Here’s an odd one

[erastes]

– an agent that doesn’t accept unsolicited manuscripts.  Is there such a thing as an agent to get you into agents?  I assume that means that a query letter is still acceptable, what do you think? 

Off to Dad’s soon, so don’t break the net while I’m gone. Spent most of yesterday in bed playing Mafia Wars.  Got up briefly to watch Merlin (very unimpressed with series 2, which hasn’t yet a plot we didn’t see in series 1.) and a bit of Strictly but didn’t see who got booted off. Hope it was Craig. I’ve written next to nothing this week, and that’s sheer laziness.  I think the excellent posts on Meta Writer are making me feel worse, because I’m the one with all this time and I don’t USE it.

And why didn’t someone mention the Penguins from Madagascar had their own show?  Just because I’m 302, doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate children’s shows!

 

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Comments

[alankria.livejournal.com]

That sounds like they're closed to all submissions, perhaps permanently.

[chris-smith-atr.livejournal.com]

Dammit -- why did I write happy 303! :P (I joke)

[storm-grant.livejournal.com]

I ran into two others yesterday. (Sadly, when you search for agencies that take gay and urban fantasy, you get 10, 2 of which are like that one.)

I think it means the only way to get your ms in front of them is if they judge a contest and you win, you pitch them at a conference, you get a friend who is connected with them to intro you. Something like that.

OTOH, I once heard about a publisher who was invitation only, but just wanted a sort of pre-query query--that is request to submit.

I'm disheartened by what I'm finding re agents. Given that you write historical and I write UF, do you want to compare notes?

[vaughn-r-demont.livejournal.com]

Another gay urban fantasy writer? Rock on! :) I wouldn't mind comparing notes if you've got the time.

[storm-grant.livejournal.com]

Happy to.
storm.grant at gmail.com

[copperbeech.livejournal.com]

I've been agent-hunting for about 4 months now, sort of leisurely, for my urban fantasy MS. Everyone seems very picky, theme and content-wise, regarding what they want right now. I wish the vampire thing would just go away.

[storm-grant.livejournal.com]

Are you getting detailed feedback with your rejections? I'd love to know what you've learned. If I have anything to offer back, let me know.

[copperbeech.livejournal.com]

Hi! I have gotten really good feedback. It's perplexing. I get requests for partials and then zip. All of them have said they like it, it's well-written, but they don't think they can sell it. The nonsellable point isn't detailed--the intersex or the overall fantasy backdrop. I'm dismayed and trying not to dwell on it.

I do have a point that I need to hone early in it that I'm not sure how to do without totally giving the whole plot away. That's disconcerting, too.

Thanks for your thoughts, and I hope things are well!

[erastes.livejournal.com]

I've never had any feedback at all - either from a partial or a full - just "not right for us" or something like that.

[beckyblack]

Maybe the agent just has a full client list at the moment. I suppose it's better for them just not to be open to new clients until they have a vacancy, rather than have the admin of dealing with manuscripts when they can't do anything with them right now.

[dubious-virtue.livejournal.com]

Generally, when an agent says he/she's not open to unsolicited queries, it means he/she wants a referral. In other words, your writing buddy who happens to be represented by that agent reads your book and tells the agent about it, and the agent sends you a note saying, "Please submit!"

The referral could also come from another agent who is full up with clients or doesn't rep what you're writing, but likes your book.

On the other hand, if the agent's site says they don't accept unsolicited manuscripts, you may be right -- they'll take a query, just not the whole ms. But to me, that's odd anyway. Who sends a whole ms. to an agent cold? I thought a query was standard practice?

ANYWAY. Thanks for the link to Meta Writer. I hadn't seen it before, and now I have another excellent reason to avoid opening my WIP file. I'm communing with my peers, dammit!

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Oh glad I could introduce you to MW - its a good place - and not all m/m - there are writers from all genres there!

[chris-smith-atr.livejournal.com]

Your peers say HIYA!

[schmoo999.livejournal.com]

The horde love the Penguins show, they have been on for the past year on Nickelodeon. It is pure cracky fun.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

I love The Skipper so much! :)

[vaughn-r-demont.livejournal.com]

Yeah, another way to get solicited is to chat up the agent in person at a convention, and if they say they wouldn't mind looking at your stuff, it's a solicited submission. Hell, that's the whole reason I'm going to DragonCon next year.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Not great if you live on another side of the world, though. *weep* We don't have that kind of convention here, annoyingly.

Good luck!

[vaughn-r-demont.livejournal.com]

Well, it won't be until next year for me. :) I missed the con this year, but I've heard plenty of accounts from authors who found agents and publishers at conventions. You could always look into whether there's historical fiction conventions or something of the like and poke around at them, if only to meet some of the fans and other authors in the genre. If not, well... It'd be a Hell of a lot of work, but you could always see if there's any other local writers/agents/publishers/fans who'd be interested in starting up a convention. No harm in testing the waters for interest, right? :)

[copperbeech.livejournal.com]

That agency's overall tone is sort of off. Indeed. I would ordinarily interpret the no solicited bit as meaning, 'so get yourself solicited.' But the site is bleak and the wording seems to indicate disinterest--the very vibe one seeks in a literary agent...

[lee-rowan.livejournal.com]

An unsolicited manuscript isn't necessarily the same thing as unwilling to look at anything. Have you asked if they'll accept an outline and sample chapter?