vent: The Waiting Game

[williemeikle]

<vent>

I know as a writer that the waiting can be hell, but at the moment it's getting silly....

I'm waiting for:

- a response from a TV company on a pitch for episodes of a new UK Twilight Zone type series
- a response from an agent who asked for the complete manuscript of a crime novel
- a response from a different agent who asked to read one of my books with a view to representing me in future
- a response from a Hollywood Production company who are reading a feature script of mine
- a response from a Hollywood agent who asked to see a batch of my short stories with a view to possibly optioning some of them
- a response from a UK publisher on my pitch for a Judge Dredd novel
- a response from a film-maker who's reviewing three short scripts of mine
- responses from three anthologies that I've submitted short stories to
- any news from my Russian and Chinese agents trying to sell my novels in those markets

Plus, on the "already sold and waiting" front I've got a novel coming next spring (so they say), another towards the end of next year, and a hardcover omnibus edition of a trilogy at some point. Oh, and there's a German edition of one of my books coming "sometime"

The only thing I can do is keep writing to avoid going mad, but all this means is that I end up with -another- backlog of submissions further down the line. I think I must be writing too much http://www.writingforums.com/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif

But I don't want to slow down, for fear that it all dries up and goes away completely.

waiting is -HELL-

</vent>

Willie
http://www.willie.meikle.btinternet.co.uk

[cwfgal]

[QUOTE=williemeikle

waiting is -HELL-
[/QUOTE]

Ain't it though. And it seems things are slower than ever these days.

Beth, also in waiting hell

[mswendy]

Waiting is one of my biggest pet peeves. Sorry dude.

You could keep a list like the one you just made in your post... and conveniently 'forget' about them. This never works for me but I thought I'd try to suggest something. :)

[storygirl]

I'm I the only one who truly forgets about a submission?
I write mine down along with the expected response time and I honestly forget about it until something like this reminds me. Then it doesn't bug me, if it's been a while, I just think, ah, Agent Soandso isn't interested...s'ok, I'll move on, like always. Being a bit jaded by this point, I'm not all that excited to get my rejections back, so I don't wait on pins and needles for them to come. Though I have to admit, when I first started playing the submission game, I was a wreck waiting, that didn't work for me, so my cynical, realist attitude of...why be anxious about a rejection...has done wonders for my nerves. I guess if you've already had acceptances though, that does make it tougher wait. Don't get me wrong, I still truly believe my stories will one day be published, I just am so accustomed to rejections that they are what I anticipate coming, so I don't even think about them. I honestly forget. I guess there must be something very wrong with me...(ok, I've known that for a while).

[scarletpeaches]

My heart bleeds. It must be hell, waiting on all these people who have shown an interest in your work...

[williemeikle]

My heart bleeds. It must be hell, waiting on all these people who have shown an interest in your work...

You don't know the half of it :)

I've paid my dues though... I've been writing for 13 years, and its only in the last three or four that I've really started picking up decent paid sales and more acceptances than rejections

By the way, if you're in Dundee and can get a copy of the Fife Herald, they interviewed me recently and its coming up soon .... it was done in a pub and I had a few beers so I hope I didn't say anything too bad :)

Willie (in Kinross, just down the road)
http://www.willie.meikle.btinternet.co.uk

[Nateskate]

You are one busy beaver! Lots to look forward to, I hope.

Your message hits home with many here. And perhaps others can pitch in their thoughts. This whole crap-shoot just takes too long, and evidently it is getting longer. I think the question differs for novices and published authors. One might get the fast track, and the other the slow track.

On one side, you want to be loyal and if someone asks for a mss submission, you want to wait until they've had a good chance to look at it. However, if its going to take six months, that's too long. I've been told to be patient, and so far I have been. However, look at it this way. Six months from now they could say "No". Starting over at that point with no more guarantee is nuts.

Well, that was six months of sitting on your hands. Then you get another bite, and they want the mss, and you wait another six months, and get a second "no". Then consider the third finally says yes, there's the pitching to publishers, and if a publisher says yes, you are waiting another year to get in print.

