In the comments section of yesterday's post, Josephine and I were talking about the types of genres I prefer. Some agents definitely do have very clear genre delineations about what they do and don't represent and you should be aware of these.
Me? Not so much.
I'm open to pretty much anything. This is in large part because in my spare time I read basically anything and everything. This year alone I've read (among other things) WELCOME TO THE WORLD BABY GIRL, THE RELUCTANT FUNDAMENTALIST, GOSSIP GIRL, THE BRIEF WONDROUS LIFE OF OSCAR WAO, THE NOTEBOOK, and I'm about to start TWILIGHT.
So if you're wondering about whether or not your project will be "up my alley" -- try me. It may not be right for me, but I'd much rather err on the side of seeing everything than possibly miss out on something I might have really liked.
There are some things I pretty much basically definitely don't represent. I don't rep picture books, I probably wouldn't take on a middle grade project unless it blew my mind (or came from an existing client), I don't rep genre romance (but I do rep women's fiction and memoir), screenplays, poetry and totally true alien encounters (even if they involve monkeys).
But seriously: when in doubt, just query me. I like queries, and I usually respond within 24 hours.
The blog is going to be on hiatus tomorrow, so there will be no regularly scheduled This Week in Publishing. Have a great weekend!
Thursday, November 1, 2007
When in Doubt: Query Me
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46 comments:
Have a good weekend. I'm ready for mine already.
Question for you: I'm an agented author with a book deal. I've also dabbled in screenwriting. The strike notwithstanding, would it be appropriate to ask my New York-based literary agent (who does not handle screenplays) if he could make me a connection through his subrights associates in Los Angeles? Or is that rude?
Anon-
Curtis Brown has its own film department, but yes -- if your agent doesn't have a film department it's absolutely fair to ask how or if he plans to exploit film rights and whether he thinks there are any opportunities available through subrights associates. There's not a possibility with every book so it's important to keep an open mind, but it's definitely a fair question to ask.
Thanks, Nathan!
i'd be interested in your thoughts on twilight, as i just read it and reviewed it myself. but that's probably not something you can do. nathan, what is the etiquette about querying to agents in the same firm? is that a big no? or do the rules vary?
Cyn-
You can query agents at the same agency, but only one at a time and you should probably wait a couple of months in between.
Oooh, Nathan, thanks for the mention and clarification.
It's great for writers to know there are still some agents with broad tastes, willing to consider a range of possibilities.
I know you loved "The Road" but have you read McCarthy's "Blood Meridian?" If so, did you like it?
Your answer will tell me volumes about your preferences as a reader and an agent.
Enjoy the break from the blog!
Josephine-
BLOOD MERIDIAN is on my "I'm embarassed to admit I haven't read yet" list. I hear it's amazing and can't wait to read it.
So many books, so little time.
thanks, nathan for the tip. and you know everyone and her mom's dog is going to query you now. haha! bring it!
I am now extremely tempted to go write a Christian science fiction YA called MY TOTALLY TRUE ALIEN ENCOUNTER just to see if anyone would bite on the query.
(I tried to fit monkeys into that joke somewhere, but it didn't work. They'll have to go in the hook).
"The blog is going to be on hiatus tomorrow, so there will be no regularly scheduled This Week in Publishing."
PORQUE!?!?!?!?!?!
Now might not be a good time to query. There are a lot of commenters here, and probably ten times as many who read but stay silent. The next mail truck at your door is likely to be bigger than usual.
However, I never decline an invitation, no matter how generic or vague. To be fair, there haven't been many invitations aimed in my direction, but I can safely say I didn't decline either of them.
I need more practice on query letters first, but one day...
Cyn, if Nathan can handle 600+ first paragraphs in three days (was it three days?) I'm sure he can deal with everyone and their mom's dog querying him. Even if the dog only writes in pawprints.
Twilight is a great read and a huge favorite among the teens at my library. Certainly a book I plan to reread or recommend to a book club for that something different.
Also love to pass along good luck to my fellow NaNOists,the National Novel Writing Month, that begins today the 1st Nov. It is a great task of writing 50k or more of a novel in one month.
I have to admit, I am hoping to eventually query you early next year. It's also heartening to see that you're open to (almost) anything.
That said, I now have visions of an avalanche of queries landing on your desk in the next few days. Heh.
Nathan, thanks for clearing this up. And I think you like torturing yourself, daring all of us to query you.
Enjoy your weekend!
I'm very glad to know that when in doubt to query you as I just mailed you one! I hope I beat the avalanche. :-) I'm new to your blog and like it a lot. Thanks for hosting it.
