Yesterday, two opposite things happened:
(1) I got a scathing e-mail response to the personal advice I generously (and unnecessarily) offered in a rejection letter.
(2) I got a fabulous thank-you e-mail as a result of my comment added to their rejection letter. I LOVE THESE!
Who do you think I’m more inclined to consider working with in the future?
There are other similar examples:
Some writers get mad if I respond to quickly:
❓ a complaint that I was to quick to reject their project and likely hadn’t fully read it. (I had!)
Others get mad if I take too long to reply:
❓ a complaint that I hadn’t read the author’s 12,000+word unsolicited manuscript on a subject that I don’t represent—within 24 hrs of receiving it.
Others expect a few words of feedback to help improve their submissions yet resent the most tactful suggestions.
Understandably, these sorts of thing results in the form-type bland rejection letters–which I loathe!
What should an author or writer who wants representation do (and don’t do!)?
DO’s
• Look up an agent directory: here’s a couple to start you off – CAD/US/UK
https://lnkd.in/g9a_jTyM https://lnkd.in/gJQszzRZ https://lnkd.in/gF-C-TgM
• Approach them the way the listing indicates – DO NOT DEVIATE! – even it you feel your book has the “IT” factor
• Write a one-page email/letter, telling the agent something about your book and something about you as the author of this book.
• Have appropriate expectations, We get a hell of a lot of submissions – daily. It takes time to read.
• Stay open-minded to feedback.
IMPORTANT
Submitting to the wrong agent can lead to long waits with no payoff, delaying your book’s potential publication. Timing is everything. And a mismatched agent could stall your career, lacking the expertise or connections needed to navigate your genre.
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