written agent-client agreement. The agent-writer "hand-shake" deal is very much still alive and well in the publishing industry because all publishing contracts spell out the agent's commission and payment terms of the sale. For this reason, some agents feel there's no need to have a written agreement between the agent and client preceding the sale of the client's work to a publisher.
I have received an offer of representation from an agent, but he wants me to sign an agent-client agreement. Is that a bad sign?
Just as many agencies don't use an agent-client agreement, there are many that do. These agencies require all prospective clients to sign an agent-client contract before conducting any business on behalf of the writer.
Don't freak out if you are asked to sign an agent-client contract, okay? Really, it's standard business-world procedure, so get over the fact that you aren't a lawyer. Neither are we, nor do we play one on TV, but that doesn't mean we still don't know that every writer should use common sense when it comes to deciphering the basic terms of an agent-client contract.
Consider the most important aspects of the agreement, and make sure those are kosher:
Again, WE ARE NOT LAWYERS and WE SERIOUSLY KNOW NOTHING about contract law. So if you don't like something that you see in an agent-client contract, hire a contracts lawyer or attempt to negotiate the change in the contract yourself.
An agent calls and tells me she enjoyed my book, but she thinks it still needs some work. We discussed all the revisions that she wants, but she didn't say that she was offering representation. Instead, she said that she would be happy to re-read the revised manuscript. Does this mean if I make the changes, she will make an offer?
Unfortunately, no. Not always. Writers need to be aware that some agents request revisions from a writer BEFORE making a formal offer of representation. Usually, an agent who suggests changes without making an offer believes your manuscript is 75% there. But the last 25% is the deal-breaker, and the agent wants to see if the writer can pull off the revisions before committing to the project. If an agent calls to discuss revisions—without offering representation—then you should hear what they have to say. But please be aware that the agent has not made any commitments to you as a client; they are simply letting you know that they would like to see you make specific changes. After you make those changes, then they would be willing to reconsider your work. Nothing more. Nothing less.
If an agent calls and communicates that they like your work, but would like to see certain changes made BEFORE they formally offer representation, then tread carefully.
We're not a fan of agents who encourage revisions without making a formal offer. It's a murky purgatory for any writer, and at the end of the day, there are no guarantees.
You may choose to make these revisions. You may choose not to. You may choose to make them while simultaneously querying other agents. You are not on the hook to this agent, and they are not on the hook to you because you are not a client—yet. If you agree with the agent's suggestions, then go ahead and consider investing time in making the revisions. But don't stop querying other agents. Yes, Ms. Critique Agent is generously giving you feedback and encouragement. But she hasn't elevated you to client-status, so why grant her the benefit of exclusivity by not querying other agents while you work on her revisions?
What should I expect from the agent-client relationship?
The agent-client relationship is a business partnership. But it's also a long-term professional commitment. And often, a very personable one. Agents and writer should "click." They are going to be playing offensive and defensive as they run the ball down the football field towards the publishing goal line, so it helps if you "like" your agent as a person as well as a literary partner. You're teammates on the same team, after all. (God, we really hate football jock-talk, but hey, it's true).
Some agents provide lots of editorial feedback. Some agents provide encouragement and hand-holding. Some agents go after the big deals and don't let go until their jaws meet. Some agents makes sale after sale after sale for clients that they've never even met.
Every agent-client relationship is different and every one is personal. At the very least, your agent should be communicative about every aspect of your literary career. After your book has been submitted to editors, you should hear from your agent about once a month regarding its status (and if you don't, you should feel comfortable checking in via email and getting a response in a timely manner.) Your agent should give you some idea of how many editors she has submitted to, and preferably the names of these editors and the publishing imprints for which they work. When editors decline to buy your book, if your agent doesn't automatically forward you copies of the decline letters, simply ask for them. Your agent should not have a problem with providing this information.
After six months (and definitely after a year) without a sale, be sure to request a full submission list from your agent. This list should cite all the editors who have reviewed your manuscript, and it will give you confidence that your agent is submitting your work to the right editors and imprints. If it's been a year, and your book still hasn't sold, despite your agent getting it reviewed by many editors, then that's okay. Your agent isn't a bad agent, and you aren't a bad writer. Your book just didn't sell. It happens to every agent, and many, many, many more writers than you'd think. That's why you should always be busy working on your next book as well as maintaining a positive ongoing relationship with your agent.
Also, you should talk on the phone with your agent at least once every six months. Even if you have a great "email" relationship with your agent, you should still schedule phone conversations in order to stay "connected." Writers often fall into patterns of isolationism. It's our tendency, after all, to be alone for long periods of time while we write and invent things in our mind. But don't let this tendency affect your professional relationship with your agent. You must not isolate your agent, or feel terrified to initiate communication. It is a business relationship, and you have no relationship without communication. Touching base once a month is a good standard. But checking in every week (unless your agent is in the middle of a contract negotiation on your behalf) makes you a pest.
That said, we know that there are many writers who fear their agent has lost that loving feeling. If your agent has submitted your first book to more than ten editors (but still no sale), has given you submission updates along the way, continues to respond to your emails, and expresses interest in your new book, then simmer down and stop fretting about your agent-client relationship.
For example, if your agent has done all of the above, and now she has promised to read your revisions or newest submission, and that was weeks ago, and already you're starting to worry that maybe she doesn't love you anymore, then send us an email and let us know. We'd be happy to slap some sense into you, (kinda like that scene in the movie, Airplane.) Get over yourself. Give your agent some space. And check in once a month. Your agent will make you a priority soon enough, and until then, don't blow up the relationship in your mind because of paranoia.
Anything short of the above, (zero email response after you check in every month, not submitting your work to editors (or very, very few editors), avoiding your phone calls, not expressing interest in your new writing), and yeah, it's probably time to find a new literary agent.
x
(SOURCE) This is from agentquery.com.
It's not a fantasy. It can and does happen, and we've certainly witnessed it more and more, especially now that so many agents are reaching out to so many new writers through our website by updating their profiles and letting writers know exactly what kinds of work they want to represent.
When an agent wants to offer representation to me and my book, how will I know?
When an agent wants to offer you representation, they will contact you and say so.
Often an agent will email a writer and explicitly say, "Hey, I want to discuss representation. When would be a good time to call?" Other agents will simply call and let the writer know that they are making the offer at the beginning of the phone conversation.
However, some agents call writers and conduct a casual "interview" conversation before formalizing an offer. These agents want to discuss the manuscript and "feel" out the writer. And guess what? That's okay. Go with it.
Agents who call to discuss a writer's manuscript before offering representation simply want to learn more about the writer. They want to gauge your personality. They want to see if there's a connection. Remember, this is likely your first experience working with an agent, but it is not the agent's first experience working with a writer.
Many agents want to hear how the writer sounds on the phone before they officially extend an offer: does the writer have a professional demeanor? Can the writer eloquently and passionately talk about their writing? Is the writer a one-hit wonder, or do they have plans to write more books? Does the writer have realistic expectations about the agent-client relationship? What about realistic expectations regarding the potential for a sale and the estimated $advance$?
Some agents will hold back on making the offer until they assess the initial vibe of the first conversation. And at the end of this conversation, it is always the writer's right to come right out and say, "So, now that we've had a chance to discuss my work, are you interested in representing me?
However, most of the time, agents rarely beat around the bush when making an offer. When they want to sign a client, they know it. And they let the writer know it, too. For more on the agent's perspective of THE CALL, please read our symposium series, When Agents Call...
What happens if I receive an offer of representation from an agent, but I am still waiting to hear from other agents who also have my full manuscript? What do I do?
