Guide to Literary Agents - December, 2007

The answer: Absolutely not. WL Writers Agency is actually a sprawling agency that is comprised of many little fee-charging agencies, such as the notoriously bad New York Literary Agency and Poet's Literary Agency.

In fact, this agency is named one of the "20 Worst" by Writer Beware, a site dedicated to protecting writers from all the Internet scams out there. See the Writer Beware "20 Worst" page here for more information.

Always remember: When in doubt, simply Google. I Googled "WL Writers Agency" and was immediately immersed in dozens of message boards, forums and blogs where writers were denouncing the agency as unscrupulous.

Scams

12/24/2007 3:46:43 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Agent Advice: Debbie Carter of Muse Literary Management
Posted by Chuck

"Agent Advice" is a series of quick interviews with literary and script agents who talk with Guide to Literary Agents about their thoughts on writing, publishing, and just about anything else.

This installment features literary agent Debbie Carter of Muse Literary Management, who handles nonfiction, fiction and children's writing.

GLA: What's the most recent thing you've sold?

DC: Recent sales include a short story to The Kenyon Review by 2005 Pushcart nominee Aurelia Wills, to be published in their 2008 summer issue; and a children's folktale collection, The Adventures of Molly Whuppie, by Anne Shelby, to Univ. of North Carolina Press.

GLA: You accept short story collections and novellas. Do you feel that the stories have to be connected or can they all be individual? Are these still a tough sell to publishers either way?

DC: I am looking for writers of short fiction who have enough stories for a collection or are writing toward completing one. Most collections are by prize-winning authors and feature stories previously published in name journals and magazines. If stories are interconnected, like a novel, and the work is strong enough to compete with debut novels, the writer does not need these credentials. Aurelia Wills, a writer who sold a couple stories on her own to journals, is completing stories toward a collection, and I submitted stories to journals as she worked toward that goal. We sold one to The Kenyon Review, but major journals passed on the other stories; unfortunately, we couldn't agree on a strategy for further submissions and we parted company: I thought the stories needed to be longer and that she should revise, and she wanted to keep sending the stories out because making submissions was "a numbers game." If a writer and I don't agree editorially on content, I will usually suggest that they seek feedback in a workshop. Some follow my advice, but some don't and decide to submit to publishers on their own.
      It is a matter of a reader's taste whether or not an editor publishes a story, but if I see something wrong with a story (usually an aspect of the structure), I will ask the writer to "fix" it. It's rare for an agent or anyone for that matter to like everything by a writer, and many writers will want to sell everything they write. I try to allow room for disagreement in my relationship with writers: I offer an agency agreement that is limited to specific works. I offer an agency agreement that is limited to specific works.
      As for novellas, the content of the story should determine its length, but I didn't see any novellas by new writers on BN.com. Children's publishers are open to young adult novels of novella length, but I don't know firsthand if publishers of adult fiction are receptive to them; I haven't found one. Stewart O'Nan just published Last Night at the Lobster, a Christmas novella. If readers buy it, then publishers will know there is an audience for the short novel, and will probably consider short novels by new writers. When I receive a query for a novella, my first hunch is that the book isn't finished. I usually recommend that the writer read Building Better Plots by Robert Kernen, for its checklists in chapter 2, to see if there's something missing in their story or plot.

GLA: When you're reading a partial, what are the most common problems you see in the writing samples? What are the most common reasons you turn down a submission?

DC: I usually request the first hundred pages of a novel, and for story collections, four or five stories. I want to see if the opening chapters or stories capture me in any way, with a compelling narrator or a strong premise or situation as in The Firm or The Day of the Jackal. Many times, I turn down first submissions because they're trashy or trite, or they're about obscure or specialized topics, like Roman history. That's not to say these manuscripts won't appeal to other readers; on my Web site, I list genres that don't appeal to me. But I'll always tell writers why I'm passing and offer suggestions on where they might look for agents. Or, in the case where I like the voice or specific passages, but there isn't enough there for me to work with, I'll suggest books for further reading.

GLA: You seek narrative nonfiction. What are the key elements you look for in a narrative nonfiction submission? What elements must be there to capture you attention and distinguish it from regular nonfiction?

DC: I read narrative nonfiction as I do novels, for story and character, except they seem to mean more to me because they're true. I've placed my favorite titles on the "bookshelf" page on my site www.museliterary.com with links to excerpts.

GLA: Plenty of people want to write a memoir (and many do), but few are good. For you, what separates the best memoir from the others?

