Does Word Get Around? Some Thoughts.

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Phaeal

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281? 150? 290? Are there even that many agents? I ran out after around 50 or 60.

In a hot genre like YA, yeah, there are that many who list it as one of their interests. Or at least they did when I was querying. A few of those were also agents who allowed a requery/resub after substantial revisions.
 
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aus10phile

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In a hot genre like YA, yeah, there are that many who list it as one of their interests. Or at least they did when I was querying. A few of those were also agents who allowed a requery/resub after substantial revisions.

There are also plenty of agencies that let you query multiple agents at the same agency, too, as long as you wait the designated time period.
 

GardeningMomma

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And, fofr that matter, there's no way on earth I'd send the same query to two agents.

Huh?? Why not?

I'm wondering if you mean a query that isn't personalized here?

I've been told by agents that my query letter is "one fantastic pitch" for my latest project. (Which is something considering my query letter for my first book sucked so badly. )

I'm sure to personalize it to the agent, but I see no reason to change the meat of the letter. Could you elaborate on what you meant and why? I'm curious.
 

Hip-Hop-a-potamus

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Huh?? Why not?

I'm wondering if you mean a query that isn't personalized here?

I've been told by agents that my query letter is "one fantastic pitch" for my latest project. (Which is something considering my query letter for my first book sucked so badly. )

I'm sure to personalize it to the agent, but I see no reason to change the meat of the letter. Could you elaborate on what you meant and why? I'm curious.

I treat mine like a resume. I heard years ago, then when applying for a job, you take what the employer states they want in their job ad, then elucidate your skills based on those particular wants, so they line up as closely as possible.

So I try to cater my query letters just that little bit for each agent, "as you have said that you're looking for commercial fiction about alligator porn, I am querying you because my book walks a fine line between crocodile erotica and alligator porn. I am hoping that it will appeal to the hot Everglades BDSM market."

Or something like that.

Disclaimer: No reptiles were harmed in the creation of this post.

:tongue
 

kydelaney

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I love reading about everyone who persisted despite initial rejection and eventually found an agent. Thank you for posting your stats because it's encouraging for us just starting out and reminds us not to take rejection personally.
 

Zenning

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I've read somewhere that you'd change the title of the book and query again. For me, that is worrisome as I can't think of another title for my novel. What do you all think?

Also, question to those who requeried the same agent after initial rejection (be it full or partial rejection). Do you query again with the same project ? Or totally different novel?

I thought words DO get around ... Within an agency. If so, how to query twice at the same agency but different agent? I thought they use the same reader...
 

Hip-Hop-a-potamus

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I've read somewhere that you'd change the title of the book and query again. For me, that is worrisome as I can't think of another title for my novel. What do you all think?

Also, question to those who requeried the same agent after initial rejection (be it full or partial rejection). Do you query again with the same project ? Or totally different novel?

I thought words DO get around ... Within an agency. If so, how to query twice at the same agency but different agent? I thought they use the same reader...

I'd never query an agent with a manuscript they'd already rejected. To me, that stinks of crassness and desperation.

There's a specific person at querytracker who continues to send out the same 2 manuscripts, 2 or 3 times to the same agents, every few months. I don't understand why, when they've said it's a no, she continues to pester them. It seems like a remarkably effective way to torpedo one's career right away. Because I'm sure they remember her name. And not in a good way.

But there's nothing that says you can't query them with a completely different (not renamed) project.
 

Cochinay

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Re-Query

I'd not hesitate to send a query out to the same agency. Most tell us they don't have time, and send form letters. It would seem wrong to presume that they all took a hard look and concluded neither they, nor anyone else in their shop, had any interest. Besides, the turnover is also not exactly scant.
 

Zenning

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There are also plenty of agencies that let you query multiple agents at the same agency, too, as long as you wait the designated time period.

This is the thing. I'd love to query different agent in the same agency after a period of time. But I wondered how their offices are organized, whether each agent works separately from each other, or they work together at least know which authors the other colleague next room is signing with. More then likely, all the agents in an agency work together as a team. So little chance that a rejected novel could be accepted by another agent in the same office? Please tell me if I'm wrong. I found it hard to imagine there are 290 fitting agents out there for me to query, if the fact that querying more than one agent in the same agency is indeed not possible.

Well, I'm beginning to think too much, as I also think that there could be a difference between an outright email rejection and a silence without a verbal rejection. The latter might imply that you can still query us after a certain period of time passed?!

Gosh, I need some sleep..
 

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I'd never query an agent with a manuscript they'd already rejected. To me, that stinks of crassness and desperation.

There's a specific person at querytracker who continues to send out the same 2 manuscripts, 2 or 3 times to the same agents, every few months. I don't understand why, when they've said it's a no, she continues to pester them. It seems like a remarkably effective way to torpedo one's career right away. Because I'm sure they remember her name. And not in a good way.

But there's nothing that says you can't query them with a completely different (not renamed) project.