This happens more than you think, and writers are notoriously bad at handling this situation. The first thing that you need to know is that Ms. Offering Agent won't be offended if you don't accept her offer of representation right away after the initial phone call. Ms. Offering Agent will only be offended if you accept her offer of representation, and then one month later, change your mind because your real top-choice agent finally calls and makes you an offer.
For this reason, it is very important that you not accept the first offer you receive from an agent until you've had a chance to alert all the other agents who are still considering your full manuscript that you have an offer...
Yes, you should still take the time to speak with Ms. Offering Agent on the phone. Ask questions. Feel her out. Consider the chemistry. Get a sense of her personality. Is she someone you can trust? Does she sound easy to work with? Do you both have the same view of your project? Will she require a rewrite that you agree with?
However, at the end of this initial conversation, you should let Ms. Offering Agent know that you are excited about her offer, but you'd like to take some time to consider it. Also, let her know that other agents are still considering your full manuscript, and as a professional courtesy, you'd like to alert them that you have an offer and give them a chance to respond. Tell her you are very interested in working with her, and that you'd like two weeks to think over your decision. End the initial phone conversation with Ms. Offering Agent on good terms, and agree to touch base again with her in two weeks regarding your decision.
Sounds simple, right? But you wouldn't believe how many writers botch this part of the process up. Not accepting an agent's offer—right then and there—is not offensive to the agent. It's business, and she knows it. In fact, she'll likely respect your honesty and professionalism because all agents have been on the other side of this fence, finding out that a writer has accepted an offer of representation without first giving them the chance to make a counter-offer. Agents really hate that.
As a result, it is a professional courtesy to let the other agents know that you have an offer, and give them a chance to respond. Ms. Offering Agent will respect that, even encourage it, because good agents want to make a good agent-client match. They want their prospective clients to feel happy about their decision, and they want to work with clients who want to work with them. If a writer regrets their decision a month later, or feels bad about jumping at the first offer they've received, then nobody wins. Agents are smart enough to know this, and will respect writers who understand this as well.
Once an agent has made me an offer of representation, how long can I keep them waiting for my decision?
It is important to know that you should not make Ms. Offering Agent wait forever. You should be able to make a decision in two weeks. Three weeks tops. If you have put Ms. Offering Agent on hold because you are waiting for your "first choice" agent to get back to you, and over and over, she doesn't, then Ms. First-Choice Agent might have a problem making a decision of her own.
Once you inform the other competing agents that you have an offer of representation, they will often ask for an extra week to read it and decided whether or not they want to make a competing offer. (You wouldn't believe how fast agents can read a full manuscript when they want to, even after sitting on it for months). If these same agents do not come back with a response within a week, then it's important to move on, and perhaps revise your expectations of who you thought your "first-choice" agent would be.
Otherwise, if you wait longer than a month to make a decision, Ms. Offering Agent is likely to feel dissed. There is a point, after all, when decisions need to be made, and not making them becomes a sign of unprofessionalism.
Okay, so I understand that I have to alert the other agents who are reviewing my manuscript that I have an offer? What's the best way to contact them?
The moment you have an offer of representation from an agent, you should alert all the agents who have requested your full manuscript (and even partials).
Contact these agents via email. In your email, use a very clear subject line: OFFER OF REPRESENTATION—Title of Project. Then draft a very brief email, letting these agents know that you have received an offer of representation. However, tell them that you have not accepted the initial offer. Instead, out of professional courtesy, you are checking in with them regarding the status of your manuscript.
Within hours, we guarantee the remaining agents will email you back with one of two possible answers.
First possible answer: Thank you so much for alerting me about your offer. I apologize that it has taken me so long to review your manuscript, but I am still very interested, and if possible, I'd like a few extra days to read it. Please let me know if this will work within your parameters.
Agent are competitive. When they find out a manuscript, which has been sitting on their desk for months, has suddenly received an offer of representation, then that manuscript moves to the top of their reading pile. Agents can read your manuscript in two days if they know there's a chance that a great manuscript might get scooped up by their competition.
Second possible answer: Thank you so much for letting me know about your offer of representation. I apologize that I have not had a chance to review your manuscript, and I wish you the best of luck with your new representation.
Translation: they aren't interested in throwing themselves into the agent rat race.
There is a third possibility: you won't hear back from some of the agents at all. In this case, we suggest calling after you've sent an email, especially if Ms. Silent Agent is one of your top-choices. If you can't get her on the phone, leave a detailed message, citing the fact that you've received an offer of representation, and you are alerting all the agents who are still considering your work before you accept the initial offer. After the phone call, if Ms. Silent Agent gets back to you within a day or two, great. If not, Ms. Silent Agent is silent for a reason. Move on.
An agent has called and left me a message to call him back. Does that mean he is going to offer me representation?
If an agent calls you on the phone and leaves a voice message, do not jump to any conclusions.
Yes, most of the time, if an agent reads your full manuscript and calls to discuss it, it's a good sign. But it may not always be the call.
Are you freaking kidding, you say? What the heck do you mean it's not THE CALL?
We have known a fair number of writers who have received THE PHONE MESSAGE, which is not the same as THE CALL, although it can be deceivingly similar to newbies.
The PHONE MESSAGE goes something like this: Mr. Agent finally has read your manuscript after sitting on it for months. He calls and leaves a voice message, saying that he wants to discuss it. However, what Mr. Agent doesn't say in his voice mail is why he'd like to discuss it. Mr. Agent makes no mention of wanting to discuss representation. He simply says he wants to discuss the manuscript.
The good news is that the agent finally called, right?
Uhm...sort of. As writers, our little literary hearts flutter any time an agent calls. We've been waiting for THE CALL for so long, and here it is!
The bad news? Mr. Agent is not calling to offer you representation. He's calling to discuss all the reasons why he cannot offer representation.
Yeah. Exactly. It kinda makes you want to find the nearest window.
We can’t explain why some agents feel compelled to do this, we just know that it happens. Maybe the agent wants to call the writer, to be "encouraging" (although in the moment, it usually feels like the exact opposite). Maybe the agent really likes the writer's voice, but the story isn't for him, but he wants to "encourage" the writer to query him again with her next project. Maybe there’s been a long history of email back and forth between the writer and the agent, and the agent feels obligated to let the writer know—voice-to-voice—why he can't take her on as a client. Or maybe some agents just feel really bad about rejecting writers, and they want to let us down easy. Kinda like inviting the neighborhood teenager to present his entire steak knife pitch, then waiting until the very end to explain why you can't buy any new steak knives because you already have three sets.
Bottomline: we don’t really care the reasons why agents call writers to reject them. We just know that writers often confuse THE CALL with THE PHONE MESSAGE, and we don't blame them.
THE CALL: when an agent calls to offer representation, what do I say? What questions do I ask? How can I make the best impression possible?
Assuming that the agent is calling to offer representation, THE CALL is perhaps the best chance you'll have to determine your compatibility with Ms. Offering Agent. (unless you live near NYC, in which case, agents will often ask to meet).
You should definitely ask questions—during the second-half of the conversation. But for first-half, we recommend letting the agent drive the conversation. So if you're nervous, let the agent do the talking. Truly. Agents like to talk. They like to engage. And they're usually the ones making the first move by calling you to discuss your book, so let the agent set the initial agenda of the conversation, especially if you're insecure about what to say.
Most agents will say, right away, that they are interested in offering representation. Other agents might wait and feel you out. Either way, the agents will likely have questions, just like you. Let the conversation proceed casually. However, don't get intimidated into silence. Be prepared to talk passionately and eloquently about your book. Ask questions, too. Here are some important questions that writers should ask of every offering agent:
- What does the agent like best about your project?
- Does the agent feel that the project is ready for submission to publishers, or will she require revisions before submission?
- If she thinks it needs revisions, are they small tweaks, or does she want a major plot or character development change?