DC: The way you phrased the question is subjective. What's good depends on whether you're looking for a well-constructed story or a firsthand, often amateur, account of an experience that may provide answers to questions in your own life, as a kind of self-help read. I'm looking for well-constructed stories, and the memoirs I like, posted on my bookshelf page, are by authors or journalists who have studied writing. I evaluate them as I would a first-person narrator in a novel. Do I like this person? Some bestselling memoirs don't appeal to me because their lives are just too awful to read about, as in The Glass Castle. The narrator recalls one miserable episode in her childhood after another with no letup; she wore me out.
In a play or novel, the dramatist or author would alter the plot, selecting only significant scenes instead of telling everything about the life, and arranging them for dramatic effect; and giving readers a break from the main story with scenes with other characters. Some memoirs are on topics that don't appeal to me, such as Eat Pray Love, a spirituality title, or I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell (why would I want to read about a womanizer? Again, a personal reaction) or the didactic Bill O'Reilly books; But in the memoirs I do like, the narrators appeal to me as people, and have strong plots that satisfy expectations for traditional story structure: I like coming-of-age stories like Mermaids by Patty Dann, stories that capture an aspect of American culture that has past, like The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, or stories of historical significance that are relevant today, like The Zookeeper's Wife.

GLA: Will you be at any conferences in the future where writers can meet you?

DC: Right now I'm booked for the Sand Hills Writers' Conference at Augusta State University in March. I'll also be at ThrillerFest in NYC in July.

GLA: What's your best piece of advice regarding something we haven't discussed?

DC: I would suggest they read Publishers Weekly and the New York Times Book Review. I know writers need time to write and research their projects, but I think writers would be less frustrated if they knew more about the business. Many writers approach novels or memoirs strictly from aesthetics: Is this a good book? Many of them are thoughtful and well-written, but do they know who would want to read it? Can they define their book's category as a publisher or bookseller would? Does the book speak to the concerns of their readers? Some of the stories and topics are old-fashioned, too derivative of other books, or aren't relevant to our lives today.
Readers are looking to connect with a character, and see the world in a way that is familiar and new at the same time. We constantly hear that people have less time to read, but we all have time for a compelling story that speaks to our concerns, like Harry Potter, Sophie's Choice or Carrie. Reading PW and the NYTBR will tell them what's being published by large and small companies, what's selling, and why. They don't have to force themselves to write books they don't like just to fit a trend, but they should see who is publishing books they like, and shape their own manuscripts to fit publishers' lists.

Debbie Carter's agency, Muse Literary Management, is listed in the Literary Market Place and Guide to Literary Agents. Prior to starting her own agency in 1998, she worked for a literary agent, a talent manager, and in the record business as a talent scout. She has a BA in English and music from Washington Square University College at NYU.
She is seeking literary novels and short story collections with popular appeal, mysteries, thrillers, suspense, espionage fiction/nonfiction, children's fiction/nonfiction and literary narrative nonfiction. Other nonfiction areas of interest include music, writing, birds and gardening.

Debbie Carter

Agent Advice (Agent Interviews)

12/19/2007 1:10:11 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Tuesday, December 18, 2007

The Holidays: To Query or Not to Query?
Posted by Nancy Parish

There's an interesting little article over at Writer Unboxed discussing whether or not you should query agents during the holidays. Some different agents, including Rachel Vater of Folio Lit, weigh in on the subject.

A good read as the holidays approach!

Happy Holidays, Everyone!

Queries, Synopses and Proposals

12/18/2007 6:22:59 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Agent Pitch Slams: Analyzing the Quick Pitch
Posted by Chuck

The Jan./Feb of Writer's Digest has a good article by Susan Breen analyzing large agent pitch slams. And fortunately for us, the article is available online!

The article is definitely worth a look, as the chance to pitch agents is one of the biggest and best draws to writers' conferences around the country. Some larger conferences have a gigantic gathering of agents where writers can pitch numerous agents in a short amount of time. (This is sometimes called agent "speed dating.")