I tend to be loyal by nature, but I'm wondering if its wisest (in the sense of percentages) to shot-gun query's, synopsis and mss, and simply wait for a "yes". It just seems too much of a gamble to a novice writer with no clout, to play continual solo games of wait and see. It should be like speed-dating.

[Christine N.]

Oh yeah, waiting sucks. I try to keep busy though. Only three weeks through a six to eight week wait on a partial to an agent. First book comes out next month, so now I'm in a "hurry up and wait" pattern - wait for reviews, since I can't finish the media kit without them, wait for the bookstores to get a copy so they can decide if they want to carry it so I can book signings, just wait, wait WAIT!!


So, yeah, I'm right there with ya.

[Jamesaritchie]

I can't say waiting has ever bothered me, largely, I think, because I try to stay busy. I've found that if you have a constant supply of material going out, then a constant stream of replies come in, no matter how long it takes to hear from an individual piece.

But I also have the attitude that once something is submitted, it's beyond my control. It pretty much doesn't exist. I've waited so long to hear back about a short story that when the acceptance letter came I couldn't even remember writing the thing. I had to check my records to be certain there wasn't some mistake.

Having a good agent also helps, of course. A good agent can always grease the wheels and make things move faster. But by and large, I just don't worry about it. Once I mail it, it's gone. I've always believed that patience really is a virtue, and I have the patience of an oyster.

The only time waiting ever bothers me is when something sells and the acceptance letter says the check is in the mail.

[blacbird]

The only time waiting ever bothers me is when something sells and the acceptance letter says the check is in the mail.

Well, there's at least one thing I don't have to worry about.

bird

[fallenangelwriter]

you'll always be waiting for something. the trick is to appreciate where you are as much as where you're going, because you're always going somewhere, and, as such, you'll never be "there."

[Irysangel]

I tend to be loyal by nature, but I'm wondering if its wisest (in the sense of percentages) to shot-gun query's, synopsis and mss, and simply wait for a "yes". It just seems too much of a gamble to a novice writer with no clout, to play continual solo games of wait and see. It should be like speed-dating.

Well, in theory we're supposed to 'forget about it' until it comes back. I've had submissions out for six months now, and two complete manuscripts at two complete houses. I can't forget about it, either. I count down the days, I harp on and ON about it to my husband, and I whine incessantly on my blog about how nervous I am.

It's just part of the game. I keep telling myself that, and I keep plugging away at new material and hoping for the best. One of my good friends online just sold her THIRD trilogy to a publisher, and while I'm positively sick with envy, I'm thrilled that her career is taking off so strongly, and I'm hoping that someday I'll get to experience the same.

But if you want to play the game, you have to play by the rules.

Rule #1: Wait.

[aruna]

I'm I the only one who truly forgets about a submission?
I write mine down along with the expected response time and I honestly forget about it until something like this reminds me. Then it doesn't bug me, if it's been a while, I just think, ah, Agent Soandso isn't interested...s'ok, I'll move on, like always. .

That's a great attitude, and probably the best: a watched kettle never boils.
I have consistently found that when good news about a submission came, it came invariably when I had stopped thinking about it, when I had put it out of my mind entirely. It's as if anxiety about a ms actually stops things from happening. So good luck to you!

[scarletpeaches]

This is kinda related to the waiting topic...I understand people sending out multiple query letters, and assume a letter is all you send. But when you send out a book proposal (that is, three chapters and a synopsis), whether this is requested material or on-spec...do you send out one at once? Or save waiting then sending, waiting then sending again by mailing out more than one book proposal at a time?

I would guess that if you're sending out proposals on spec, it's okay to do multiples (if you can afford the postage) but if one has been requested, you only send out this particular one?

I have images in my head of sending out a few, then getting a reply from an agent who only accepts query letters saying they would like to read a proposal exclusively! How would one deal with that? Do you send the proposal and say, "Well actually, while I was waiting for you to get your arse in gear I mailed it to someone else?" or let them know and see if they still want the proposal? This is probably for another thread mind you...

[Christine N.]

Usually in the query you would tell them that it was a sim sub. Be up front about it. And make sure that everyone actually accepts sim subs... noting irritates agents more than when you don't read their guidelines. If they don't say one way or the other, assume they do take sim subs, since most people who don't state it up front and are adamant about it.