- Which publishing houses does the agent believe would be a good fit for your book?
AQ Commentary: (hopefully the Big NYC Publishers, not just small presses) - How many editors does she plan to pitch in the first round of submissions?
AQ Commentary: ("six or more" is average for most commercial and genre fiction. Less than "three" should give you pause. One at a time is a bad answer.) - How often will she update you regarding the status of your submissions
AQ Commentary: (once a month is standard, although we know some published authors who touchbase once a week and even once a day). But less than once a month, and your agent might be more hands-off than they should be). - Is this agent interested in representing only this project, or all your future books?
- Does the agent use an agent-client written agreement?
- Does the agency handle the sale of subsidiary rights, like foreign, film, audio, and translation? (or do they have a relationship with a sub-agent who handles the sale of these rights on their behalf)
This is your chance to really find out if you and Ms. Offering Agent see your project the same way BEFORE you commit to working together.
You don't have much time in this initial phone call, so try to avoid squandering precious minutes with basic questions like: What other books have you sold? Are you a member of AAR? Who are your other clients?
Technically, you should already know the answers; that's why you queried Ms. Offering Agent in the first place. Instead, spend your time "connecting" over the work and discussing the mechanics of how your future agent conducts business with her clients. For more on the agent's perspective of THE CALL, please read our symposium series, When Agents Call...
I have received an offer of representation from an agent, but he doesn't use a written agent-client contract. Is that a bad sign?
There are many agencies that do not use a written agent-client agreement. The agent-writer "hand-shake" deal is very much still alive and well in the publishing industry because all publishing contracts spell out the agent's commission and payment terms of the sale. For this reason, some agents feel there's no need to have a written agreement between the agent and client preceding the sale of the client's work to a publisher.
I have received an offer of representation from an agent, but he wants me to sign an agent-client agreement. Is that a bad sign?
Just as many agencies don't use an agent-client agreement, there are many that do. These agencies require all prospective clients to sign an agent-client contract before conducting any business on behalf of the writer.
Don't freak out if you are asked to sign an agent-client contract, okay? Really, it's standard business-world procedure, so get over the fact that you aren't a lawyer. Neither are we, nor do we play one on TV, but that doesn't mean we still don't know that every writer should use common sense when it comes to deciphering the basic terms of an agent-client contract.
Consider the most important aspects of the agreement, and make sure those are kosher:
- The term of the agreement, or how long the agreement is in effect:
- One-year?
- Six months?
- Best answer: Either party may terminate the agreement for any reason thirty days after written notice.
- Termination clause: how can you get out of the agreement if you want to?
- Law Suits?
- Arbitration?
- Best answer: Either party may terminate the agreement for any reason thirty days after written notice.
- What happens if either party to the contract dies:
- Your mom becomes the client?
- Your ghost is legally bound forever to the agent?
- Best answer: The agreement is automatically terminated.
- What happens if your agent leaves the agency to start her own agency:
- You are tied forever to the first agency, not the agent?
- You are dropped as a client and no one else may represent your book?
- Best Answer: you are free to terminate your contract with the first agency and re-sign with your agent under her new agency's umbrella.
- Is the percentage of the agent's commission 15% for domestic rights and 20% for foreign rights?
- Does the agent-client agreement cover all your writing, or just the single title of the book listed on the agreement?
- Does the contract require you to pay for "reimbursement of expenses," even in the event that there is no sale?
- Does the contract require you to pay Agent #1 a commission on the sale of the book, even after you jump ship and switch to Agent #2 and she makes the sale on your behalf?
Again, WE ARE NOT LAWYERS and WE SERIOUSLY KNOW NOTHING about contract law. So if you don't like something that you see in an agent-client contract, hire a contracts lawyer or attempt to negotiate the change in the contract yourself.
An agent calls and tells me she enjoyed my book, but she thinks it still needs some work. We discussed all the revisions that she wants, but she didn't say that she was offering representation. Instead, she said that she would be happy to re-read the revised manuscript. Does this mean if I make the changes, she will make an offer?
Unfortunately, no. Not always. Writers need to be aware that some agents request revisions from a writer BEFORE making a formal offer of representation. Usually, an agent who suggests changes without making an offer believes your manuscript is 75% there. But the last 25% is the deal-breaker, and the agent wants to see if the writer can pull off the revisions before committing to the project. If an agent calls to discuss revisions—without offering representation—then you should hear what they have to say. But please be aware that the agent has not made any commitments to you as a client; they are simply letting you know that they would like to see you make specific changes. After you make those changes, then they would be willing to reconsider your work. Nothing more. Nothing less.
If an agent calls and communicates that they like your work, but would like to see certain changes made BEFORE they formally offer representation, then tread carefully.
We're not a fan of agents who encourage revisions without making a formal offer. It's a murky purgatory for any writer, and at the end of the day, there are no guarantees.
You may choose to make these revisions. You may choose not to. You may choose to make them while simultaneously querying other agents. You are not on the hook to this agent, and they are not on the hook to you because you are not a client—yet. If you agree with the agent's suggestions, then go ahead and consider investing time in making the revisions. But don't stop querying other agents. Yes, Ms. Critique Agent is generously giving you feedback and encouragement. But she hasn't elevated you to client-status, so why grant her the benefit of exclusivity by not querying other agents while you work on her revisions?
What should I expect from the agent-client relationship?
The agent-client relationship is a business partnership. But it's also a long-term professional commitment. And often, a very personable one. Agents and writer should "click." They are going to be playing offensive and defensive as they run the ball down the football field towards the publishing goal line, so it helps if you "like" your agent as a person as well as a literary partner. You're teammates on the same team, after all. (God, we really hate football jock-talk, but hey, it's true).
Some agents provide lots of editorial feedback. Some agents provide encouragement and hand-holding. Some agents go after the big deals and don't let go until their jaws meet. Some agents makes sale after sale after sale for clients that they've never even met.
Every agent-client relationship is different and every one is personal. At the very least, your agent should be communicative about every aspect of your literary career. After your book has been submitted to editors, you should hear from your agent about once a month regarding its status (and if you don't, you should feel comfortable checking in via email and getting a response in a timely manner.) Your agent should give you some idea of how many editors she has submitted to, and preferably the names of these editors and the publishing imprints for which they work. When editors decline to buy your book, if your agent doesn't automatically forward you copies of the decline letters, simply ask for them. Your agent should not have a problem with providing this information.
After six months (and definitely after a year) without a sale, be sure to request a full submission list from your agent. This list should cite all the editors who have reviewed your manuscript, and it will give you confidence that your agent is submitting your work to the right editors and imprints. If it's been a year, and your book still hasn't sold, despite your agent getting it reviewed by many editors, then that's okay. Your agent isn't a bad agent, and you aren't a bad writer. Your book just didn't sell. It happens to every agent, and many, many, many more writers than you'd think. That's why you should always be busy working on your next book as well as maintaining a positive ongoing relationship with your agent.
Also, you should talk on the phone with your agent at least once every six months. Even if you have a great "email" relationship with your agent, you should still schedule phone conversations in order to stay "connected." Writers often fall into patterns of isolationism. It's our tendency, after all, to be alone for long periods of time while we write and invent things in our mind. But don't let this tendency affect your professional relationship with your agent. You must not isolate your agent, or feel terrified to initiate communication. It is a business relationship, and you have no relationship without communication. Touching base once a month is a good standard. But checking in every week (unless your agent is in the middle of a contract negotiation on your behalf) makes you a pest.
That said, we know that there are many writers who fear their agent has lost that loving feeling. If your agent has submitted your first book to more than ten editors (but still no sale), has given you submission updates along the way, continues to respond to your emails, and expresses interest in your new book, then simmer down and stop fretting about your agent-client relationship.
