[Agency] Writers House

scarletfox · 04-03-2005, 04:19 AM

Hey guys-
I was jsut wondering what y'all know about writers house, especially if y'all have any personal experience with them.
Thanks!

dragonjax · 04-03-2005, 07:13 AM

Scarlet, any particular agent at WH?

scarletfox · 04-03-2005, 07:43 AM

dragonjax-

I was looking at either Ginger Clark or Albert Zuckerman. know anything about either of them?

thanks
scarlet

smallthunder · 04-03-2005, 02:37 PM

I received a positive response to my query from Albert Zuckerman -- or, to be precise, his assistant (Maya). In the letter to me, Maya wrote that Mr. Z was interested in reading the first two chapters on an "exclusive" basis. Hmm ... In the package I sent, I noted in my cover letter that I could not promise an "exclusive" reading as several other agents have already requested/received chapters of my novel. [I didn't say, but thought: Hey, can I help it if he's slow to read his mail?] I also suggested that they look into having their write-up in Writer's Marketplace reflect a preference/requirement for exclusive readings.

I offered not to send out any more chapters to any other agents, should Mr. Z still wish to consider my novel -- i.e. future "exclusivity" and not retro-active. I asked that Maya e-mail me ASAP to let me know if this proposal was agreeable -- haven't received a response yet, but I don't think my package has reached them. I'll let you know what Mr. Z thinks about this semi-exclusivity proposal.

spywriter · 04-04-2005, 01:38 AM

I also received a letter from Maya on Zuckerman's behalf this summer and she also asked for an exclusive. I offered her the 6 weeks she asked for and heard nothing for the 6 weeks. I sent her a reminder letter and immediatley recieved an "I'm sorry but you are not what we want" letter. FIve months later, I received the same EXACT letter dated five months earlier. (According to the date on the late letter I got, she knew within 2 days that she was not going to pass it on to him, but I had to wait the 6 weeks.) I guess she had lost the first letter she had sent telling me NO and then found it later and popped it in the mail. Zuckerman reads nothing until Maya likes it. If she doesn't love it, he will never read it.

As far as Zuckerman goes, he is like gold in the agent world. If you can get him....IF....then good on ya. Good luck...

Kim

smallthunder · 04-04-2005, 03:01 PM

I really don't like the idea of "exclusive" readership -- for the reason mentioned in the posting above: You have to sit on your hands for the stated period of time, even if the agent decides on Day Two your work isn't what s/he is looking for and can't seem to get around to telling you.

I know Mr. Z is Mr. Big (or Mr. Pretty Big) in the agent world, so I feel odd trying to set conditions. But, really, what could I do? Tell other agents to put down my chapters until I got word from Mr. Z? Talk about representational suicide, or at least self-inflicted mauling, should Mr. Z not want my work...

The damn post office is so slow -- well, from Taiwan to the U.S., after all -- I am on tenterhooks as to how Maya/Mr. Z will respond to my proposal.

dragonjax · 04-04-2005, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scarletfox

dragonjax-

I was looking at either Ginger Clark or Albert Zuckerman. know anything about either of them?

thanks
scarlet

I know quite a bit about Ginger. If you can land her as your agent, you're ahead of the game. In my opinion, she's everything an author could ask for. When asked what an author should look for in an agent besides placing a book at a publisher, here's how she responded:

Upfront. *Fast responses to questions/calls/emails. *Knows their limits and willing to say, "I don't know, but I'll find out." *Excellent at contracts. *Pushy with editors, protective of you. *Honest. *Hopefully, recognized by the AAR. *Enthusiastic. *Professional. *Tries to keep foreign rights and has a good relationship with their foreign agents. *Knows lots of editors on a personal basis. *Gives you fast reads on your work, or at least is upfront when she needs more time.

Heads up that she will ask for an exclusive on a partial. Although she took a pass on my work, she got back to me realtively quickly.

And, of course, good luck!

arkady · 04-04-2005, 08:47 PM

I sent a query to Ginger Clark in November of last year. Still haven't heard a word back.

dragonjax · 04-05-2005, 04:15 AM

arkady, you may want to follow up. Sometimes, the US Post Office goofs. And if you sent an e-query, chances are that she won't answer; she's pretty strict about not accepting e-queries.

Sparkle · 08-27-2005, 12:08 AM

I sent short stories to Writers House and they sent a letter back saying the stories were promising, but they were not taking new writers at this time. The letter stated that tastes among literay agencies vary widely and to stay positive. It was a personal letter and not one of those form letters. I just wish agents would say if the the stories were good or forget it. Any hints as to what this letter may mean besides they are not going to represent me.

Sparkle

Aconite · 08-27-2005, 12:20 AM

Sparkle, if you actually got a personal rejection that called your writing "promising" and encouraged you in your writing, treasure it. A personal rejection takes time to write--time the agent could be spending on other things--so it means the agent thought something about your work was worth encouraging, and the agent gave you the gift of his or her time to tell you so.