Here's an excerpt from Breen's article:

      "But can a pitch slam really help you land a book deal? It worked for me. I went to the NYC Pitch and Shop Conference in March 2006, and met with an editor from Plume, a division of Penguin. She liked my pitch, read my book and bought it. (The timeline was a little more complicated than that, but not by much.)
      You'd think I'm a big fan of pitch conferences. And I am, but they're not right for everyone and you need to ask yourself some serious questions
before deciding to attend...
      • ARE YOU READY? These conferences aren't for beginners. Don't go if you're still puzzling over how to handle point of view, or if you don't have a polished manuscript...
      • DO YOU HAVE A GOOD PITCH? Can you get across the essence of your book in a few minutes? ...
      • HOW WELL CAN YOU REPRESENT YOURSELF? ...
      • CAN YOU AFFORD TO GO? Some of the biggest names in publishing go to these conferences, and your tuition can buy you the sort of access that would be impossible to get otherwise ... But you're paying a lot of money for that access...
      • CAN YOU HANDLE THE REJECTION? Publishing works at a glacial pace, and it's relatively anonymous. You can rip up that withering rejection letter and throw it away. But at a pitch conference, the response is instantaneous and personal."

See the full article here.

Writers' Conferences

12/18/2007 6:11:41 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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New Agency Alert: Arthouse Literary
Posted by Chuck

Just heard about a new literary/talent agency. I'm waiting for them to reply to a full listing questionnaire. In the meantime, here's what I found out:

Arthouse Literary

(No address provided.) E-mail: query@arthousetalentandliterary.com; angie@arthousetalentandliterary.com. Web site: www.arthousetalentandliterary.com/. Member Agents: Moreen Littrell, others. Specializes in: "We are most interested in fiction and nonfiction that lends itself to film and TV, and screenplays, which means high concept or character-driven. Voice is key. Genres we like: commercial fiction, women's fiction, narrative nonfiction (memoirs, historical fiction), and young adult."

Represents: Nonfiction Books, Novels, Movie Scripts. How to Contact: Query with SASE. Submit first 15 pages of screenplay/manuscript. Put "Query / (Title)" in the e-mail subject line. Accepts e-mail queries. No fax queries. Responds in 3 months to queries. Does not want: Does not want Western's, action/adventure, science fiction, apocalyptic epics. Tips "We will contact you if we're interested."

New Agency Alerts | Screenwriting and Script Agents

12/18/2007 9:41:12 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [2]

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Talking Movies for a Quick Moment...
Posted by Chuck

The GLA blog is doing exceptionally well as it approaches the end of its first six months on the Web. A big 'thank you' to everyone who visits often, and those who have added me to your blogroll.

That said, I feel like the blog has been missing something. It's all business, and I think it needs at least one post every once and again that talks about something other than writing and agents. And what better topic than movies?

And what better film to get the ball rolling than the upcoming Batman movie, The Dark Knight?

I was one of countless moviegoers who saw I am Legend over the weekend, but unlike many who saw the zombie film, I saw it in an IMAX theater. Reason: Word got round the Web that one of the previews in front of the IMAX versions would be the first six minutes of The Dark Knight, with the big payoff being a special appearance of Heath Ledger as the Joker. After purchasing a $11.50 ticket and finding my assigned seat in the special theater, the preview came on. I was pumped. I was jazzed. It probably creeped out some people around me. I mean, this is the must see film of 2008 for me and I was certain, as another movie blogger noted, that this was "a case where the amuse bouche would blow away the main course." The projectors spun and the preview played through. Exactly as hyped, it was the first six minutes of the film, culminating with Mr. Joker's ugly white face on the screen, accompanied by a mandatory scary line of dialogue.

And I'd have to say I was ... not impressed. I still want to see the movie, but the six-minute rare preview just didn't do it for me. I can't quite put my finger on why, and that's where I'm hoping some other smarter individuals can chime in. Did you feel the same way? Am I dead wrong? Tell me so!

The Harlequin of Horror (Heath Ledger as the Joker)

By the way, I am Legend was very good, and the second act of the film, in particular, was remarkable.

Also by the way, I searched the Web for the six-minute preview, but it looks like it was a one-time thing in the theaters. One person had posted a shaky copy of it on YouTube, having filmed it himself in the theater. You can try to watch it, but YouTube has a strange way of knowing when copyrighted stuff is up there.

12/16/2007 10:01:05 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [3]

Thursday, December 13, 2007

More Agent Frequently Asked Questions...
Posted by Chuck

A few readers recently wrote in with some great questions. I want to answer them on the blog just in case others were wondering about similar topics.

When sending a query to a literary agency, how do I choose which member agent to address when there are no specified genres for each agent, or multiple agents that represent the same genre?