[Jamesaritchie]

I've never been fond of simsubs, even with query letters. I believe there's one agent, and one publisher, that's best for any submission. I also believe that the best way to land this particular agent or publisher is to write a query/book proposal, etc. that's aimed directly at them, which means a lot of research.

If a query can be sent to more than one agent or publisher just by changing the name, I believe it's a bad query.

I be;ieve it takes a lot of time to research a given agent or publisher, and to write a query that will let that one agent or that one publisher know you've done your homework, and lots of it.

Writers who send out queries in batches are usually sending generic, one size fits all queries. Change the name of the agent or publisher, change the address, and the same query goes to every agent or publisher.

I won't say this never works. Siometimes it does. Sometimes anything works. But it isn't the best way of going about it, it seldom attracts a top agent or publisher, and what it usually speeds up is how fast you get rejected.

I'd much rather have a slow acceptance than a lot of fast rejections, or a lot of non-responses. Generic queries and proposals are easy to spot, and so are ones that show you've done a lot or homework.

[Nateskate]

Well, in theory we're supposed to 'forget about it' until it comes back. I've had submissions out for six months now, and two complete manuscripts at two complete houses. I can't forget about it, either. I count down the days, I harp on and ON about it to my husband, and I whine incessantly on my blog about how nervous I am.

It's just part of the game. I keep telling myself that, and I keep plugging away at new material and hoping for the best. One of my good friends online just sold her THIRD trilogy to a publisher, and while I'm positively sick with envy, I'm thrilled that her career is taking off so strongly, and I'm hoping that someday I'll get to experience the same.

But if you want to play the game, you have to play by the rules.

Rule #1: Wait.

I've heard mixed messages here. It's not the wait that's the problem, it's whether or not you should keep submitting while you wait. There are two schools voiced on these threads, and people here have done both. 1) If someone requests a partial or full mss, then you wait, and stop submitting. 2) You keep sending them out until an agent wants to sign you. It seems that newer people, who haven't been published or have struggled for awhile, lean to the second group.

And those from the second school are basically saying, "This is your life, and it's unfortunate if this tact ruins an agent's day. I respect the agent's view. If they invest the time, they want the return.

But the sad part is, what if they invest the time and say "no". Then they've wasted your time, and your career was just on a shelf for another six months. Perhaps the two schools depend on people's prior experiences, and if they've already been published? Has the industry gotten that much harder that more and more people are shot-gunning?

[Nateskate]

I've never been fond of simsubs, even with query letters. I believe there's one agent, and one publisher, that's best for any submission. I also believe that the best way to land this particular agent or publisher is to write a query/book proposal, etc. that's aimed directly at them, which means a lot of research.

If a query can be sent to more than one agent or publisher just by changing the name, I believe it's a bad query.

I be;ieve it takes a lot of time to research a given agent or publisher, and to write a query that will let that one agent or that one publisher know you've done your homework, and lots of it.

Writers who send out queries in batches are usually sending generic, one size fits all queries. Change the name of the agent or publisher, change the address, and the same query goes to every agent or publisher.

I won't say this never works. Siometimes it does. Sometimes anything works. But it isn't the best way of going about it, it seldom attracts a top agent or publisher, and what it usually speeds up is how fast you get rejected.

I'd much rather have a slow acceptance than a lot of fast rejections, or a lot of non-responses. Generic queries and proposals are easy to spot, and so are ones that show you've done a lot or homework.

When I look at my kid's school experiences, they were very unlike my own. They faced unique challenges that required different approaches. It seems to me that publishing is a changing industry. The difficulties faced by un-established writers seems more daunting than it did ten years ago.

I'm not giving up on the agents I've contacted. I'm just asking, "What is the wisest thing to do, not even what is the nicest thing to do." I do care about people, and in general fairness. However, I don't want to be playing musical chairs with one leg tied behind my back either.