Hi Nathan:
So much about agenting is the connections. Most agents seem to have connections for the select group of genres they rep. Do you rely on Curtis Brown's amazing network to get you an "in" with an editor when you take on a genre you don't handle often? (Say that amazing middle grade novel falls into your hands...) Just wondering if being part of a large agency gives you an advantage over more boutique agencies.
Very, very, cool.
o.k., say I querry and get rejected by you, I have been learning and reading and targeting you for months. you say no thanks, then what? can I querry you again down the road when I have learned to make it a stronger querry?
Nathan, I'm just getting around to "The Thirteenth Tale" (I think you read that in the summer). And I've been eager to get to "Gilead" for a long time. Hopefully, soon.
Annalee, don't forget to put the evil albino in the jellytank talking on his (waterproof?) homeboy phone in your ALIEN book. :-)
you're right--there totally needs to be a homeboy phone.
Umm, what about funny teen romances?
Twilight is a seriously amazing book.
'Nuff said. :)
o.k., say I querry and get rejected by you, I have been learning and reading and targeting you for months. you say no thanks, then what? can I querry you again down the road when I have learned to make it a stronger querry?
The above comment has many errors in punctuation, a spelling mistake ("querry"), grammar issues, and no capitalization.
Don't query anyone until you strengthen your basic English skills. A stronger query won't help you if the person reading it can tell you don't know how to use commas correctly. You'll never be considered publishable until you're competently literate.
And to answer your question based on what I've read on other agent's sites, no, you can't query an agent a second time for the same project. The agent doesn't care if your query letter is better now; they said no to your book.
Does the Curtis Brown film department read original screenplays or do they only develop adaptations from existing literary works?
Enquiring Minds Need to Know "Hills" scandal a-brewin'!
Other Lisa: Somebody should call Nathan on his homeboy phone and give him a heads up on what Team Heidi is plotting. :-)
I had to go wayyyy back in the archives here to figure out that "homeboy phone" reference!
I met an agent recently at a Writer's Conference. She said that she likes it when authors compare themselves to another writer, so she can get a quick idea of what to expect.
I have a thriller ready to submit, but am I being too egotistical to compare my work to Cussler or someone else?
Hi Nathan,
My question is about professional editing! I am currently developing a historical fiction novel, and being a first-timer and with no professional background in writing, I am a bit unsure of my writing skills, and whether my novel can past any literary agent's standards! I can assure you that the plot is fantastic and unique, extremely well-researched and is of the same genre as the Da Vinci Code. Will an agent be willing to represent this 'unpolished novel' by a newbie,just on the strength of it's amazing plot and well-documented research? You see,I do not have money to pay for professional editors! Thanks in advance for answering my query!
Hi Nathan,
My question is about professional editing! I am currently developing a historical fiction novel, and being a first-timer and with no professional background in writing, I am a bit unsure of my writing skills, and whether my novel can past any literary agent's standards! I can assure you that the plot is fantastic and unique, extremely well-researched and is of the same genre as the Da Vinci Code. Will an agent be willing to represent this 'unpolished novel' just on the strength of it's amazing plot and well-documented research? I do not have money to pay for professional editors! Thanks in advance for answering my query!
Dear Mr. Bransford:
Thank you for your blog; I find it very useful. My question is about the memoir genre. After a 2-year search, in February 2007 I finally landed literary representation with a very good agent at a reputable NY agency. For over six months my agent worked with me on revisions to my (memoir) manuscript, then began submitting to top houses (S&S, RandomHouse, Doubleday, etc) in late summer. Of the 40+ rejections we've received thus far, almost all the editors have written highly favorable comments, ranging from "riveting," to "needs to be published," "an important book," "I couldn't put it down," and "I'm sure another house will pick this up"--yet no one has made an offer. Some editors have said it might be "too dark" for their house, or else they say it's just not a good fit. My agent seems to think we've had no actual offers because the tides have turned on the memoir market, due to the (still too) recent James Frey controversy. Editors are still scared to take a chance on a new memoir, my agent says. My main concern is that my agent is now saying we may need to back off submitting for up to 6 months or longer, until the tides turn again; and while I trust him--both professionally and creatively--I'm unsure if I should go with this advice, or search for another agent who would instead continue fighting to sell the manuscript. Would you have any thoughts about my situation, or even the memoir market in general? Thank you very much.
anon-
It's tough to draw conclusions about trends in publishing, and I'm not yet sure where things are coming down on the edgy memoir post-Frey. But the fact that your agent has submitted to 40+ places shows a great deal of commitment to you and the manuscript, and the fact that he is suggesting a pause before going at it again (or thinking of a new direction) also shows a great deal of commitment. If you're comfortable working this agent, I'd trust that he's doing right by you, and in the meantime, use the time to take a fresh look at the memoir and see if there are things you can do to improve it. Good luck!