Personally, I would not submit until I knew who exactly to send it to. Call the agency and politely ask whoever picks up the phone to tell you which agent handles "science fiction," for example. If you send the query with no agent in mind, will it be passed around to the correct person and read? Probably. But - the fact that you targeted an individual agent because you knew their "likes" should be a bonus for you. If you encounter a situation where three agents at the same agency all handle sci-fi, I still advise querying the one who will be the best fit for you. You only get one shot. Writers House, for example, is a huge agency and lots of agents there consider the same subjects, but you are only allowed to query one agent with each submission.

Do literary agents prefer a sample or manuscript to be formatted in a certain software program? Is Microsoft Word too juvenile?

I use Word. Just about everyone I know uses Word. There are specific ways to format everything, from a query letter to a synopsis to a book proposal. But no, you don't need special software to be successful.

If an agency accepts both snail mail queries and e-queries, would one gain you more personal attention over another?

I suppose it really doesn't matter, but always check their Web site (if they have one) to confirm that no one particular method of submission is preferred. Lately, the newest preferred submission method is through a form on the agent's Web site. You see it more and more.
Personally, I like e-queries because they are simple, free to send, and tend to get responses faster. Some people have told me that they submitted both print and electronic queries at the same time to the same agent (to absolutely make sure it arrived). That seems like a pretty good idea, but you never know - it may come off the wrong way to the agent.

During the first phase of submissions, I never heard from several agencies after the initial contact. I had to put a Spam Blocker on my author e-mail address (which means emails bounce back to the sender and they have to "prove" their existence). This could possibly account for the "no response" factor. Would it be all right to submit to these agencies again?

Thank you for submitting this question, because I should have mentioned this a long time ago. Man oh man, I hate these spam blocker things that request me to prove my existence. It seems likely that agents do, too. I see this a lot with Earthlink e-mails. Editors and agents get a lot of e-mails, and don't like any silly hassles like this.
My best advice to is to completely turn off that feature or get a new e-mail address and query using that one. After you do that, yes, send a polite follow-up note, and include the original query letter.

Queries, Synopses and Proposals

12/13/2007 4:17:11 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Paraview Literary Agency Closed to Submissions
Posted by Chuck

News from the wire:

Paraview Literary Agency, based in Virginia, is currently closed to submissions. When I here more, I'll let you know.

Random Updates

12/12/2007 3:09:55 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [2]

New Agency Alert: Wolfson Literary Agency
Posted by Chuck

Michelle Wolfson has recently left Artists and Artisans to form her own literary agency. Her new agency Web page is under construction, but she already sent her info over, mentioning that she is "actively seeking clients."

Wolfson Literary Agency

P.O. Box 266, New York NY 10276. E-mail: query@wolfsonliterary.com. Web site: www.wolfsonliterary.com/. Contact: Michelle Wolfson. New agency actively seeking clients. Prior to forming her own agency, Michelle spent two years with Artists & Artisans, Inc. and two years with Ralph Vicinanza, Ltd. Established: 2007. Adheres to AAR canon of ethics. Currently Handles: 40% Nonfiction Books, 60% Novels.

Nonfiction areas of interest: Business, Child Guidance, Health, How-to, Humor/Satire, Popular Culture, Self-Help/Personal Improvement, Women's Issues/Studies. Fiction areas of interest: Action/Adventure, Detective/Police, Erotica, Family Saga, Mainstream/Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense, Romance, Thriller, Young Adult, Women's.

How to Contact: E-queries only! Accepts simultaneous submissions.
Responds in 2 weeks to queries; 3 months to manuscripts. Does not return submissions. Obtains new clients through: Recommendations from others and submissions. Actively seeking: commercial fiction, mainstream, mysteries, thrillers, suspense, women's fiction, romance, YA, practical nonfiction (particularly of interest to women), advice, medical, pop culture, humor, business. Terms: Agent receives 15% commission on domestic sales; 25% commission on foreign sales. Offers written contract. Writer's Conferences: SDSU Writers' Conference; New Jersey Romance Writers of America Writers' Conference. Tips: "Be persistent."

New Agency Alerts

12/12/2007 2:13:04 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [2]

New Agency Alert: PlainSmart Publishing Agency (Complete)
Posted by Chuck

Previously, I posted some info on a new literary agency, Plainsmart Publishing Agency. Below you can find complete and updated information that was sent to me today.

PlainSmart Publishing Agency

520 Kerr St., #20033, Oakville ON L6K 3C7, Canada. E-mail: query@plainsmart.com; info@plainsmart.com. Web site: www.plainsmart.com/contactinfo.html. Contact: Curtis Russell. Seeking new and established writers. Established: 2005. Represents 8 clients. 25% of clients are new/unpublished writers. Specializes in: "We take on a very small number of clients per year in order to provide focused, hands-on representation. We pride ourselves in providing industry leading client service." Currently Handles: 50% Nonfiction Books; 50% Novels.