The difference between where I'm at, and where some others might be at, is that I'm not working on one project a year where I can roll them out, and go on to the next. I've worked on a single project for many years, and wrote out the entire story series. This has required massive re-writes, and my hands are starting to go. Books one and two are at least pretty much where I want them, but Books three on will still require massive re-writes. I've had one surgery on the less problematic hand, and now that's failing. The sooner I get feedback from an actual publisher, and what they want, the sooner I can finish this whole project. If one approach means I'm published in three years, but the other means I might be published in a year and a half, that's a big deal to me.

[cwfgal]

I've never been fond of simsubs, even with query letters. I believe there's one agent, and one publisher, that's best for any submission. I also believe that the best way to land this particular agent or publisher is to write a query/book proposal, etc. that's aimed directly at them, which means a lot of research.


So if that one agent rejects the work, do you give up? Or settle for less than best?

The idea of there being only one agent who can best represent any given work seems a bit unrealistic to me. There are multiple agents representing all walks of fiction, and many of them are top notch names in the industry. Whether I'm trying to sell a commerical novel, or a literary work, or a horror novel, there are many very good agents to pick from. Doing your homework means you know which agents represent your type of book and query only those as opposed to mailing a scattershot query to dozens of inappropriate agents. Doing your homework means you know which agents are at the top of the field and which ones may not be at the top, but are up and coming and have enough connections and sales to serve you and your work right.

With that said, once you've compiled a list of appropriate agents, why not query more than one at a time? Assuming you want to try for the real big shots first, why not query a handful of them at once? If one of them asks to see the ms and requests an exclusive, give them 2 - 3 weeks. If another one also requests to see the ms, send it after the first exclusive has ended, assuming the first agent hasn't made an offer to represent. In an ideal world, a writer would get offers for representation from more than one agent (if you do your queries one at a time, do you settle for the first agent who makes you an offer? Or tell them you'd like to see what else is out there first?) and can then talk with these agents one-on-one to determine which one is the best fit. Homework is all good and well, but it can only tell you so much about how likely an agent is to be the perfect one for you and your work. Industry reputation and performance is only one marker in a successful agent-author relationship.

It's not an ideal world and my experience has been that the agents take widely varying amounts of time to respond -- anywhere from one week to 3 months. Why should I put all my eggs in one basket and waste 3 months on one agent who may well say no? While I don't send queries out in big batches and I do individualize them to some extent, I also send out more than one at a time, keeping a handful pending at any given time.

Beth

[TeddyG]

I am going to stick my head right into the fireplace here...cause this is a subject I have grappled with many a time.

Now what am I about to relate or say...of course take it or leave it, but I actually have discussed this subject with my current agent on more than one ocassion.

1. Querying Agents
Years and Years ago I did follow "the rules of the book" and did do extensive homework (and not during the Internet Age) and sent out queries one after the other (only when an agent said no and passed on the subject.) This was done via snail mail and certainly ate up months and months of time. But I followed the rules, and at the time did end up with an agent who actually did handle a children's book, though I had been trying to move a Novel at the time.

Flash Forward...3 years ago when I returned to serious writing, after having done the "been there done that", I had to go look for an agent again. I was a bit more "jaded" from the business world, (okay a lot more jaded), and lets say a great deal more impatient. The Internet and email was at my disposal but still most reputable agents wanted snail mail. But this time, I had a topic and a book, and did not want to wait. So I did the "boilerplate" thing, email and snail mail. All the same.

You know what? I personally think if you have a decent query on a topic that the AGENT WANTS, you are going to get a positive reply. Maybe, just maybe, if you do the one after another routine and your letter is so full of magic, then that letter will stand out. Anyway, I did get 12 "yes let me see" and then five offers. I did NOT choose the first agent to come along, and I honestly don't know if I chose the right agent to this very day. However, I do know that the agent I picked has become a good friend and has stuck by me through good and bad.

And now comes the kicker. The agent I did pick in the end...I never sent a query letter to. She was given my query letter by two other agents who said the topic was much more up her alley than theirs. And she certainly saw it was boilerplate text. And you know what? The other two agents who did not know each other, each sent me an email saying they had forwared the information on to another agent who they thought was more suited for the project.

So I would say, if you are confident enough, then go for the boilerplate query.
Obviously the best thing to do would be to get someone to reccomend you - but for most of us that is a dream out of the question.

