Ask Lucienne Diver! Guest agent arriving week of January 15th

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Lucienne Diver

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If you've sent a query by regular mail (we don't accept e-queries) and included a SASE (stamped because our post office will not accept meter strips from other locations), I have no idea why you wouldn't have gotten a response and would recommend that you try again. That said I've sometimes received calls asking about queries that never arrived or had the post office return a SASE to us because the author had misprinted the address. I don't know what might have caused the problem in your case but apologize for your frustration.

Manxom Vroom said:
Good morning! I've sent queries to Spectrum on a couple of different occasions over the years, but according to my records I've never gotten a response back. Is it worth it for me to keep trying, or is no response the same as a simple "no?"
 

Manxom Vroom

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Thank you! I will try again. I hope my question wasn't too bitter or combative sounding. It's just hard not to get paranoid when you're waiting for a response, as I'm sure you know. :)
 

Lucienne Diver

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for JVarvara

Sometimes it's the absolutely gorgeous writing, sometimes the fabulous characters that push me over the edge, though neither will do it in the absence of a storyline that holds my interest and stellar pacing.

JVarvara said:
I'm going to get right to the point with a more personal question.

What is it in a story that makes you go "WOW, this is good"? Which do you pay more attention to the language, writing style, plot line, resolution, character development, or structure? And since I know you're going to say it is a combination of all, which is the make or break?
 

Lucienne Diver

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for tombookpub on e-queries vs. snail mail

Instead of breaking down my answers to these questions, I'm going to put it all together, since they're linked. Usually, an agent will make his or her preferences (snail mail or e-query) known. If not, it's really up to the writer which he or she prefers. In case of an e-query, agents and editors generally prefer that material be cut and pasted into the body of the e-mail. There are several reasons for this: 1) attachments are more likely to contain viruses, 2) there's no extra step and no worry that we won't have a compatible program for opening and reading the attachment and 3) spam filters will more likely let the e-mail through. Spectrum doesn't accept e-queries because we don't generally open e-mails from addresses we don't recognize due to virus concerns. Also, and this is very odd, not all ISPs are happy speaking with each other. Some e-mail addresses I send to bounce or mailboxes get full or there are delivery delays…too may things that can go wrong, even aside from entrapment in a spam filter, that may cause grief down the line. I know that mileage on this varies. I guess I'm just a hands-on, paper kind of gal.

tombookpub said:
Ms. Diver, Many thanks for offering advice to us! Here's' my question:
Many agents offer two options for submissions: e-mail vs. snail mail. In some cases, as a first mailing, the agent seeks greater information from the writer via snail mail vs e-mail. For example, I've seen several cases where a simple QL is all that's needed for the initial e-mail contact. Yet, for snail-mail, initial contact submissions, a full proposal with sample chapters is requested.
1) Why is their a diiference between these two? (For example, a proposal could be sent as an e-mail attachment)
2) When these two differing options exist, which submission is best for the writer? Which does the agent prefer?
 

Lucienne Diver

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Dragonjax follow up

I guess you've seen this article then? http://dearauthor.com/wordpress/2007/01/16/who-moved-my-cheese-whether-paranormal-romances-are-due-for-a-makeover/

dragonjax said:
It does, thanks; I definitely appreciate your take on this.

But given how the boundaries continue to blur between the two genres, and given how each traditional reader group (fantasy and romance) brings its own set of expectations to the book, I think that this question is going to be popping up more and more in the not-too-distant future. (Oy. Where's that drink...?)
 

Lucienne Diver

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for Carmy

I've never represented anything in this vein, so it'd be difficult to say how it should be presented. I suppose that the synopsis would have to mimic the book, interweaving the stories (one here, another there, then the third, etc., giving an inkling of the link as you go). If it's in the literary vein, it might not be any more difficult to sell than a novel, but this isn't my primary field. Commercial fiction is my bailiwick. Sorry not to be of more help!

Carmy said:
Hi, Ms. Diver. Thanks for offering to help us with our questions.

I recently discovered that what I have is not a collection of inter-related short stories but an ensemble, i.e., each story has a different MC but the stories cover ten years in their lives and come together at the end.

How do I present the ensemble as a synopsis?

I understnad short story collections are hard to sell, but are ensembles any easier?
 

badducky

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Hello, Ms. Diver, and thanks for joining us.

My question: When an author makes a sale, at what point do you think its time to start trying to sell the second book?

Do you think its best to wait until the author is finished the edit with his current editor? Is this sort of thing even on your radar when you're looking at your author's other projects?
 

