[Agency] Zachary Shuster Harmsworth

finewriting - don't feel stupid. For all you know she never got it or she could be interested now. Let us know how it goes and good luck.

Thanks! Sorry, I didn't see this before. I heard back from her--very sweet and understanding-- and she said to send it along. That was a month ago. Now I guess I just wait....

good luck finewritng.

/bootay shake!!!

oh the torturous waiting...

/pulls hair out!!!!!

I can't get a response

18 months ago I sent a manuscript to Todd Shuster of the Zachary Shuster Harmsworth Literary Agency after he requested it and wrote me that he would review it quickly and get back to me. Since then I have never heard back and my follow ups have been ignored. I know that they are a legit agency so any feedback would be appreciated. Has any one else had experience with this agent or agency?

I haven't had any experience with the agency, but I think you would best off considering it dead. You sent the work 18 months ago, you followed up several times....not much more you can do. I know it's aggravating.

Okay, so... I'm confused.

On the online email form, the agency says 'we are no longer accepting unsolicited submissions of any kind.' But then on the policies page, under submissions, it just says no unsolicited manuscripts.

Should I (or should I not) query?

i always opt for querying.
the worst they can do is not reply or
reject you. it's worth the risk of perhaps
finding representation!

true... I just don't want to come across as either blind or a complete idiot. Whatever. I guess I'll just risk it?

I may have this totally wrong but I'm not sure queries and submissions are exactly the same thing. Isn't the query supposed to solicit the opportunity to submit?

Some agents at ZSH are accepting queries and some are not. You have to check the individual agent.

Soccer Mom said:

Some agents at ZSH are accepting queries and some are not. You have to check the individual agent.

Click to expand...

thanks - good to know - I'll check

I liked Mary Beth very much (smart, energetic) and she was high on the list of eight agents who offered to rep my novel but I went with someone else because she offered some inspiring suggestions for revision, more guidelines, really, that lit up the book.

mbagrad said:

18 months ago I sent a manuscript to Todd Shuster of the Zachary Shuster Harmsworth Literary Agency after he requested it and wrote me that he would review it quickly and get back to me. Since then I have never heard back and my follow ups have been ignored. I know that they are a legit agency so any feedback would be appreciated. Has any one else had experience with this agent or agency?

Click to expand...

Mr. Shuster did the same to me, back when I didn't have a printer and had the ms. printed at Office Max, which together w/ mailing costs, I could've bought me a printer - which I eventually did. Mr. Shuster didn't have the decency to respond to any of my emails or return the SASE. I don't recommend sending this agent a hard copy. To request a hard copy of a ms. which contains a SASE is just wrong, classless, and more.

Anybody have recent information on Mary Beth Chappell? She's a good fit for my Southern Inspirational, and I just wondered how the wait times were going.

Thanks!

Anyone have experiences with Rachel Sussman? According to AQ & the ZSH website, "she is actively looking for clients in the areas of literary fiction, narrative nonfiction, memoir, psychology, sociology, science, popular culture, & inspirational/ motivational self-help." My equery was sent 8 wks ago and so far remains unanswered...

I had an odd experience with Mary Beth Chappell last year. I e-queried her 9/5/08 & she requested a full 9/8/08. She said I could send it as an attachment. I sent the manuscript, and she replied asking me to re-send. According to her it came through garbled. I re-sent, and she came back saying same problem. I offered to send it snail mail, but she suggested I re-format and re-send via e-mail. I reformated the manuscript, re-sent and heard nothing so I assumed it went through.

Two months later I e-mailed a couple of follow-ups (one to her e-mail and one to the ZSH general e-mail address) because I was still concerned about her receipt of the manuscript. Silence. I finally deemed it rejected.

BTW I e-mailed the same manuscript to my reader group and several other agents with no problem.

I like sending things as a PDF. No one has ever turned that format down when I've offered it. Then I know that what I see is what they'll see.

Lucy

Lucy Dashwood said:

I like sending things as a PDF. No one has ever turned that format down when I've offered it. Then I know that what I see is what they'll see.

Lucy

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Thanks for the suggestion. In this instance, I had 9 requests from agents for manuscripts and I sent them all in Word. Ms. Chappell was the only one who said she had a problem with the attachment. She was also the only one who never got back with a response, not even when I asked if she had received the re-sent manuscript. Maybe she did receive it, and just decided to reject it without responding. Anyway, I've moved on.

I just threw my hat into the ring with Mary Beth this morning - I will update again if/when I get a response for anyone tracking response times

Anyone have any comments on this online form they offer at the site? Is that what you've used to query, or do you email the agent direct?

Has anyone had a positive response from emailing the agent direct?

Can anyone verify that the online form works? Gawd I hate those things...makes it feel like such a damn factory.

I don't know when it happened but their website says they are not taking unsolicited submissions at this time.

I think it's been that way for a while, and my interpretation, based on comments here and elsewhere, is that by 'submissions' they mean non-requested materials (as apposed to a query for submission).

I queried Eve Bridburg directly on 6/10 and got a request for 50 pages on 7/23. I'm still waiting for a response. But, yes, some agents do accept queries and respond from this agency.

Good luck!

Lucy Dashwood said:

I like sending things as a PDF. No one has ever turned that format down when I've offered it. Then I know that what I see is what they'll see.

Lucy

Click to expand...

My question is sort of related and I can't find it in the index anywhere, so if anyone knows... For the life of me, I can manage to send sample pages, etc., in the body of an e-mail double-spaced and have it come out all right at the other end. I've tried pasting in rich text and simple text and so forth but it always comes out single-spaced (and sometimes duplicated). I have comcast e-mail. Has anyone got a simple solution for this? Thanks!

Obviously, that should read CAN'T...