I love this blog. I really do. And that's saying a lot because six months ago I didn't know what a blog was. Now I have a blog - I'm reading blogs - I'm leaving comments on blogs. Just goes to show that old broads need blogs, too.
Now, I just need to work up the nerve to query you. Where's a jell-o shot when you need one?
Hi Nathan,
I'm in an intercontinental novel pitching quandary...
I'm an American living in Australia. I have written two novels set in the US, but, as I live here, have been pitching them here, to a very Australia-centric industry. There have been some nibbles: both books commended by judges in a national literary competition, a big publisher vaguely interested, an agent currently reading the full manuscript... But it has been slow going. Thus far the buck keeps stopping with someone who just isn't quite into the project(s). (While I'm aware this is typical of most authors' efforts to find a home for their books, sometimes I wonder if I'm making the whole process harder than it should be.)
An upcoming trip to San Francisco, and a burgeoning desire to move back home has me thinking I should be pitching a bit closer to the land my characters inhabit, despite the fact that I've heard you should pitch where you live.
I'm curious to hear your thoughts.
kirsten-
One thing I've noticed about fiction written by authors in other countries is that even when the novels are set in the US they're almost always written with the sensibility of the author's home country. It's a nebulous thing, but it's really the sensibility of the novel, more than the setting, that determines where the book is likely to succeed. What may work for readers in, say, South Africa, may not necessarily work for readers in the US, even if it's set here.
There are some books that are universal, but that is extremely difficult to do, and there are surprisingly few that are equally popular across the globe.
With all that said, it sounds like you're doing fine in Australia, but I don't see the harm in querying agents in the US if you think your work will resonate here.
Thanks for getting back to me, Nathan,
You make some good points. I definitely agree that sensibility is the key.
I like to think my stories have some degree of universal appeal, but I won't know until the votes are counted.
And I am doing OK here, but still I grumble...
There is a strong push here for Australian stories, from home-grown Aussie authors... I feel these are the new authors they're going to take a punt on.
So I do feel like I'm in kind of a professional no man's land: US agents will wonder why I'm querying them all the way from Australia, and Australian agents will wonder why an American author is querying them with an American book.
Thanks again, Nathan. I have yet another burning question. (Although my first really was more of a quandary than a question. But at least it wasn't a rhetorical question.)
My second novel is being considered by an agent that claims it will take about three months to get back with a yay or nay. They have a strict 'no simultaneous queries' rule.
How seriously do I take this rule? Do I really have to wait three months to try anyone else, or should I be getting myself out there? Most people give me the you-poor-sap eye roll of pity when I earnestly inform them of the rule...
Is Nathan dead?
Nathan:
I'm sorry if this question has been answered already, but I'm wondering what procedure you're normally following when, on behalf of a client, you're sending an inquiry to a potential publisher?
Nathan:
Sorry if this is a repeat, more or less, but hindsight has taught me much about my e-naivete and the subsequent need to be thorough.
Diaz is monkey-wrenchingly splendid in his new book. But speaking of Diaz, sort of, I have a big Q about publishing short story collections. Are they an aleatory black hole of interest?
Tough stuff finding agents who are interested. So do I shop it as a novel, or...this is where you come in (I hope). I am finally ready to agentize (oooh-I just mixed my distaste for verbifying a noun (and again) with a pseudo-appropriate opportunity to do so), and I write short stories, novels, and poetry. My collection is finished and polished, and I have two strong novel starts that I cannot wait to get going once something is supposedly happening with the collection.
Your thoughts, sir?
Much Appreciated In Advance (MAIA-the cleverest of goddesses),
palereiter
Hi Nathan:
I quickly realized I was not correctly clear in my previous post. What I meant to ask was whether one shops a collection of short stories as one would shop a novel. So, er, does one?
palereiter
palereiter-
Yes, pretty much.
Hello Nathan,
I know it's Friday, and you may or may not feel up to even going online. I wanted to get your advice on something. I wrote a book and it is in it's finality stages of publishing. The thing is, I never expected not only friends & family, but complete strangers wanting to reserve copies of the book. Problem is this is overwhelming since I'm a first time writer and I'm going to need some help since I've self published. I don't know whether to seek an agent or what. could you please give me advice?
lynn
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