For example, if your agent has done all of the above, and now she has promised to read your revisions or newest submission, and that was weeks ago, and already you're starting to worry that maybe she doesn't love you anymore, then send us an email and let us know. We'd be happy to slap some sense into you, (kinda like that scene in the movie, Airplane.) Get over yourself. Give your agent some space. And check in once a month. Your agent will make you a priority soon enough, and until then, don't blow up the relationship in your mind because of paranoia.
Anything short of the above, (zero email response after you check in every month, not submitting your work to editors (or very, very few editors), avoiding your phone calls, not expressing interest in your new writing), and yeah, it's probably time to find a new literary agent.
x
(SOURCE) This is from agentquery.com.
Writerly Links
We've done your homework for you: here are some of the best, most useful websites out there for writers. When it comes to helping writers find a literary agent, chatting with other like-minded authors, or researching industry leads and alternative publishing paths, these are some of the first-class writing and publishing websites.
AGENT HUNTING
The Association of Authors’ Representatives
The AAR was formed in 1991 through the merger of the Society of Authors' Representatives (founded in 1928) and the Independent Literary Agents Association (founded in 1977). To qualify for membership in the AAR, an agent must meet professional standards specified in AAR's bylaws and agree to subscribe to its Canon of Ethics. However, AAR cannot regulate the commissions, fees, services, or other competitive business practices of its members.
Their website and searchable agent member database has recently been updated. Based on our current intelligence, it seems like AAR has stepped up to the plate and made an effort to keep their database regularly maintained and accurate. And although we consider every agent in our AQ database legitimate, not every agent in our AQ database is a member of AAR. In our opinion, AAR membership is not a black & white litmus test for good versus bad. It simply offers one source for verifying potential credibility.
Preditors and Editors
P & E’s website keeps an ongoing list of literary agents, reputable and non-reputable, for all writers to browse and compare notes. And although this website doesn’t maintain current addresses of agents or always list the most accurate information regarding which agent is affiliated with which agency (literary agents are peripatetic; they change agencies, start their own agencies, then close shop and move to bigger agencies more times in a year than J-Lo gets married), it does serve as a great source for ferreting out the scammers.
Bottom line: if you’re interested in an agent who you don’t find in our AQ database, we recommend that you cross-reference the agent’s name with Preditors and Editors’ list. If you find the agent’s name on P & E with a “Not Recommended” rating, then you’ll immediately know why she’s not in our AQ database. Read our Beware of Scammers page, and stay away from Ms. Questionable Agent—far, far away.
Publishers Marketplace
Publishers Marketplace is one of the most trusted industry-insider resources and offers a wealth of information for a month-to-month subscription fee of $20. This subscription includes search privileges to view their "recent sales" agent database. PM also offers Publishers Lunch, a free daily e-zine that recaps the book sales made to the major & indie publishers. For example, Publishers Lunch tells you that Mr. Agents sold the book Lovely Secrets by Sho-shana Friedricks, about a twenty-something girl with leukemia who refuses to tell her fiancé she’s dying, to Ms. Editor at Simon & Schuster. Keep in mind, however, that Publishers Lunch only reports the news that agents and editors feed them, and not every agent on the planet feels compelled to report their sales to Publishers Lunch. And by the way, our AQ database only lists a "snapshot" of an agent's sales history, especially highlighting the titles that can be reviewed on Amazon. We let Publishers Marketplace take care of databasing all the agents' deals for us.
Writer Beware
Similar to Predators & Editors, Writer Beware’s goal is to provide writers with current information about known scammers in the literary agent world. They often put out an A.P.B regarding specific names and organizations to avoid at all cost. They also thoroughly outline how to tell a reputable literary agent from a questionable one, and maintain a blog to educate writers about the detrimental scamming practices of fee-charging “rogue” agents who prey on the vulnerable, desperate sensibilities of wannabe authors. You can also email Writer Beware to ask specifically about an agent or publisher, and they'll check the agent or publisher against their extensive database. If Writer Beware shouts, "Stay away!" we recommend that you sprint in the other direction of that questionable agent or publisher.
GENERAL WRITING & PUBLISHING RESOURCES
Poets & Writers Magazine
Poets & Writers offers informative articles, publishing news, special features, and important deadlines for literary contests, conferences, residencies, awards, and grants. It’s the best online and in-print guidance magazine for aspiring writers—and they’re not paying us to say that. A subscription to this magazine will keep you informed and in-the-loop, and we also recommend checking out their Tools for Writers. It’s a treasure trove of links and mini-databases related to writing contests, indie presses, grants, residencies, writing organizations, literary agents, and more.
Writer's Digest
Writer's Digest offers both a website and monthly print magazine that provides topical "digestible" information of interest to mainstream writers. Their articles are generally geared towards the beginning to intermediate level writer, and often focus on the mechanics of good writing and selling one's self as a writer. If you're new to all of this, reading Writer's Digest is a great way to slowly immerse yourself into the world of publishing and its complex facets. If you're looking for an agent, we purusing their blog, Guide to Literary Agents. Writer's Digest also sponsors their annual 101 Best Web Sites for Writers. And you know it, baby, AQ made the 2010 short list. Sixth year in a row!
Writing World
This site offers solid nuts-and-bots advice to all writers of all genres. Fresh articles and columns are posted weekly, and there's simply a mind-boggling amount of how-to advice for the beginning writer, including A Step-by-Step Guide to Launching Your Writing Career and How to Write a Successful Query Letter as well as How to Find Markets for your writing, and Aspects of the Writing Life (like rejection and writer's block). And that's just for the newbies. And perhaps most helpful to emerging writers is their Rights & Contracts page, packed with information regarding publishing rights, copyrights, contracts & payment issues, piracy, plagiarism and scams.
GENERAL WRITING & PUBLISHING COMMUNITIES
Absolute Write
AbsoluteWrite has a huge, loyal fan base that is dominated by newbie writers and established authors who critique, gossip, and educate each other about the realities and pitfalls of the publishing industry. Their Beware and Background Check forum is moderated by several watchdogs who tirelessly work to educate newbie writers who fall prey to the most common of the agency and publishing scams. If you can get past the newbie scam paranoia that is prevalent on this board, you'll glean some valuable tips and writing opportunities from the more regular posters.
Forward Motion for Writers
Founded by novelist Holly Lisle, Forward Motion is community of often insanely dedicated writers who challenge each other to write better, to reach higher, to never give up on our dreams. One of this community's motto is: Write here--write now. They also offer free e-books and bi-monthly e-zine. Most of the good stuff is in the protected forums, so you'll have to login to gain access.
WritingForums.com
An established writing forum with a nice clean layout, some interesting posting topics, and several hundred members. Their Writer's Resource group is most useful to aspiring writers while their Research group is a good source of reading entertainment.
GENRE SPECIFIC RESOURCES & COMMUNITIES
All Romance Writers.com
All Romance Writers is a web site where readers and writers of romance can come together to discuss books, authors, and book characters and plots.
ChickLitWriters.com
The Chick Lit Writers group is a place where chick lit writers can mingle with other authors who understand you, your voice, and this unique sub-genre that doesn’t play by the traditional romance rules. Network and share leads with a global, online community of writers who share the same interest--writing and publishing chick lit.
Confessions of an Idiosyncratic Mind
A website run by esteemed blogger Sarah Weinman that used to focus mainly on publishing news related to the crime genre, but now, encompasses a kick-ass-insider-bird's-eye-view of the convoluted behemoth known as, "The Publishing Industry."
Historical Novel Society
The Historical Novel Society was founded in 1997 to promote all aspects of historical fiction. They offer membership, news of forthcoming releases, the quarterly Historical Novels Review Magazine and semi-annual Solander Magazine, and a community of authors, readers, agents and publishers.
