In-person R&R?

[stephds]

Hi everyone! Apologies if there's already a thread on this but I couldn't find it.

I've been querying my novel for a few months now. I got a couple of full requests and one of those agents has now got back to me saying my manuscript is "interesting" but feels unfinished. She wants to meet to discuss how it can be developed and now I'm very confused!

I wondered if anyone had any experience with anything like this? At first thought I thought it was a R&R, but having done a bit of research it looks like they usually come in the form of an email, not an in-person meeting.

Also, if people reckon it is a R&R, does anyone have any recommendations of questions I should ask in the meeting? E.g. should I ask what kind of time frame she wants the edits in, or whether she wants the revised manuscript (if I decide to do the revisions) exclusively?

Any help/personal experience much appreciated!

 

[Woollybear]

Have you looked her up on query tracker, and looked under comments? I'd dig into her page on querytracker to learn more of what I can about her and whether others have had this experience.

I haven't had this experience.

 

[alexp336]

Not something I've heard of either, though I guess if she knew from your query that you were in the same area then maybe an in-person meet wouldn't be such a strange concept. I concur with @Woollybear though, look her up and see what others say.

 

[lizmonster]

Assuming the agent checks out - are you comfortable with doing it this way? Some people prefer in-person to the phone, and if you're near each other it might only be that.

But if you prefer the phone, just say so.

 

[Sage]

Hey, stephd, first question to answer is whether you’ve checked the agent/agency out here in Bewares, Recs, & Background Checks? Also, check out their sales record. Because I’ve heard of scams mimicking agents and publishers, I’m just making sure that the order of operations was: you sent a query, the agent requested a full, the agent sent the request to meet from the same email address and referenced your book with specifics.

Wanting to meet in person is very unusual, considering that agents and authors are rarely close enough to do so. But I’ve heard rare stories of authors getting personal help from an agent who is really taken by some aspect of their story or writing.

I like lizmonster’s suggestion of considering your comfort level of being in person too, assuming it all turns out to be legit.

 

[Parametric]

Also, if people reckon it is a R&R, does anyone have any recommendations of questions I should ask in the meeting? E.g. should I ask what kind of time frame she wants the edits in, or whether she wants the revised manuscript (if I decide to do the revisions) exclusively?

I'd think carefully about asking her if she wants an exclusive submission, particularly an open-ended one. Exclusivity only serves the interests of agents, not writers (although I guess setting a very short end date might motivate the agent to move it up her to-do list). If you offer, she's likely to say yes, and then you're stuck with it. Don't suggest it to her, and have an answer ready in case it comes up, eg. "no" or "only for two weeks".

 

[Cobalt Jade]

The agent might have meant a Zoom meeting.

 

[stephds]

Thanks everyone for your responses! She's from a reputable agency that has a positive thread on Absolute Write, and the suggestion to meet came from the same email address/thread as the original full request, so I'm not worried on that front. And we're meeting in a public place so no worries about that either.

Good suggestions about the exclusive question - thank you!

She has limited info on Query Tracker as the agency is quite small, but perhaps this is just how she works - and agreed, it could be because she knows I live in the same city where she works.