Lucienne Diver

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contracts or lack thereof for Chibeth

We pretty much work on a handshake. When I take on a writer, I tell him or her in our initial conversation what our commissions are, etc. Once we agree to work together, I'll put that in a letter. The agent-author relationship is often described as a marriage. I suppose the best comparison for our relationship is living together – same commitment, less messy paperwork. If we decide to part ways, we follow industry standard. Our intention when we take on a writer is to work with them to build a career, so if we did have a contract it would probably reflect this rather than a book-to-book.

chibeth said:
Thank you for answering our questions, Ms. Diver. I have a couple questions about contracts.

When you take an author as a client, do you offer a contract or do you work on a handshake?

If you do have a formal contract, is it on a book-by-book basis? Or is it a more general contract?

Thanks again.
 

Lucienne Diver

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for she who quotes Captain Jack Sparrow (imagoodgurl4)

With the author's permission, I've pasted below most of a wonderful query letter as a sample. What caught me right away was the title. Next, I really liked the concept and the voice. The author had done her research, presented herself well and given the definite impression that she could write! You can also see here the kind of credentials she lists. If you're writing YA and have two teenagers at home, that might be useful information. If you're novel is set in Wales and you spent the first ten years of your life there, that would be relevant. But don't worry if you don't feel you have anything to list. Your work should be able to speak for itself.

Dear Ms. Diver,

I found you listed on the RWA site and I see also that you represent Rachel Caine’s Weather Warden series. Since you must like smart, wisecracking heroines, I thought that my novel Prom Dates From Hell (a young adult fantasy of approximately 85,000 words) might interest you.
In Prom Dates From Hell, smart, sassy high school senior Maggie Quinn discovers that an amateur sorcerer has unleashed a demon to bring down the student social elite. Part Nancy Drew and part Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Maggie must use all her reason, intuition, and wise-cracking bravado to defeat the ancient evil--before all Hell breaks loose (literally) at the senior dance….
Prom Dates From Hell could easily be marketed to the young adult or the adult fantasy market. Like its heroine, the story is fresh and funny. But high school serves as the microcosm where Maggie’s upbeat voice skewers the Social Darwinism in our culture with humor, intelligence and even sympathy as she learns that no one is immune from the temptation of gaining power at the expense of someone else, whether it is by humiliating a classmate or calling up a demon.
Although this is my first novel, I have written one-act plays for family audiences, as a freelance writer and as the Youth Director at Theatre Victoria in Victoria, Texas. Two of these plays went to state competition. The experience developed my ear for youthful dialogue and taught me how to write on multiple levels, with both youth and adult audience appeal. I am also a member of RWA and the Dallas Fort Worth Writers Workshop.
I would be pleased to send you the partial or complete manuscript of Prom Dates From Hell for your consideration. Thank you very much for your time and I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Rosemary Clement Moore

(In case you're wondering, the book is every bit as wonderful as the letter suggests and will be available in hardcover from Delacorte in March 2007.)

imagoodgurl4 said:
Hello, Ms. Diver,

Thank you very much for coming here to answer our questions.

I had two for you:

1. When you receive a query letter, is there something in particular that jumps out at you that makes you want to request a manuscript?

2. I see on a lot of agents submission guidelines that, in a query, they want you to state your credentials and what makes you qualified to write the type of manuscript you want to submit. I write thrillers/suspense, and I was just wondering what an unpublished writer like myself should put for something like that.

Again, thank you for joining us this week.
 

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an artful pitch

Hello Lucienne - thank you for stopping by as the guest this week. I am totally new to Absolute Write and have enjoyed reading the threads.

The book I am writing is a Christmas-themed, young adult book, for the 12-16 age group. Among the books on my sublist, the closest in theme is Tony Abbott's Kringle. [SIZE=+0]In the near future, I want to position my book to an agent (I'm in the revision stages). [/SIZE]

[SIZE=+0]I think the following are necessary components of a good pitch, as far as my book - what do you think?[/SIZE]

1. What percentage of young adult book sales takes place during the holiday season? Can this be broken down further into the percentage that represents Christmas-themed books?
2. What is the market for Christmas-themed books, i.e., demand?
3. Which age group sells best for Christmas-themed books or does any Christmas book sell reasonably well this time of year?
4. Because my book explores themes similar to Kringle, I am wondering how well Kringle did in the market in terms of sales.

I'd like to include the above info in my pitch but have had little luck in nailing down a source for this info, if, in fact, there is any single source. Do you know where I might get this information?

I appreciate your kind help and would look forward to your response.
Santa's helper
 

Lucienne Diver

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for icerose

That's tough. My first suggestion would be to focus in! Not that you can't write in multiple genres or formats at the same time, but so many! Watch that you don't diversify so much that you don't get enough momentum going in any one area to build a career! That said, you'd probably have to go to the big agencies if you want to keep everything in one place and you may be working with more than one agent there. Off the top of my head, I'd say try William Morris or Curtis Brown, maybe the Trident Media Group.

icerose said:
Hi Lucienne,

I have a problem. I write in several genres and mediums. I write both novels and scripts, and in genres of Fantasy, horror, thriller, mystery, a bit of science fiction, paranormal and even some romance from time to time.