Locus Online
Locus Online and Locus Magazine offers a consolidated resource for science fiction, fantasy and horror writers, including news, reviews, interviews with established authors and links to sf/f/h web and e-zines, message boards and forums, blogs, and contests.
Romance Divas
A super-cool supportive site with a current membership of several hundred romance writers. The discussions are always informative, fun, and insightful. There's a loyal team of "diva" forum moderators with names like "Foxy Diva Gina" and "sassystyle" and the site's founders Dive Jax (Diva Web Goddess) and Diva Kristen (Admin Diva Goddess) display their baby pictures as identification. It's hard not to be charmed (if not a bit seduced) by this site, even if you don't write romance.
Writerspace
Writerspace is the home for over 550 authors, primarily romance and mystery, of the best fiction on the market today. Writerspace communities are familiar places for readers to gather, talk to each other, learn about releases and communicate with authors. They offer links to established author's individual websites as well as bulletin boards designed to hook writers up with their favorite contemporary commercial authors. It's a great site for aspiring romance and mystery writers to communicate with each other as well as learn from the pros.
CHILDREN'S AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR RESOURCES & COMMUNITIES
Anastasia Suen, Children's Book Author, Consultant, Teacher
Ms. Suen, an author herself of over 100 books—board books, picture books, easy readers, and chapter books (including a book for adults about how to write children's books)—offers her expert knowledge through her website and her three informative blogs: Create/Relate, IPBNews, and Picture Book of the Day. If you want to write children's picture books, her website is a groundzero learning launchpad.
Book Divas
Book Divas is an online book club for YA and college readers. Its membership includes some hip, savvy, young posters who know how to use the internet to stay connected, research agents and the book industry, and level the playing field in the grown-up world of publishing.
The CBI ClubHouse
This is a comprehensive children's book website founded by publishing-insiders who dispense the low-down on the how-to's of children's book publishing.
The Children's Book Council
The Children's Book Council, Inc. is the nonprofit trade association of publishers and packagers of trade books and related materials for children and young adults. Although it only offers membership to publishers and not individuals, it does offer an extensive online list of published children's authors and illustrators.
Jackflap.com
JacketFlap has become the world's largest and most comprehensive resource for information on the children's book industry. Writers, illustrators, librarians, agents, editors, publicists, and publishers visit JacketFlap every day.
The Purple Crayon
A website run by children's book editor, Harold Underdown, and dedicated to children's writing, illustrating and book publishing.
Verla Kay's Website for Children's Writers & Illustrators
Verla Kay, a published children's book author, provides a helpful, supportive website for aspiring children's book writers and illustrators. Her site offers useful links galore and her forum is populated by curious writers who are research addicts when it comes to sniffing out the newest publishing leads. Verla Kay's site also offers live chats once a week, allowing writers and illustrators the opportunity to meet virtually and network about the biz.
INTERNATIONAL RESOURCES
Australian Writer's Marketplace
The Australian Writer’s Marketplace is the premier resource for Australian and New Zealand writers. Published authors call it their “industry bible”. Furthermore, Australian or New zealand writers searching for a literary agent might want to try closer to home via the Australian Literary Agents' Association.
Author Network
This is a great website for writers interested in exploring agents, competitions, festivals, and other literary opportunities in England and Europe. They have a healthy list of links to UK small presses and university presses, UK literary agents, and UK professional organizations and associations. They also offer monthly writing columns, interviews with established authors, and even individualized websites for writers seeking to promote their current article or book.
Critique Circle
If nothing else, it's nifty that this site is an import from Iceland. Register as a free CC member and you've suddenly got a whole network of new literary friends, waiting to critique your query or manuscript in their forums and story queues. For a premium membership of $24 a year, you can create your own private message forums and critique queues. You also gain full access to their ToolChest, offering snazzy web tools like "Submission Tracker," helping you track all your submissions to magazines, agents, and publishers, and "Name Generator," creating random English names from the U.S. Census Bureau data. Cool, huh? They even have a "Paragraph-a-Day" tool—for all you master procrastinators.
x
(SOURCE)
AGENT HUNTING
The Association of Authors’ Representatives
The AAR was formed in 1991 through the merger of the Society of Authors' Representatives (founded in 1928) and the Independent Literary Agents Association (founded in 1977). To qualify for membership in the AAR, an agent must meet professional standards specified in AAR's bylaws and agree to subscribe to its Canon of Ethics. However, AAR cannot regulate the commissions, fees, services, or other competitive business practices of its members.
Their website and searchable agent member database has recently been updated. Based on our current intelligence, it seems like AAR has stepped up to the plate and made an effort to keep their database regularly maintained and accurate. And although we consider every agent in our AQ database legitimate, not every agent in our AQ database is a member of AAR. In our opinion, AAR membership is not a black & white litmus test for good versus bad. It simply offers one source for verifying potential credibility.
Preditors and Editors
P & E’s website keeps an ongoing list of literary agents, reputable and non-reputable, for all writers to browse and compare notes. And although this website doesn’t maintain current addresses of agents or always list the most accurate information regarding which agent is affiliated with which agency (literary agents are peripatetic; they change agencies, start their own agencies, then close shop and move to bigger agencies more times in a year than J-Lo gets married), it does serve as a great source for ferreting out the scammers.
Bottom line: if you’re interested in an agent who you don’t find in our AQ database, we recommend that you cross-reference the agent’s name with Preditors and Editors’ list. If you find the agent’s name on P & E with a “Not Recommended” rating, then you’ll immediately know why she’s not in our AQ database. Read our Beware of Scammers page, and stay away from Ms. Questionable Agent—far, far away.
Publishers Marketplace
Publishers Marketplace is one of the most trusted industry-insider resources and offers a wealth of information for a month-to-month subscription fee of $20. This subscription includes search privileges to view their "recent sales" agent database. PM also offers Publishers Lunch, a free daily e-zine that recaps the book sales made to the major & indie publishers. For example, Publishers Lunch tells you that Mr. Agents sold the book Lovely Secrets by Sho-shana Friedricks, about a twenty-something girl with leukemia who refuses to tell her fiancé she’s dying, to Ms. Editor at Simon & Schuster. Keep in mind, however, that Publishers Lunch only reports the news that agents and editors feed them, and not every agent on the planet feels compelled to report their sales to Publishers Lunch. And by the way, our AQ database only lists a "snapshot" of an agent's sales history, especially highlighting the titles that can be reviewed on Amazon. We let Publishers Marketplace take care of databasing all the agents' deals for us.
Writer Beware
Similar to Predators & Editors, Writer Beware’s goal is to provide writers with current information about known scammers in the literary agent world. They often put out an A.P.B regarding specific names and organizations to avoid at all cost. They also thoroughly outline how to tell a reputable literary agent from a questionable one, and maintain a blog to educate writers about the detrimental scamming practices of fee-charging “rogue” agents who prey on the vulnerable, desperate sensibilities of wannabe authors. You can also email Writer Beware to ask specifically about an agent or publisher, and they'll check the agent or publisher against their extensive database. If Writer Beware shouts, "Stay away!" we recommend that you sprint in the other direction of that questionable agent or publisher.
GENERAL WRITING & PUBLISHING RESOURCES
Poets & Writers Magazine
Poets & Writers offers informative articles, publishing news, special features, and important deadlines for literary contests, conferences, residencies, awards, and grants. It’s the best online and in-print guidance magazine for aspiring writers—and they’re not paying us to say that. A subscription to this magazine will keep you informed and in-the-loop, and we also recommend checking out their Tools for Writers. It’s a treasure trove of links and mini-databases related to writing contests, indie presses, grants, residencies, writing organizations, literary agents, and more.