As for, "I just wish agents would say if the the stories were good or forget it," the agent said they were promising, didn't s/he? And also said, "tastes among literay agencies vary widely and to stay positive," which is true--your work may be beautifully written, but just not be the kind of work a certain agent handles. Whether or not an agent takes you on depends on more than just the quality of your work, it depends on its suitability for that agent.

Sparkle · 08-27-2005, 02:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aconite

Sparkle, if you actually got a personal rejection that called your writing "promising" and encouraged you in your writing, treasure it. A personal rejection takes time to write--time the agent could be spending on other things--so it means the agent thought something about your work was worth encouraging, and the agent gave you the gift of his or her time to tell you so.

As for, "I just wish agents would say if the the stories were good or forget it," the agent said they were promising, didn't s/he? And also said, "tastes among literay agencies vary widely and to stay positive," which is true--your work may be beautifully written, but just not be the kind of work a certain agent handles. Whether or not an agent takes you on depends on more than just the quality of your work, it depends on its suitability for that agent.

Hi,

The agent's name is Michael Mejias and I do appreciate his time in making a response to me. I will continue with my writing and see what happens.

Sparkle

Aconite · 08-27-2005, 02:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sparkle

I will continue with my writing and see what happens.

Do that, and good luck.

Pencilone · 08-27-2005, 12:02 PM

What's your opinion on this: if I decide to send a query to Writer's House should I send it to "Submissions" (letting them assign it to whom they want), or should I address it to a specific agent? (and yes, I'd like one who handles fantasy)

Thanks

MadScientistMatt · 08-27-2005, 12:21 AM

Sparkle, very few agents are interested in representing short stories. They don't pay enough commission, and the places that buy short stories don't need agents. Usually you would do better selling them directly to magazines.

BTW, for another thread on Writers House -

<snip>

Cathy C · 08-27-2005, 01:13 AM

I'm with Writer's House and to my knowledge, they don't accept short stories, unless there are already enough of them to create a full anthology of 70K-100K words. But an anthology from an unknown writer (unless the stories were award winning, or previously published in print magazines) is a hard sell to publishers.

I hadn't heard they weren't accepting new writers. But perhaps the agent who received the query isn't acquiring new projects. There are a number of agents at Writer's House, and they normally pass along queries to the appropriate acquiring agent. So if that person said no, it's unlikely anyone else in the agency would look at it.

Sorry. But good luck with the next agent on your list.

stephblake24 · 07-10-2006, 06:31 PM

I will be meeting with him at the end of the month at a conference in Denver...I will let you know how it goes.

Laurie · 07-11-2006, 08:17 PM

I met with Dan last August and as of then he was still taking on writers. Since then he has been named a full agent.

I found him very approachable as well and very quick to respond to his e-mail, something I appreciate. The day I met with him he was telling everyone he was being mean that day. If that was mean, then a smurf is a mean.

Stephanie, Dan did tell us flat out he responds well to flattery. If I may suggest, read beforehand some works he's been instrumental in publishing. The one I read was Broken for You.

Roger J Carlson · 07-11-2006, 11:52 PM

Both Dan and Merrilee rejected my novel. (Two different incarnations at very separate times.) This speaks to their good judgement.

Laurie · 07-12-2006, 01:17 AM

Question - Is it bad form or a waste of time to query another agent at the same house if one has passed on it?

James D. Macdonald · 07-12-2006, 01:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laurie

Question - Is it bad form or a waste of time to query another agent at the same house if one has passed on it?

Both a waste of time and bad form. Only query again with a new work.

Laurie · 07-12-2006, 05:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by James D. Macdonald

Both a waste of time and bad form. Only query again with a new work.

Is this because if the agent you queried thought someone in the house might be interested they would recommend sending it to them or would forward it themselves?

In larger houses it seems the agents are working pretty independently, so I wondered....

davidhburton · 07-12-2006, 05:33 AM

I have found at Writer's House that it is fine to query another agent if one rejects you. I have been rejected by a couple of them only to have others request partials/full. It is a subjective business and I believe that they work independently. Just my 2 cents.

waylander · 07-12-2006, 01:04 PM

I have done this a couple of times and it got me my closest near miss with an agent. The first agent took a partial, the second the full.
I think it depends greatly on the agency.

Roger J Carlson · 07-12-2006, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laurie

Is this because if the agent you queried thought someone in the house might be interested they would recommend sending it to them or would forward it themselves?

In larger houses it seems the agents are working pretty independently, so I wondered....

If the agent thought it was a good book, but she didn't specialize in the genre, she might pass it along to another agent in the house. But if she didn't think it was publishable, then she wouldn't. However, one agent may see potential that another does not.