What I want in an agent is someone who cares about my career and handles my writing as diverse as it is. Even if it's an entire agency with different agents handling different projects I would be okay with that.

So my question is: are there such agents or agencies that would be able to handle this level of diversity, or will I be left with partial representation no matter who takes me on?

Thanks,

Sara
 

imagoodgurl4

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Ms. Diver,

Thank you for your response. That sample query letter was very helpful. So, too, were your responses to questions posed by my fellow AWer's. Thanks very much for joining us this week.

~ imagoodgurl4 (who really does enjoy rum :)) ~
 

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Hello Lucienne. Just wanted to say, I am really impressed with the time and care you've taken to answer so many questions. Thank You!
 

Lucienne Diver

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for badducky

This is another one of those "that depends" kind of answers, which I know can be frustrating, but the thing is that every single sale is different, so the right answer for one author or one book will not necessarily be right for the next. Plus, I tend to do multi-book contracts, so that I'm not selling one book at a time except where this is advisable. It's often difficult to get a publisher to commit to a second book before they have some numbers on the first. This doesn't mean that you can't start talking to them about it once the first book is in. (Most option clauses state that the publisher must respond on a new book within a certain period of time after the contracted work has been turned in. However, unagented agreements may start this period after the work is published – another good reason for an agent.) In practice, though, the publisher may make you wait, knowing that they've pretty much got you. It's pretty impossible for a new writer to take a second book anywhere else at that point because a) the new publisher would want the numbers as well, b) the second book is probably related to the first, which would mean they'd have to count on another publisher to keep it in print. Also, frankly, there's a lot to be gained by sticking with the same publisher for book #2, so that the front list will support the back list if nothing else.

badducky said:
Hello, Ms. Diver, and thanks for joining us.

My question: When an author makes a sale, at what point do you think its time to start trying to sell the second book?

Do you think its best to wait until the author is finished the edit with his current editor? Is this sort of thing even on your radar when you're looking at your author's other projects?
 

Lucienne Diver

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self-promotion for DecemberQuinn

I'm all in favor of publicity. There are a lot of really helpful articles on the Internet that can help you suss out the best ways to spend your limited time and resources. Websites are great, but they're a passive form of promotion. You have to get people in. Good ways to do that: interesting and ever-changing content, contests, short fiction not found elsewhere, listing on all the search engines, etc. Other great and low-budget ideas: write to your local, high school and college papers and let them know you've made good. They may be interested in doing a piece on you. Write articles. Blogs are good too, but make sure you've really got someting to say. The very best thing to do is check in with your publisher. See what they're doing so that you don't step on any toes or cross already trodden ground and find out what they feel would be most productive.

DecemberQuinn said:
If I may, I was just wondering what you think of authors doing promo in general? How important do you think it is? Do you expect an author to do it, or are you fine if they would rather not?

(By "promo" I mean everything from blogs to contests to interviews to tours and everything in between.)
 

Lucienne Diver

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You'll need to explain enough to allow the reader to suspend his or her disbelief. Anything that gives the reader pause might mean rejection when you're asking the agent to give up his or her free time – we =rarely= have time to read in the office – to continue on.

genrewriter said:
Hi Lucienne,

For a SF novel where new technology is important to the storyline, but the execution of the novel is not “hard” SF, how much explanation of the tech is expected in the synopsis? Thank you.
 

icerose

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Lucienne Diver said:
That's tough. My first suggestion would be to focus in! Not that you can't write in multiple genres or formats at the same time, but so many! Watch that you don't diversify so much that you don't get enough momentum going in any one area to build a career! That said, you'd probably have to go to the big agencies if you want to keep everything in one place and you may be working with more than one agent there. Off the top of my head, I'd say try William Morris or Curtis Brown, maybe the Trident Media Group.

Thanks Lucienne!

I've been having the hardest time with this for a long time. I was beginning to worry the agent/agency I would need doesn't exist. I will try and get my first few pieces out there on my own thne I can use those contracts to get in with an agency that would be able to handle the diversity of what I write. I will focus more on my next few pieces, my problem is my ideas come from all over the board because I read and enjoy pieces from all over the board.

Thanks again for coming and taking the time to answer our questions.

Sara
 

MDavis

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Genre-labeling blues

Hi Lucienne!

Thank you for all the helpful (and specific!) answers. I have a rather specific question myself.

What do you call a romance set in a "traditional" fantasy world? No elves or goblins per se, but it's definitely not an urban setting.

Fantasy romance? Romantic Fantasy? I don't want to mislead an agent by calling my novel a fantasy when the romance is the primary storyline (within the setting and stakes of a fantasy).

Everything I try winds up sounding like a fairy tale, which is not the case at all.