I know this is going to sound incredibly jaded and cynical. But Agents are NOT God. They work, they go home, they have their families and oh boy, they certainly have their moods. They get hundreds of letters and ms. and they wade through most of them, even if only for 5 minutes. (I saw this with my own eyes.) Maybe my agent is different, maybe not. Have no clue. I am not an agent maven. I do know that she told me she will respond to a well-written letter whost TOPIC speaks to her. After that she leaves it up the ms. to do the talking.

2. As to who to pick? My agent has told me over and over again that in a certain genre she is not an expert and gave me full permission to seek another agent in that area. However, she told me quite clearly, that since she knows most of the NY agents and others, she works with them as well, if she feels the genre fits their agency better. Agents work together, period. If they tell you they dont, they have a full office of many readers and agents in all fields. (My agent does not maintain such an office.)

I have no clue if in the future my decision to go with this agent and not the others will pay off. I could have taken a wrong turn somewhere. I fully admit that. However, I do know she has been successful in some best-sellers in the past, and has been in the business for many years.

I think an experienced agent will see the "boiler-plate" text...yes...and I think that agent will look at the letter, and the TOPIC and genre you are pitching, and say "does this grab my interest?"

I honestly don't think any reputable good agent will throw your query away because they see you have not tried to find out what they eat for breakfast.

my two cents ... and possibly all wrong

Teddy

[Jamesaritchie]

It seems to me that publishing is a changing industry. The difficulties faced by un-established writers seems more daunting than it did ten years ago. .

Writers always believe things were better ten years ago, but if you look at the numbers, things are better for new writers today. There's never been a time when as many publishers were buying novels from new writers. It's the selling writers on the mid-list who are having problems selling new books. It's never easy for a new writer to sell a novel, but there's never been a time when a new writer had as many opportunities as there are today. It's actually rather amazing how many first novels are published each year. . .and how many selling novelists are cut each year.



If one approach means I'm published in three years, but the other means I might be published in a year and a half, that's a big deal to me.

I agree, but forget about fairness. It isn't about fairness, it's about human nature and professionalism. I'm not against sim-subbing in theory, I'm against it in practice.

The fastest possible way to get published is to land a Good agent quickly. The trouble with sim-subs is not that they're sim-subs, it's that most writers who do this write a one size fits all query or proposal. They're generic. Even an agent or editor who allows sim-subs doesn't want to see anything generic. They still want the query or proposal to be personalized. They want to know you've done your homework, that you queried them not because you saw in some guidelines that they represent the kind of novel you've written, but because you've researched them, the books they've sold, the publishers they've sold to, and your writing fits right in with this.

So I guess I'd say sim-sub if you want, but don't do so by sending a dozen generic queries to a dozen agents. Take the time to thoroughly research each agent, the time to read some of the books he or she has sold, etc. And if you can do it, it isn't a bad idea to hunt around and attempt to find some writers who have sold to her, and see if you can learn just how they wrote their query.

Sim-sub, fine, but not in batches of generic queries. Why take an interest in a query when you can tell at a glance that a dozen, or two dozen, other agents are probably reading the same query? Take the time to find and read some of the books each agent has sold. Find out not only which genre the agent handles, but what kind of style and story she likes within that genre. And then use one short paragraph in the query letter to let her know you've done this.

My opinion is that if you're writing really good, winning queries that will attract top agents and editors, you can't send out anything in batches because it takes a good deal of time to research each agent, to read some of the books she's sold, and to write a winning query based on this.

I never could write a proper query to a new agent or editor in less than a week, and it usually took two or three weeks because of the research and reading.

There's a reason most writers have about a 5% return on queries, and that reason is largely caused by generic queries.

Not fairness, but human nature and professionalism. Getting published fast means getting an agent fast. Getting published slowly means getting three or fours years of rejections, or landing a not so good agent.

[Jamesaritchie]

I honestly don't think any reputable good agent will throw your query away because they see you have not tried to find out what they eat for breakfast.

my two cents ... and possibly all wrong

Teddy

No, but teh only way to send an agent a query filled with something she wants is to know what she wants and how she wants it. You don't need to know what an agent eats for breakfast, but if you want to land a top agent, you'd better know what she's sold, who she's sold it to, and how it reads.