Writer's Digest
Writer's Digest offers both a website and monthly print magazine that provides topical "digestible" information of interest to mainstream writers. Their articles are generally geared towards the beginning to intermediate level writer, and often focus on the mechanics of good writing and selling one's self as a writer. If you're new to all of this, reading Writer's Digest is a great way to slowly immerse yourself into the world of publishing and its complex facets. If you're looking for an agent, we purusing their blog, Guide to Literary Agents. Writer's Digest also sponsors their annual 101 Best Web Sites for Writers. And you know it, baby, AQ made the 2010 short list. Sixth year in a row!
Writing World
This site offers solid nuts-and-bots advice to all writers of all genres. Fresh articles and columns are posted weekly, and there's simply a mind-boggling amount of how-to advice for the beginning writer, including A Step-by-Step Guide to Launching Your Writing Career and How to Write a Successful Query Letter as well as How to Find Markets for your writing, and Aspects of the Writing Life (like rejection and writer's block). And that's just for the newbies. And perhaps most helpful to emerging writers is their Rights & Contracts page, packed with information regarding publishing rights, copyrights, contracts & payment issues, piracy, plagiarism and scams.
GENERAL WRITING & PUBLISHING COMMUNITIES
Absolute Write
AbsoluteWrite has a huge, loyal fan base that is dominated by newbie writers and established authors who critique, gossip, and educate each other about the realities and pitfalls of the publishing industry. Their Beware and Background Check forum is moderated by several watchdogs who tirelessly work to educate newbie writers who fall prey to the most common of the agency and publishing scams. If you can get past the newbie scam paranoia that is prevalent on this board, you'll glean some valuable tips and writing opportunities from the more regular posters.
Forward Motion for Writers
Founded by novelist Holly Lisle, Forward Motion is community of often insanely dedicated writers who challenge each other to write better, to reach higher, to never give up on our dreams. One of this community's motto is: Write here--write now. They also offer free e-books and bi-monthly e-zine. Most of the good stuff is in the protected forums, so you'll have to login to gain access.
WritingForums.com
An established writing forum with a nice clean layout, some interesting posting topics, and several hundred members. Their Writer's Resource group is most useful to aspiring writers while their Research group is a good source of reading entertainment.
GENRE SPECIFIC RESOURCES & COMMUNITIES
All Romance Writers.com
All Romance Writers is a web site where readers and writers of romance can come together to discuss books, authors, and book characters and plots.
ChickLitWriters.com
The Chick Lit Writers group is a place where chick lit writers can mingle with other authors who understand you, your voice, and this unique sub-genre that doesn’t play by the traditional romance rules. Network and share leads with a global, online community of writers who share the same interest--writing and publishing chick lit.
Confessions of an Idiosyncratic Mind
A website run by esteemed blogger Sarah Weinman that used to focus mainly on publishing news related to the crime genre, but now, encompasses a kick-ass-insider-bird's-eye-view of the convoluted behemoth known as, "The Publishing Industry."
Historical Novel Society
The Historical Novel Society was founded in 1997 to promote all aspects of historical fiction. They offer membership, news of forthcoming releases, the quarterly Historical Novels Review Magazine and semi-annual Solander Magazine, and a community of authors, readers, agents and publishers.
Locus Online
Locus Online and Locus Magazine offers a consolidated resource for science fiction, fantasy and horror writers, including news, reviews, interviews with established authors and links to sf/f/h web and e-zines, message boards and forums, blogs, and contests.
Romance Divas
A super-cool supportive site with a current membership of several hundred romance writers. The discussions are always informative, fun, and insightful. There's a loyal team of "diva" forum moderators with names like "Foxy Diva Gina" and "sassystyle" and the site's founders Dive Jax (Diva Web Goddess) and Diva Kristen (Admin Diva Goddess) display their baby pictures as identification. It's hard not to be charmed (if not a bit seduced) by this site, even if you don't write romance.
Writerspace
Writerspace is the home for over 550 authors, primarily romance and mystery, of the best fiction on the market today. Writerspace communities are familiar places for readers to gather, talk to each other, learn about releases and communicate with authors. They offer links to established author's individual websites as well as bulletin boards designed to hook writers up with their favorite contemporary commercial authors. It's a great site for aspiring romance and mystery writers to communicate with each other as well as learn from the pros.
CHILDREN'S AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR RESOURCES & COMMUNITIES
Anastasia Suen, Children's Book Author, Consultant, Teacher
Ms. Suen, an author herself of over 100 books—board books, picture books, easy readers, and chapter books (including a book for adults about how to write children's books)—offers her expert knowledge through her website and her three informative blogs: Create/Relate, IPBNews, and Picture Book of the Day. If you want to write children's picture books, her website is a groundzero learning launchpad.
Book Divas
Book Divas is an online book club for YA and college readers. Its membership includes some hip, savvy, young posters who know how to use the internet to stay connected, research agents and the book industry, and level the playing field in the grown-up world of publishing.
The CBI ClubHouse
This is a comprehensive children's book website founded by publishing-insiders who dispense the low-down on the how-to's of children's book publishing.
The Children's Book Council
The Children's Book Council, Inc. is the nonprofit trade association of publishers and packagers of trade books and related materials for children and young adults. Although it only offers membership to publishers and not individuals, it does offer an extensive online list of published children's authors and illustrators.
Jackflap.com
JacketFlap has become the world's largest and most comprehensive resource for information on the children's book industry. Writers, illustrators, librarians, agents, editors, publicists, and publishers visit JacketFlap every day.
The Purple Crayon
A website run by children's book editor, Harold Underdown, and dedicated to children's writing, illustrating and book publishing.
Verla Kay's Website for Children's Writers & Illustrators
Verla Kay, a published children's book author, provides a helpful, supportive website for aspiring children's book writers and illustrators. Her site offers useful links galore and her forum is populated by curious writers who are research addicts when it comes to sniffing out the newest publishing leads. Verla Kay's site also offers live chats once a week, allowing writers and illustrators the opportunity to meet virtually and network about the biz.
INTERNATIONAL RESOURCES
Australian Writer's Marketplace
The Australian Writer’s Marketplace is the premier resource for Australian and New Zealand writers. Published authors call it their “industry bible”. Furthermore, Australian or New zealand writers searching for a literary agent might want to try closer to home via the Australian Literary Agents' Association.
Author Network
This is a great website for writers interested in exploring agents, competitions, festivals, and other literary opportunities in England and Europe. They have a healthy list of links to UK small presses and university presses, UK literary agents, and UK professional organizations and associations. They also offer monthly writing columns, interviews with established authors, and even individualized websites for writers seeking to promote their current article or book.
Critique Circle
If nothing else, it's nifty that this site is an import from Iceland. Register as a free CC member and you've suddenly got a whole network of new literary friends, waiting to critique your query or manuscript in their forums and story queues. For a premium membership of $24 a year, you can create your own private message forums and critique queues. You also gain full access to their ToolChest, offering snazzy web tools like "Submission Tracker," helping you track all your submissions to magazines, agents, and publishers, and "Name Generator," creating random English names from the U.S. Census Bureau data. Cool, huh? They even have a "Paragraph-a-Day" tool—for all you master procrastinators.
x
(SOURCE)
Common Mary Sue Traits
"Im good at too many things! WHY CAN'T I JUST BE NORMAL? IT'S A FUCKING CURSE!" —Ebony Dark'ness Dementia Raven Way (of all people), My Immortal
While Mary Sue is too nebulous to be judged by any hard and fast standard, certain traits have become surprisingly popular. In an effort to make their characters more attractive without having to do the leg work of natural character development, the authors just add some of these superficial traits to their character. Below are the ones that the collective unconscious (so to speak) find especially attractive and end up incorporating into their characters with regularity.