Nonfiction areas of interest: Biography, Business, Child Guidance, Cooking, Current Affairs, Government, Health, How-to, Humor, Memoirs, Military, Money, Nature, Popular Culture, Science, Self-Help, Sports, True Crime, Women's Issues/Studies. Fiction areas of interest: Action/Adventure, Detective/Police, Erotica, Ethnic, Family Saga, Historical, Horror, Humor, Juvenile, Literary, Mainstream, Mystery/Suspense, Picture Books, Romance, Sports, Thriller, Young Adult, Women's.

How to Contact: Query with SASE. Submit: Synopsis (for fiction) and Author Bio. Accepts e-mail queries. No fax queries. Accepts simultaneous submissions. Responds in 6 weeks to queries; 6 weeks to manuscripts. Does not return submissions. Does not want: poetry or screenplays. Recent Sales: World Famous, by David Tyreman (AMACOM); What Burns Within and The Frailty of Flesh, by Sandra Ruttan; The Road to a Nuclear al-qaeda, by Al J. Venter (Potomac). Terms: Agent receives 15% commission on domestic sales; 25% commission on foreign sales. Offers written contract. Termination notice: 30-day This agency charges for postage/messenger services only if a project is sold. Tips: "Please review our Web site for the most up-to-date submission guidelines."

New Agency Alerts

12/12/2007 1:55:45 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [1]

Monday, December 10, 2007

Around the Properties 12/12/2007
Posted by Chuck

Here's a look at cool things happening at other Writer's Digest properties:

Script Notes, WD's new scriptwriting blog, is off to a torrid start. Chad Gervich, who oversees the blog, created 40 posts last month - many of them dealing with the still-ongoing strike by the Writers Guild of America.

Another highly active WD blog is Poetic Asides, a blog completely dedicated to poetry writing, contests and discussion.

I just saw an advanced copy of the Feb. 2008 issue of Writer's Digest and, as usual, it's packed with great stuff, including interviews with Tess Gerritsen (The Mephisto Club) and Brock Clarke (An Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England). In a few weeks, it will be in bookstores. Check it out!

Around the Properties

12/10/2007 2:20:28 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Thursday, December 06, 2007

Michelle Humphrey Moves to Sterling Lord Literistic
Posted by Chuck

I spoke today with literary agent Michelle Humphrey, who joined Sterling Lord Literistic in October. Michelle was previously with Anderson Literary Management. Take note if she's on your list of agents to query.

She's seeking literary fiction, young adult work, multicultural fiction, and the following nonfiction subjects: history, science, autobiography / biography, women's issues/studies, cultural, and current affairs.

Submission information:

Sterling Lord Literistic
65 Bleecker Street
New York, NY 10012
michelle@sll.com (e-queries preferred)

Info Hat Tip: Special thanks to Kristen Howe.

Random Updates

12/6/2007 2:29:49 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Rachelle Gardner Joins Wordserve Literary
Posted by Chuck

Wordserve Literary, a Colorado-based agency that specializes in representing "authors of faith", has added a cool new agent: Rachelle Gardner.

Rachelle has her own blog, which you should check out if you're planning to query her. Her blog page has links that will assist writers who want to submit to her.

Her interests: "In all genres, I'm looking for books that express a Christian worldview, whether the message is subtle or overt. Fiction:
Women's, Mystery, Suspense, Police/Crime, Family Saga, Historical, Legal, Literary, Mainstream, Supernatural, Romance, Fantasy. (In fiction, the Christian message should be subtly woven through, not in-your-face.) Kids' Fiction: Chapter books, middle grade, tweens, teens and YA. Nonfiction: Biblical, Christian living, Church, Devotionals, Home Life, Marriage, Parenting, Family, Apologetics, Pastoral, Current Affairs, Health, How-to, Humor, Memoirs, Money, Popular Culture, Psychology, Science, Self-Help, True Crime, Women's Issues. Not looking for: Children's picture books, poetry, short stories, screenplays, science fiction; or anything that contradicts a Christian worldview."

Rachelle Gardner

New Agency Alerts | Christian Agents

12/6/2007 11:31:43 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [7]

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

New Agency Alert: Ellen Pepus Literary Agency
Posted by Chuck

Reminder: Newer agencies are golden opportunities for new writers because they're likely building their client list; however, always make sure your work is as perfect as it can be before submitting, and only query agencies that are a great fit for your work. Otherwise, you're just wasting time and postage.