04-03-2005, 04:19 AM	#1
scarletfox New Fish; Learning About Thick Skin Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 26	[Agency] Writers House Hey guys- I was jsut wondering what y'all know about writers house, especially if y'all have any personal experience with them. Thanks!

04-03-2005, 07:13 AM	#2
dragonjax I write stuff. Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: New Yawk Posts: 2,504	Scarlet, any particular agent at WH? __________________ The final book in the Riders of the Apocalypse series: BREATH (April 16, 2013, from Harcourt Graphia) by Jackie Morse Kessler And coming spring 2014, from Month9Books: TO BEAR AN IRON KEY Never give up!

04-03-2005, 02:37 PM	#4
smallthunder Ruled by Dachshunds Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: New to Portland, OREGON Posts: 668	Albert Zuckerman & "Exclusive" Reading I received a positive response to my query from Albert Zuckerman -- or, to be precise, his assistant (Maya). In the letter to me, Maya wrote that Mr. Z was interested in reading the first two chapters on an "exclusive" basis. Hmm ... In the package I sent, I noted in my cover letter that I could not promise an "exclusive" reading as several other agents have already requested/received chapters of my novel. [I didn't say, but thought: Hey, can I help it if he's slow to read his mail?] I also suggested that they look into having their write-up in Writer's Marketplace reflect a preference/requirement for exclusive readings. I offered not to send out any more chapters to any other agents, should Mr. Z still wish to consider my novel -- i.e. future "exclusivity" and not retro-active. I asked that Maya e-mail me ASAP to let me know if this proposal was agreeable -- haven't received a response yet, but I don't think my package has reached them. I'll let you know what Mr. Z thinks about this semi-exclusivity proposal.

04-04-2005, 01:38 AM	#5
spywriter New Fish; Learning About Thick Skin Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 36	al zuckerman I also received a letter from Maya on Zuckerman's behalf this summer and she also asked for an exclusive. I offered her the 6 weeks she asked for and heard nothing for the 6 weeks. I sent her a reminder letter and immediatley recieved an "I'm sorry but you are not what we want" letter. FIve months later, I received the same EXACT letter dated five months earlier. (According to the date on the late letter I got, she knew within 2 days that she was not going to pass it on to him, but I had to wait the 6 weeks.) I guess she had lost the first letter she had sent telling me NO and then found it later and popped it in the mail. Zuckerman reads nothing until Maya likes it. If she doesn't love it, he will never read it. As far as Zuckerman goes, he is like gold in the agent world. If you can get him....IF....then good on ya. Good luck... Kim

04-04-2005, 03:01 PM	#6
smallthunder Ruled by Dachshunds Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: New to Portland, OREGON Posts: 668	More on Mr. Z & exclusivity I really don't like the idea of "exclusive" readership -- for the reason mentioned in the posting above: You have to sit on your hands for the stated period of time, even if the agent decides on Day Two your work isn't what s/he is looking for and can't seem to get around to telling you. I know Mr. Z is Mr. Big (or Mr. Pretty Big) in the agent world, so I feel odd trying to set conditions. But, really, what could I do? Tell other agents to put down my chapters until I got word from Mr. Z? Talk about representational suicide, or at least self-inflicted mauling, should Mr. Z not want my work... The damn post office is so slow -- well, from Taiwan to the U.S., after all -- I am on tenterhooks as to how Maya/Mr. Z will respond to my proposal.

04-03-2005, 07:43 AM	#3
scarletfox New Fish; Learning About Thick Skin Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 26	dragonjax- I was looking at either Ginger Clark or Albert Zuckerman. know anything about either of them? thanks scarlet

04-04-2005, 08:47 PM	#8
arkady practical experience, FTW Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 548	I sent a query to Ginger Clark in November of last year. Still haven't heard a word back.

04-05-2005, 04:15 AM	#9
dragonjax I write stuff. Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: New Yawk Posts: 2,504	arkady, you may want to follow up. Sometimes, the US Post Office goofs. And if you sent an e-query, chances are that she won't answer; she's pretty strict about not accepting e-queries. __________________ The final book in the Riders of the Apocalypse series: BREATH (April 16, 2013, from Harcourt Graphia) by Jackie Morse Kessler And coming spring 2014, from Month9Books: TO BEAR AN IRON KEY Never give up!