Just because an agent has sold mystery novels does not mean she likes every mystery writer, or doesn't think many of them write novels that stink.

Sometimes agents say yes no matter what you do or how you do it. But far more often than not, "Yes, let me see the manuscript" still means "NO, I've read it and I don't want to handle it."

But it's been my experience with agents that they reject about 95% of all generic/boilerplate queries. Worse, they then reject about 95% of all full manuscripts they ask to see based on these queries, and the better the agent, the higher the percentage of rejections in both categories. Worse yet, they fail to sell nearly half of the first novels they do agree to represent.

Good agents, ones who can actually sell novels to top publishers, simply do not take on very many new writers. Most of the ones I've known can never take on more than three or four new clients per year. And most of the new writers they do take on have some sort of writing credentials ahead of time, such as short story sales.

First you have to make an agent say yes to the query. No easy task. Then you have to make the agent say yes to the full manuscript. An even tougher task, since most Good Agents have very little to no room in the stable. And then the agent has to be one who can actually sell novels to top publishers. Tougher yet.

I've seen agents wade through queries and manuscripts, too. I've even done the wading. Magic does stand out, but it's amazing how quickly all the query letters start sounding alike, no matter how well they're written.

It's because agents aren't God that makes personalizing and research work. Agenst are just people, and have their failings. No agent can look at a query and tell how good a manuscript is, but any agent can look at a query and tell how much homework the writer has done.

Sometimes you can land a top agent with a generic/boilerplate query, but it sure isn't playing the odds or human nature.

[aruna]

I've never been fond of simsubs, even with query letters. I believe there's one agent, and one publisher, that's best for any submission. I also believe that the best way to land this particular agent or publisher is to write a query/book proposal, etc. that's aimed directly at them, which means a lot of research.

If a query can be sent to more than one agent or publisher just by changing the name, I believe it's a bad query.

I be;ieve it takes a lot of time to research a given agent or publisher, and to write a query that will let that one agent or that one publisher know you've done your homework, and lots of it.

Writers who send out queries in batches are usually sending generic, one size fits all queries. Change the name of the agent or publisher, change the address, and the same query goes to every agent or publisher.


I agree with you in theory, James, the trouble is, how do you research an agent? I have found that there is pratcically no researchable information about individual agents avaiable, or at least, within reach of an average writer. Sure, you can find out what other authors they;ve agented, but sometimes the authors, too are just names, and it would be impossible to read all those books just to find out what kind of books a particular agent likes.

It's very frustrating. When I started subbing, all I had was ONE agent's name, recommended to me by an author friend who said he was fantastic, a wonderful person, a good friend. He is also a top agent known for getting 6 figure advances, so I said to myself, that's the one for me. I sent him the whole package., mentioning her name. When I looked at the books he repped I had my doubts; they were so unlike mine!

He was so kind as to call me up with his rejection, to tell me exactly what I'd already thought; he likes a different kind of book, top-end commercial stuff.
We discussed various agents for a while and he even gave me a recommendation.

However, that was the closest I came to finding out what any agent is like. Then there's Carole Blake, who's written a book, so of course everyone subs to her and she's full; and Simon Trewin, who has a couple of hard-hitting articles on the net and as a consequence is also much in demand. And that's all the information readily available about the various UK agents.

Some poeple say it's important to go to writers' conferences etc to network and research; but that is impossible for me, I'm a single mother, have a dog, no support network in my town, and no extra funds for travel and conference fees.

I also believe that there is ONE agent and ONE publisher out there who is just perfect for this work of mine; but the only way to go about finding this duo is practically to draw names out of a hat. They all mean the same to me.

[aruna]

Take the time to find and read some of the books each agent has sold. Find out not only which genre the agent handles, but what kind of style and story she likes within that genre. And then use one short paragraph in the query letter to let her know you've done this.

My opinion is that if you're writing really good, winning queries that will attract top agents and editors, you can't send out anything in batches because it takes a good deal of time to research each agent, to read some of the books she's sold, and to write a winning query based on this.

.