Personality
(SOURCE) This guide is from TV tropes and is not my own work.
While Mary Sue is too nebulous to be judged by any hard and fast standard, certain traits have become surprisingly popular. In an effort to make their characters more attractive without having to do the leg work of natural character development, the authors just add some of these superficial traits to their character. Below are the ones that the collective unconscious (so to speak) find especially attractive and end up incorporating into their characters with regularity.
Personality
- What personality? In these cases, it's fairly blatant the author is just writing the character for amazing stuff to happen to instead of a character that actually exists as a person. Obviously, this is only a Mary Sue trait if what happens gives the character special powers, fantastic romances, or somehow lets her be a big damned heroine; otherwise it's just another faceless first-person perspective.
- If there is a personality, it's who the author wishes they could be, never who they are. While this is a regular feature in most original characters, Mary Sue takes it to the extreme.
- Highly persuasive, regardless of the actual content of their conversations. Everyone finds her opinions are just better than their own - even when they're usually stubborn bastards. This is especially likely in an Author Tract.
- Friend to All Living Things. It's becoming gradually less common as authors catch on to the Mary Sue Classic framework.
- Is either brave and cheerful (despite her past), or unnecessarily mopey and depressed.
- Incorruptible. In fact, unaware of the possibility of temptation.
- Occasionally a complete asshole, especially when they're supposed to be all of the above. Nobody will call them out on it.
- Her "major flaws" will be stubbornness and a bad temper. These will only ever help her, never hurt her — because she's always right, so whatever cause she dedicates herself to with such stubbornness will be a good cause, and whoever she loses her temper with will deserve it.
- Sometimes they'll mess her up once so she can learn an important lesson. And then they'll help her for the rest of the story.
- I Just Want To Be Normal: Being super awesome is a curse.
- Inexplicable and/or poorly defined abilities in general, especially if they play no factor in the plot after their introduction (not even as a Required Secondary Power) and are only there to make the character seem even more awesome.
- Regardless of what skill level the canon characters have established, she might just simply be better than them, often in ways that do not make sense. See also: Always Someone Better, God Mode Sue.
- Not to mention that if she isn't already skilled at something, she'll pick it up in a fraction of the time required.
- That's if she even needs to learn them at all.
- Magical powers similar to what the other characters have, only with the limitations removed.
- A perfect singing voice. Most often shows up in Mary Sue Classic. This died out for a while, but is returning due to the popularity of pop divas.
- Extreme proficiency with an instrument of her choice.
- And if it's a Song Fic, she'll possess the ability to compose her own lyrics and songs. Of course, they're NOT her own lyrics, they're somebody else's.
- And the guy will probably be a Draco in Leather Pants.
- Speaks several languages fluently. This can vary depending on the setting, of course. A modern-day diplomat is expected to know at least one or two other languages, but a 14-year-old peasant girl in Medieval Europe shouldn't speak Japanese and Hindi fluently. It's much worse if it includes animals. Bonus points if an alien lands in her backyard and she can communicate instantly (provided it doesn't speak the language already).
- The most common second languages are probably Romance languages (because they sound awesome), Japanese (for the otaku), and Lakota (many Sues are of American Indian admixture).
- Skilled in a type of martial arts in a setting or with a backstory that doesn't allow for it. Not regularly skilled either; she could kick the ass of the resident ninja of her choice.
- Just random magical powers, such as telepathy in a universe where it's never even been mentioned.
- Absurd natural athletic ability - she can run like the wind without ever having worked on her running, and has impossibly high acrobatic skills.
- And with all this - don't expect the Green-Eyed Monster to show up. Envy appears in the Mary Sue's life only as a means of angst, and so does not appear just because the Mary Sue has everything.
- Alternately, anybody who does get jealous is a bitch and is wrong. This is typically a single other character and may be Die for Our Ship or for other reasons.
- If she doesn't possess a particular skill or power in the beginning, it may manifest out of nowhere just in time to get her out of a jam, help her save the day or make her look even more awesome for no reason.
- So Beautiful, It's A Curse™. While being attractive isn't a qualifier of Mary Sue (who wants to be ugly?), it's a bit excessive to try and play it as being some sort of disadvantage. Alternatively she may only be Suetiful All Along. In an Anti Sue, this is reversed into a hideous monster. Regardless, her astounding beauty (or astounding lack of it) will make her stand out from the crowd - or so we're constantly being told.
- Unusual hair and/or eye color relative to canon is another common characteristic of Mary Sue. Alternatively, these features may be amazing in other ways - shining and shimmering eyes, or Anime Hair in non-Anime fandoms.
- Rapunzel Hair is also common.
- Note that White Hair isn't really considered all that unusual in anime-based fiction. It only becomes Sue-ish if it makes her special.
- More important than colour is highlights. Of course hair dye is nothing special, but somehow Sue's streaks are not only a colour completely different to the base, but also natural. Nature allows some leeeway here - blonds with dark roots aren't unheard of, but that's not what Sue is after.
- Similarly, these "natural" highlights are often a color such as blue, pink, purple or any other color that doesn't occur naturally in hair outside anime.
- Kaleidoscope Eyes. Seeing it in text is practically an instant Mary Sue qualifier.
- She might have a waiflike figure, so slim and delicate... and yet her breasts are perky, supple D-Cups, totally disregarding the fact that in reality, the slimmer you are, the smaller your breasts are likely to be (though there are real-world exceptions, a few even natural). These breasts never get in the way, or make running difficult, or sag. If height and weight figures are given, expect it to violate physics (unless she's made of Styrofoam or something).
- She'll often wear revealing outfits with tons of gems, fishnets, Frills Of Justice, and other extraneous details, even if it may be difficult or impossible to find such an outfit in the world (or be well outside of her realistic price bracket). Such flashy outfits will likely be just too impractical to wear in Real Life.
- Similar to the above, she will often wear special clothes even when the rest of the cast is supposed to be in some form of uniform.
- Alternately, she will wear a uniform that resembles the standard one that other characters wear, but it will be customized, and in a skimpy and impractical sense. For example, if the uniform includes a skirt (or even when it doesn't), Sue's skirt will be skin tight and extremely short, and will usually be paired with thigh-high fishnets.
- Purple seems to be popular. Especially when the canon characters are a Five-Man Band color-coded with red, yellow, green, blue and white/silver/black/pink. Gold is about the second most popular.
- In text, massive descriptions of their clothes, or links to images of their outfits. Bonus points if it's designer clothes in a situation where it would be unlikely and/or expensive for her income.
- She might have some kind of birthmark denoting her specialness, and it will always be meaningful in shape and never anyplace that would compromise her beauty.
- Descriptions of her looks are usually overly-detailed and distinctly violet-hued. Because saying she's slim with long black hair and blue eyes only tells you what she looks like. Saying she's a delicate, willowy goddess with flowing tresses that shimmered onyx like the feathers of a raven and sparkling cerulean orbs that shone like the ocean and radiated with feminininininity tells you she's special.
- Magic jewelery. It might be used as a Green Lantern Ring to justify her abilities.
- Exotic weaponry in a setting where she shouldn't have access to such. Usually, the question of why the law enforcement allows her to carry it doesn't come up and nobody seems to find a girl carrying a large sword intimidating. Bonus points if there is no explanation for where she keeps it.
- A katana. Now it's not impossible to have a katana outside of Japan anymore, but when it's because Katanas Are Just Better (especially in a place they either shouldn't exist or would be technically useless), you've got Sue-ness coming on.
- Two katanas is almost always a dead sure sign. (three is just plain Crazy Awesome)
- Sometime they'll use guns instead, especially if the setting doesn't usually have them, and in which case they're almost always revolvers. Or a minigun.