I agree with all this.

It's fine to requery if you're invited but otherwise, don't do it.

I'd not hesitate to send a query out to the same agency.

If the agency you're requerying doesn't have a "no from one is a no from us all" then you're fine. Otherwise don't do it.

Most tell us they don't have time, and send form letters. It would seem wrong to presume that they all took a hard look and concluded neither they, nor anyone else in their shop, had any interest. Besides, the turnover is also not exactly scant.

No, it wouldn't be wrong to presume that at all.

I know several literary agents personally, and I've seen how they work. They take great care and trouble with sorting through their slush piles, and don't reject work without making sure it's not what they want. It's where their money comes from, so why would they?

It's reasoning like this which has led to the "no response means no" from agencies and agents--and I don't think any of us like that policy, agents included. Why overload already-overflowing slush piles with books which have already been rejected? It's pointless and inconsiderate. Don't do it.

This is the thing. I'd love to query different agent in the same agency after a period of time. But I wondered how their offices are organized, whether each agent works separately from each other, or they work together at least know which authors the other colleague next room is signing with.

All agencies are different.

Some have a central reader who then sends the better queries to agents within the agency who she thinks might be interested. She'll know very precisely what each agent is looking for, and if they're taking on new clients: it's a system which works well. This is the sort of organisation which has a "a no from one is a no from us all" rule.

Some agencies filter unread submissions out to appropriate agents, for them to sort through for themselves.

Some agencies pass a whole week's worth of submissions to one agent, then the next week's worth to the next agent, and so on.

More then likely, all the agents in an agency work together as a team. So little chance that a rejected novel could be accepted by another agent in the same office? Please tell me if I'm wrong.

You're wrong. And you're right!

At some agencies the agents do work together. At others, they don't. But if one agent receives a submission which she decides to pass on but recognises that it might be of interest to one of her colleagues she will pass it on to them.

Well, I'm beginning to think too much, as I also think that there could be a difference between an outright email rejection and a silence without a verbal rejection. The latter might imply that you can still query us after a certain period of time passed?!

There's no difference between an email rejection and a silent rejection: they're both a no.

If the agency's guidelines state that you can requery after a period of time then do that. If they don't, then you can't.
 

aus10phile

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This is the thing. I'd love to query different agent in the same agency after a period of time. But I wondered how their offices are organized, whether each agent works separately from each other, or they work together at least know which authors the other colleague next room is signing with.

There are some agency websites that specifically say DON'T query another agent at the same agency if one passes. A rejection from one is a rejection from the agency.

Other agency websites, like Trident Media Group, specifically say that it's fine to query someone else after XYZ amount of time.

But if the agency doesn't say anything about it on their website, and if my googling, Twitter stalking, blog searching, etc. doesn't turn up anything that suggests querying another agent would be inappropriate, then I go ahead and do it. I figure, if they had a problem with this, they would be clear not to do it in their guidelines.

For one agency, doing this turned into a request for me. One agent had passed on it, but the next requested the ms. In this case, I didn't just fire off the email the second I got the rejection, though. It was at least 6 weeks later, and I had no plans of querying every agent at this agency. There were two in particular I was interested in, so when one passed, I waited awhile, hemming and hawing over whether I should try the other, and then decided to go ahead and do it.

It's fine to requery if you're invited but otherwise, don't do it.

It seems like you should not resubmit unless you are invited to, but what's the harm in requerying, as long as you're not obnoxious about it (doing it every couple months like the person on query tracker)? Alec Shane at Writer's House answered this question on Twitter recently. Here was his response:

Q: Can I resubmit to you if I have revised my MS significantly since you passed on it? A: You can - but ask first. Professional courtesy

Janet Reid recently said basically the same thing on her blog.

But I agree that it would be totally inappropriate to just send the manuscript without first asking if the agent would like to take another look.
 
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Old Hack

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It seems like you should not resubmit unless you are invited to, but what's the harm in requerying, as long as you're not obnoxious about it (doing it every couple months like the person on query tracker)? Alec Shane at Writer's House answered this question on Twitter recently. Here was his response:

Q: Can I resubmit to you if I have revised my MS significantly since you passed on it? A: You can - but ask first. Professional courtesy

Janet Reid recently said basically the same thing on her blog.

It's one thing to query again after revision; it's another thing entirely to keep on querying the same project, which is what I was referring to. The first isn't necessarily a no-no, so long as you've checked an agency's guidelines about it: but don't do the latter. It clogs up the slush piles and is extremely unlikely to get you anywhere except into the "automatic reject" filter.
 

aus10phile

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It's one thing to query again after revision; it's another thing entirely to keep on querying the same project, which is what I was referring to. The first isn't necessarily a no-no, so long as you've checked an agency's guidelines about it: but don't do the latter. It clogs up the slush piles and is extremely unlikely to get you anywhere except into the "automatic reject" filter.

Got it. Thanks!
 
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