OK, I see you;ve answered the question I posed in my last post. And yet I find this solution almost unworkable; can we really go through the hundreds of books this would take? DO we have the time? I certainly don't (not even if I gave up AW!) I'm not a very fast reader.

[TeddyG]

James:

Of course you are correct in the way you must actually "target" your query to the right audience. I would assume that is Query Letter 1.0

BUT I still must disagree in the waiting/boilerplate arena. I think a well written letter, that speaks about a topic or genre the agent does want to see, and makes it to the 5% will be read just as fast as the "unique, one of a kind" letters.

As all have said, Agents are in this to make money.
You have the goods - they will take you.

To waitfor 3-4 months for a reply and start that process all over again, I think is a superfluous exercise in Godly patience.

Again those are my two cents on the matter...
and I always am willing to admit I am totally wrong...

Teddy

[aruna]

It's not an ideal world and my experience has been that the agents take widely varying amounts of time to respond -- anywhere from one week to 3 months. Why should I put all my eggs in one basket and waste 3 months on one agent who may well say no? While I don't send queries out in big batches and I do individualize them to some extent, I also send out more than one at a time, keeping a handful pending at any given time.

Beth

The way I do it is this: I've written the best possible query I can, and yes, that query IS generic. I send it out in batches of five or six. I believe that through that method the agents select themselves, far better than I could select them. After all, I don't know them; but with this method I can find out who "clicks" with my subject matter, and take it from there. I've also found that my letter has been passed along to another agent at the same agency.

I now have a list of four intersted agents, and one interested editor. The full ms is with an agent who has promised a quick read. If she doesn't bite, I'm sending it to the editor and take it from there.

[TeddyG]

Aruna:


I would stick to LMP and PublishersMarket, both on line and LMP of course you can always pick up at B&N or Amazon.

That should tell you MOST of what you need to know.
Other than that..it is really just reading what authors they work with.

And you are right. The better ones are real difficult to do good research on.

Forget doing the 100's of books and articles. Try LMP and publishersmarketplace on line.

Teddy

[aruna]

Aruna:


I would stick to LMP and PublishersMarket, both on line and LMP of course you can always pick up at B&N or Amazon.

That should tell you MOST of what you need to know.
Other than that..it is really just reading what authors they work with.



Teddy

Both of those only list US and Canadian agents. I am in the UK.
For a while I was researching US agents and found that MUCH easier. There are interviews and articles, even blogs about them which give a lot more info. UK agents seem to sit behind a stone wall.

[Christine N.]

I've found that since I've been a member of professional organizations, ie SCBWI, the agent search is a bit more refined. You get a mix of people represented by a bunch of agents. With the SCBWI, at least I know first that they all rep children's work. Then I pare down from there. I found the agent that I really want on that board - wouldn't have known about her otherwise, since she just split from her agency and got her own. I've read her blog and her website, and I think we'd be a great fit.

Whether she thinks so or not remains to be seen. In the meantime, I sent a query to a back up agent - maybe not my dream agent, but also reps my genre and has a decent client list. All I had to do is state that it was sim sub - they were very grateful that I did and asked to be updated if I got repped somewhere else and to please allow adequate response time.

And my query - I must admit, the bulk of it is boilerplate. I mean, the book doesn't change. And my publishing history is still the same. I do, however, change the introduction depending on where I heard of that agent, or if someone recommended them. And I make sure to double check that what's on the letter is what's in the envelope (who hasn't done that - forgotten to check. Oh yeah, three chapters are in here, when it's fifty pages or a synopsis when there isn't one?)

And I make sure to spell their name right. That you just have to make sure of :)

[pianoman5]

Aruna (and other UK-based writers), you might find this a useful source for finding agents:


http://www.writersservices.com/agent/uk/agent_uk.htm

[Danger Jane]

Things are slower now because everything's so fast. Look at us chatting in basically real-time when we all live in completely different places and I bet a lot of us wouldn't give somebody else a second glance if you walked past them in the street.

^^Hah, the high school kid talking about everything being so fast "these days".

Warning: the next paragraph is pointless.