- Or if they're particularly into firearms, just check the list of Rare Guns. (see Desert Eagles) Often as lavishly described as the outfits.
- If she has her own transport, it will always be cool and expensive. Sometimes she has her own Time Machine - even worse if it's based on something from a different canon.
- She may have access to a Humongous Mecha in a universe that lacks them, or only hands them out on a case-by-case basis.
- The web exists everywhere for her— she can whip out her laptop anywhere and have access to both our normal internet and the local internet of whatever world she lives in. And use it to hack toasters and the Pentagon.
- Mary Sue is always on the Spotlight Stealing Squad. Without her, there would be a story.
- If she has any flaws intentionally written in by the creator, expect them to be Informed or not really flaws to begin with. Bonus points if they're genuine flaws that would actually be pretty awesome were it not for their drawbacks (e.g. substance abuse, nymphomania, etc.), and of course the drawbacks will never be shown.
- Clumsiness is a common "flaw".
- Which tends to manifest itself only a few times throughout the entire story, like the author saying, "No, she's not a Sue. See, she has flaws!"
- Clumsiness is a common "flaw".
- She's The Chosen One. Even if the canon hero is already The Chosen One, she either 'shares' the position or just steals it away from them.
- Or she might be part of the same specialized species/organization as the hero. See Sailor Earth.
- Alternately she is "destined to help the destined one fulfill their destiny" which pretty much means do all the real work except for the final blow so the prophecy isn't technically wrong.
- She is often around the age the author is, or just looks that way despite being Really 700 Years Old so that she can be wise and leaderly. This doesn't have to be bad (there are many settings where it's acceptable) but when you start seeing hardened military officers that are 16...
- Sympathetic Sue has an unusually Dark and Troubled Past to the excess, but other subtypes often have them too, just to emphasize how brave and special she is to live through it. This past is never really a point in the story, just dropped casually into the conversation to get attention. Alternatively it's written badly owing to not doing much research. How much she Wangsts about it is usually out of proportion with how bad it really is.
- There are several popular methods:
- She might be a Blithe Spirit and reform an entire population center of its negative qualities. Bonus points if this involves The Power of Love, The Power Of Rock, or (to paraphrase Lisa Simpson) "[...]rebellious... in a conformist sort of way".
- Perform a Heroic Sacrifice as a way to prove that she's Too Good For This Sinful Earth. Bonus points if the story goes out of the way to ensure she doesn't leave an ugly corpse (whether it be by a method that doesn't involve external physical damage or by her body not being recovered).
- More bonus points if it turns out to be a Disney Death. Just stop reading if it says something to the effect of "God wanted me back here." That's clearly Character Derailment of God Himself, who is far more likely to plunge so obnoxious a character straight into Hell.
- She might turn out to secretly be half-human, half-(insert species here). Or maybe just full (insert species here). Elf is extremely common, but any sufficiently human looking, "pretty" race will work. For added points, make her feel outright shame because she's not human even though, if anything, it only makes her more beautiful and/or powerful.
- Or maybe she's a Cute Monster Girl. Bonus points if this does not mesh with canon (i.e. canon dragon girls have heavy scales, flat chests, large talons for hands/feet, and are just flat out monstrous, but this character is just simply human with dragon wings, tail, unobtrusive horns, and a couple random scales on her shoulders and midsection).
- Similarly, if she's half-cat or dog, the only physical proof of this is that she'll have cute ears and a tail.
- Also common is vampire-anything (like a Half Vampire), with no discernible monstrous attributes or drawbacks, which often leads to great amounts of Purple Prose or a Copy Cat Sue syndrome (can anyone say Blade?).
- In some cases she's somehow half-human + half-elf + half-veela + half-angel + half-saiyan + half-God-like ridiculous hybrid creature. Bonus points if one of these races does not even exist in the story's canon, or if the end result would be illogical by definition (i.e. a half-demon/half-angel).
- If the character is already a furry, they'll typically be some incomprehensible hybrid, a rare or little-used (always pretty) species, and/or have wings regardless of species.
- Or maybe she's a Cute Monster Girl. Bonus points if this does not mesh with canon (i.e. canon dragon girls have heavy scales, flat chests, large talons for hands/feet, and are just flat out monstrous, but this character is just simply human with dragon wings, tail, unobtrusive horns, and a couple random scales on her shoulders and midsection).
- Redeems the villain through her overwhelming goodness.
- Is a princess. Everything's Better With Princesses, after all. Bonus points if she grew up as a peasant (or equivalent social class) and only just discovered this during the story. Of course, in any case, it will be a position of high opulence and little actual responsibility.
- On a similar note, the Changeling Fantasy is popular enough in its own right without ever involving Rags to Royalty to begin with. It's certainly advantageous to the writer to have a set of cruel parents that can be replaced with ideal ones.
- In fantasy canons, she can break the Rules of the World at will. Often, nobody will even be surprised.
- If she ever does anything wrong, she's both instantly remorseful about it and Easily Forgiven by those she wrongs. Sue: I'm sorry I Just Shot Marvin In The Face. Marvin's Friend: It's okay. I never liked him, anyway.
- She will often suffer from Special Snowflake Syndrome, having some trait or backstory that sets her apart from her race.
- This can be taken to the point of being from another setting entirely. It's no coincidence that many of the most notorious fanfics are mega-Crossovers.
- Sometimes, the Sue has only one supernatural power: being The Chosen One. Her chosenness makes her critically important to the world, but since she has no other godlike powers, she will spend most of the story being kidnapped (usually by a villainous love interest) and/or otherwise victimized. This is becoming more common as writers catch on to God Mode Sue, since it allows her to continue stealing the spotlight while still avoiding the "god mode" label.
- Will often be either of the author's ethnicity, an ethnicity the author wishes to be (often Magical Native American), or both. Not bad by itself, but can lead to Unfortunate Implications, and often occurs in cases when it's not even likely.
- May be named after the author in some form. Becoming less frequent as people catch on to the Litmus Tests.
- The more common practice is to give the Sue a name that the author really, really likes. As in, wishes it were their own name or the name they'd give to their firstborn. Names like Raven, Hunter, Samantha, or Sam are really popular for this.
- May have some overly long, complicated, usually Meaningful Name that relates to her abilities or personality - whether this is usual in canon or not.
- Her name is sometimes a gemstone, a flower, celestial bodies, (i.e. Luna, Stella, Celeste) or a pretty color (e.g. Violet, Sapphire). With Emo-Sues, her name is something spooky, mystical, or related to darkness (e.g. Raven, Trinity). Of particular note, Serenity seems to be a cliche
often finding its way into parodies.
- Maybe they have a generic Japanese name like Hikari or Sakura. Bonus points if it's a decidedly non-Japanese setting.
- The reverse can also occur in other cultures, when people are given "exotic" English words for names. Often results in name which doesn't mean quite what the author intended, due to the large vocabulary and connotations attached to many supposedly synonymous words in the English language.
- And of course the same can apply to any other language that the author thinks is cool.
- The reverse can also occur in other cultures, when people are given "exotic" English words for names. Often results in name which doesn't mean quite what the author intended, due to the large vocabulary and connotations attached to many supposedly synonymous words in the English language.
- Above all, the name is inconsistent within their particular culture. So you get cases of a small isolated village where Bob and Andy are lusting over Serenity Jasmine Sunrise Snapdragon.
- Which raises another point: if standard western names have 3 parts—a first, middle, and last name—expect her to have four or more.
- If part native, expect one of a list of native names that probably don't mean what the author thinks they do, aren't really native, or are the names of tribes.
(SOURCE) This guide is from TV tropes and is not my own work.
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