08-27-2005, 12:08 AM	#10
Sparkle New Fish; Learning About Thick Skin Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Indiana Posts: 43	Writers House I sent short stories to Writers House and they sent a letter back saying the stories were promising, but they were not taking new writers at this time. The letter stated that tastes among literay agencies vary widely and to stay positive. It was a personal letter and not one of those form letters. I just wish agents would say if the the stories were good or forget it. Any hints as to what this letter may mean besides they are not going to represent me. Sparkle

08-27-2005, 12:20 AM	#11
Aconite Gone Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 3,587	Sparkle, if you actually got a personal rejection that called your writing "promising" and encouraged you in your writing, treasure it. A personal rejection takes time to write--time the agent could be spending on other things--so it means the agent thought something about your work was worth encouraging, and the agent gave you the gift of his or her time to tell you so. As for, "I just wish agents would say if the the stories were good or forget it," the agent said they were promising, didn't s/he? And also said, "tastes among literay agencies vary widely and to stay positive," which is true--your work may be beautifully written, but just not be the kind of work a certain agent handles. Whether or not an agent takes you on depends on more than just the quality of your work, it depends on its suitability for that agent.

08-27-2005, 12:02 PM	#14
Pencilone Muse Lover Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: UK Posts: 158	What's your opinion on this: if I decide to send a query to Writer's House should I send it to "Submissions" (letting them assign it to whom they want), or should I address it to a specific agent? (and yes, I'd like one who handles fantasy) Thanks

08-27-2005, 12:21 AM	#15
MadScientistMatt Empirical Storm Trooper Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: near Atlanta, Georgia Posts: 1,692	Sparkle, very few agents are interested in representing short stories. They don't pay enough commission, and the places that buy short stories don't need agents. Usually you would do better selling them directly to magazines. BTW, for another thread on Writers House - <snip> __________________ Matthew Cramer My blogs: Mad Scientist Matt's Layer: Do it yourself car mods and other insanity Covington - Conyers Restaurants: small town Georgia dining Last edited by CaoPaux; 08-11-2009 at 10:22 PM. Reason: threads merged, link moot

08-27-2005, 01:13 AM	#16
Cathy C Ooo! Shiny new cover! Absolute Sage Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Texas Hill Country Posts: 7,201	I'm with Writer's House and to my knowledge, they don't accept short stories, unless there are already enough of them to create a full anthology of 70K-100K words. But an anthology from an unknown writer (unless the stories were award winning, or previously published in print magazines) is a hard sell to publishers. I hadn't heard they weren't accepting new writers. But perhaps the agent who received the query isn't acquiring new projects. There are a number of agents at Writer's House, and they normally pass along queries to the appropriate acquiring agent. So if that person said no, it's unlikely anyone else in the agency would look at it. Sorry. But good luck with the next agent on your list. __________________ Smiles! Cathy Clamp USA Today bestselling author ON SHELVES NOW!! The Eldritch Conspiracy Dance With The Devil, 11/13 Our Website Follow me at: Twitter "As always, Adams strikes a nice balance between romance & action, continuing to flesh out Celia’s world in strange new ways."- Publishers Weekly "Think L.A. noir w/magic, supernatural beings, psychic powers, warrior priests & modern technology." - Kirkus Reviews "Fast and fun, with enough complexity in plot & characters to keep readers engaged." - ALA Booklist

07-10-2006, 06:31 PM	#17
stephblake24 practical experience, FTW Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 147	I will be meeting with him at the end of the month at a conference in Denver...I will let you know how it goes.

07-11-2006, 08:17 PM	#18
Laurie practical experience, FTW Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Not where I want to be Posts: 161	I met with Dan last August and as of then he was still taking on writers. Since then he has been named a full agent. I found him very approachable as well and very quick to respond to his e-mail, something I appreciate. The day I met with him he was telling everyone he was being mean that day. If that was mean, then a smurf is a mean. Stephanie, Dan did tell us flat out he responds well to flattery. If I may suggest, read beforehand some works he's been instrumental in publishing. The one I read was Broken for You. __________________ A friend is a loved one who awakens your life in order to free the wild possibilities within you. - John O'Donohue Anam Cara

07-11-2006, 11:52 PM	#19
Roger J Carlson Moderation in All Things Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: West Michigan Posts: 12,587	Both Dan and Merrilee rejected my novel. (Two different incarnations at very separate times.) This speaks to their good judgement. __________________ --Roger J. Carlson

07-12-2006, 01:17 AM	#20
Laurie practical experience, FTW Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Not where I want to be Posts: 161	Question - Is it bad form or a waste of time to query another agent at the same house if one has passed on it? __________________ A friend is a loved one who awakens your life in order to free the wild possibilities within you. - John O'Donohue Anam Cara

07-12-2006, 05:33 AM	#23
davidhburton Purveyor of sacrilege Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 104	I have found at Writer's House that it is fine to query another agent if one rejects you. I have been rejected by a couple of them only to have others request partials/full. It is a subjective business and I believe that they work independently. Just my 2 cents. __________________ David H. Burton - http://davidhburton.com

07-12-2006, 01:04 PM	#24
waylander Who's going for a beer? Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: London, UK Posts: 5,180	I have done this a couple of times and it got me my closest near miss with an agent. The first agent took a partial, the second the full. I think it depends greatly on the agency.

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