Waiting is the WORST. Waiting for test scores is really bad--basically all of them. Even if I KNOW I totally aced it, I'm just dying to know what I got. Also English assignments, but my teacher let herself get waaaaay behind in work within three weeks of school starting, so it isn't like I'm going to see anything in that class anytime soon...the only thing she's passed back so far is a twenty-point quiz, and everybody had at least one problem incorrectly marked on it. Also she totally missed my essay, as in, if my example of whatever detail is in a different sentence she marks one or the other wrong.

[aruna]

thanks pianoman- but actually, I have a copy of the Writers' Handbook, and lots of websites list them. I know the names of all the agents in the UK - it's just finding out WHO they are thatis so difficult! Finding that perfect match...

(In fact, I'm going to start a database of UK agents right here on AW, with all the info i know on individual agents, and which others can add to. That's the best way, I think, of getting to know them better.)

[scarletpeaches]

aruna - do you use the W&A Yearbook as well, and what's your opinion of it? Would it get a starting-out writer anywhere, do you think?

[Nateskate]

Writers always believe things were better ten years ago, but if you look at the numbers, things are better for new writers today. There's never been a time when as many publishers were buying novels from new writers. It's the selling writers on the mid-list who are having problems selling new books. It's never easy for a new writer to sell a novel, but there's never been a time when a new writer had as many opportunities as there are today. It's actually rather amazing how many first novels are published each year. . .and how many selling novelists are cut each year.





I agree, but forget about fairness. It isn't about fairness, it's about human nature and professionalism. I'm not against sim-subbing in theory, I'm against it in practice.

The fastest possible way to get published is to land a Good agent quickly. The trouble with sim-subs is not that they're sim-subs, it's that most writers who do this write a one size fits all query or proposal. They're generic. Even an agent or editor who allows sim-subs doesn't want to see anything generic. They still want the query or proposal to be personalized. They want to know you've done your homework, that you queried them not because you saw in some guidelines that they represent the kind of novel you've written, but because you've researched them, the books they've sold, the publishers they've sold to, and your writing fits right in with this.

So I guess I'd say sim-sub if you want, but don't do so by sending a dozen generic queries to a dozen agents. Take the time to thoroughly research each agent, the time to read some of the books he or she has sold, etc. And if you can do it, it isn't a bad idea to hunt around and attempt to find some writers who have sold to her, and see if you can learn just how they wrote their query.

Sim-sub, fine, but not in batches of generic queries. Why take an interest in a query when you can tell at a glance that a dozen, or two dozen, other agents are probably reading the same query? Take the time to find and read some of the books each agent has sold. Find out not only which genre the agent handles, but what kind of style and story she likes within that genre. And then use one short paragraph in the query letter to let her know you've done this.

My opinion is that if you're writing really good, winning queries that will attract top agents and editors, you can't send out anything in batches because it takes a good deal of time to research each agent, to read some of the books she's sold, and to write a winning query based on this.

I never could write a proper query to a new agent or editor in less than a week, and it usually took two or three weeks because of the research and reading.

There's a reason most writers have about a 5% return on queries, and that reason is largely caused by generic queries.

Not fairness, but human nature and professionalism. Getting published fast means getting an agent fast. Getting published slowly means getting three or fours years of rejections, or landing a not so good agent.

I agree with this. I determined from the beginning I wasn't going to even begin the whole process until I knew I could pull this thing off. While I was writing, I was researching agents, query's and the like. I have done so on the internet and through (Writer's Market???-agents list) I've looked at all agents in my Genre that were reputable, how many new clients they got, how many books they've sold...etc, and graded them 1-4/4.

I sent out two queropsis letters, both personalized and both were asked for. One agent responded and wanted to see my work. I sent an e-file, and also mailed a hard-copy just in case (She asked for either/or) The other never responded, and I haven't a clue why. Since she asked me to contact her, I was disappointed she didn't at least say, "Sorry, not my type"

What left me wondering is that I got no confirmation she even got the file, and no idea when/if she will contact me. Then after looking around I see this "Industry-wide standard" business that you have to sit and wait for weeks and up to six months for a reply. I can do weeks, and I think we're at 5-6 of those by now.

So, I figure its time to start sending new feelers instead of hoping "This is the one."