Ellen Pepus Literary Agency

4200 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, #106-233, Washington DC 20016. Phone: (301)896-0185. Fax: (301)896-0185. E-mail: ellen@epliterary.com. Web site: www.epliterary.com. Contact: Ellen Pepus. New agency actively seeking clients. Prior to her current position, Ms. Pepus was employed at Graybill & English Literary Agency. She worked in foreign rights as well. Adheres to AAR canon of ethics. Represents 9 clients. 90% of clients are new/unpublished writers. Writer's Guidelines: www.epliterary.com/submission%20guidelines.html. Specializes in: fiction - both genre and literary. Narrative nonfiction is sought out, though Ms. Pepus will consider other nonfiction. Currently Handles: 30% nonfiction; 70% novels.

Nonfiction areas of interest: Animals, Anthropology/Archaeology, Art/Architecture, Biography, Parenting, Cooking/Foods, Crafts, Current Affairs, Ethnic/Cultural, Gay/Lesbian, Government, Health, History, How-to, Humor, Interior design, Language, Memoirs, Military, Money, Music, Nature, New Age, Photography, Popular Culture, Psychology, Science, Self-Help, Sociology, Translation, True Crime, Women's Issues. Fiction areas of interest: Action/Adventure, Police/Crime, Erotica, Ethnic, Family Saga, Fantasy, Feminist, Gay/Lesbian, Historical, Literary, Mainstream, Mystery, Psychic/Supernatural, Romance, Thriller, Women's. Actively seeking: Actively seeking literary and commercial fiction, narrative nonfiction. Does not want: Does not want to receive children's, young adult, poetry, short stories, screenplays, science fiction or horror.

How to Contact: Query with SASE. Submit book proposal or first 5 pages (if fiction). E-queries are preferred. No fax queries. Accepts simultaneous submissions. Responds in 2 weeks to queries; 8 weeks to mss. Returns materials only with SASE. Terms: Agent receives 15% commission on domestic sales; 20% commission on foreign sales. Offers written contract. Termination notice: 30 days. Writer's Conferences: Washington Independent Writers, Society of Southwestern Authors, North Carolina Writers Network, Southern California Writers Conference, Space Coast Writers Guild Conference.

New Agency Alerts

12/4/2007 4:15:28 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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FAQ Regarding Agents...
Posted by Chuck

A writer recently wrote in with several good questions. I thought I would answer them on the blog.

Question No. 1:
If you're a first-time writer, what should you do when an agent requests a publishing history and author bio?

If you have no publishing history or credits, then just say so. Remember that if you're submitting a novel, the thing that matters most is the quality of the writing. Is it good? If it is good, then it doesn't really matter whether you've published 15 short stories or none. So why do agents ask for it? If an agent sees a bio with credits (and awards), they know they're dealing with a professional. The writing must stand on its own, but a a good bio may help your work get considered faster.
With nonfiction, you must have a platform to get a book published - meaning: Are you an expert in the field who can reach potential book buyers? If you want to write a book on horticulture, for instance, but have no magazine or journal publishing credits in this subject, you may want to get some before trying to sell a book-length project.

Question No. 2:
In Guide to Literary Agents, some agencies state their preference on receiving simultaneous queries and some do not. What about those who do not specify? Is it acceptable to send them simultaneous queries if they don't specifically ask you not to?

Yes. It is "normal," for lack of a better word, for writers to query multiple agents at once. Agents who want an exclusive read will say so. If they do not, assume they accept simultaneous submissions.

Question No. 3:
I understand that if you're contacted by an agency, you're expected to give them a three-week exclusive. If you send out multiple queries and receive multiple answers, what is the proper thing to do as far as the agencies you did not pick are concerned? Should you inform them that another agent has taken an interest?

First of all, if you are contacted by an agency, there is no guarantee they will want an exclusive. That is a possibility, though.
There's no easy answer here. Just be honest. If an agent contacts you and asks for a four-week exclusive read, you'll probably say yes. If a second agent calls and asks for the same, just tell them the truth. Mention that another agent has an exclusive read on it, and ask if they would like an exclusive after that if a deal has not been made.

Question No. 4:
What is a partial?

A partial is a portion of your entire story. When an agent requests "the first 3 chapters" or "the first 60 pages," that is a partial. Agents will usually review queries, partials, and (finally) full manuscripts.

12/4/2007 2:56:29 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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