Thank you again,
Michelle
 

tlblack

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Hi Ms Diver,

When a writer gets a bad agent that submits their ms to a bad (very bad) PoD publisher, what are the chances of that book being rewritten or revised and sold by a good agent to a good publisher? I am curious as I had the above mentioned happen. I left the agent to find the publisher, and trusted she would sell it to a good publisher. Am I better off to toss the ms into a box and forget about it? I knew nothing about the publisher at the time and there was little to no information about them online that I could find that said anything negative about them.

Also, I have another ms (thriller) I am seeking representation for now. (anotherealm is bookmarked) I know better than to list the PoD in the query as any sort of real publication, but am wondering whether or not to mention the book at all or just say I am not yet published. Would no writing credits stand out better than saying "I have this PoD novel, and know that was a bad idea" or something similar? It confuses me because I have the book, it's in print, and meager as they were, it had sales. Or, should I just leave the last paragraph off the query letter and see how it stands without it?

Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer questions on AW. I know I am not the only one who is reading all of your replies with great appreciation.

Teresa
 

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Thank you for answering my question, Ms. Diver (and for answering all of our questions).
 

Lucienne Diver

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Multi-genre question from DecemberQuinn

That all depends on the speed with which the author writes and his or her strengths. If an author writes quickly enough to keep momentum going in two different genres and subgenres and does both well, I see no reason why an author should be limited. Several of my authors write in multiple genres, often with different names for some (say erotica vs. romantic suspense or mystery vs. fantasy).

DecemberQuinn said:
Hi Ms. Diver,

Thanks for answering my other question!

How do you feel about writers who like to work in more than one genre/subgenre? Do you advise against it, or do you see it as a bonus?
 

Lucienne Diver

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for engmajor2005

1. It depends on the length of the prologue. If it's just a couple of pages, for example, you should send it along with three chapters. If it's as long as a chapter, which generally prologues aren't, just send the two.

2. You can send a manuscript registered, though I had a case just recently where the post office never returned the signature card to the querier, who then worried that the submission was never received. You can also send a postcard that the agent can return to say that the submission has arrived. Neither is fool-proof. Often I don't open the envelope on a submission (and so would miss the postcard) until I'm actually ready to read it.

3. Response times are generally listed in an agent's guidelines. If there's no website with such information, you can send a self-addressed, stamped envelope along with a request for guidelines and most agencies will mail them to you in the SASE. Once an agent has gone past his or her stated response time, it's fine to make a polite inquery. (Demands for responses will likely just get the material rejected.) If you've sent a SASE and followed the agency's guidelines, you should definitely receive a response one way or the other.

Side note to this: don't ask the agent to call or e-mail you with a response to save yourself the $.39 stamp. It's an extra step for us and even if you're a wonderful, sane individual, that's not true of everyone, so we often will choose not to phone or e-mail, which can invite a dialogue when all we'd intended was a response.

engmajor2005 said:
Ms. Diver,

I have just finished my first query letter and I'm sending it out this month. While I don't want to be too optimistic, I want to be prepared for any responses I might get. So I have a few questions:

1. My novel has a prologue. If I am asked to send the first three chapters, do I send the prologue as well? If I send the prologue, should I send only the first two chapters? I suppose what I'm asking is does the prologue count as a chapter or a seperate entity?

2. Should I send mansucripts registered? I know that sending queries registered is not suggested.

3. Finally, what kind of turn-around time should I expect? I know that following up to queries is not a good idea, but is there a standard wait time that, if I hear no response, I can consider a query rejected? What about manuscripts; will the agent contact me personally if they see the manuscript and decide to reject it?

Thank you for your time.
 

Lucienne Diver

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for Michelle

Fantasy romance.

MDavis said:
Hi Lucienne!

Thank you for all the helpful (and specific!) answers. I have a rather specific question myself.

What do you call a romance set in a "traditional" fantasy world? No elves or goblins per se, but it's definitely not an urban setting.

Fantasy romance? Romantic Fantasy? I don't want to mislead an agent by calling my novel a fantasy when the romance is the primary storyline (within the setting and stakes of a fantasy).

Everything I try winds up sounding like a fairy tale, which is not the case at all.

Thank you again,
Michelle
 

Lucienne Diver

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for HorrorWriter

It seems to me that dark urban fantasy and horror are pretty closely related so you should be able to bring your audience along, though in the current market the former has much broader appeal, so you may loose some of your readers with the switch. As mentioned previously, though, the market is ever changing.

HorrorWriter said:
Hello, Mrs. Diver. Welcome to AW! Do you think it would be difficult for a writer to start off with a dark urban fantasy series, then transition into what is considered horror? Would you represent such a writer? Do you think it's wise to genre-switch? Would it be possible to convert your audience to more frightful subject matter? Thank you for your time and advice!
 
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