This query is part of the Be an Agent for a Day contest. Rules and Regulations here
Please post your rejection or manuscript request in the comment section!
Dear Agent for a Day:
A dead fortune teller. A skeptical private eye. An ancient Japanese curse. The fear is real, but the terror is all in your mind…
INUGAMI is a psychological murder mystery that reads like a supernatural thriller. Set in contemporary San Francisco, a Japanese psychic foresees her own brutal death and asks P.I. Greg Padgett for help. But after she tells him the killer is an “inugami” — a person who is possessed by an evil animal spirit — Padgett turns down the case, thinking the old woman is crazy.
That same night, the fortune teller is found mauled to death by a savage beast of unknown origin. Then Padgett receives a cryptic email she sent moments before she was attacked, warning that he will be the inugami’s next victim! So now the P.I. must find a creature he doesn’t believe exists, and stop it before it can fulfill her prophecy.
As Padgett delves deeper into the Japantown subculture, the former undercover narc begins to suspect her drug-addicted son is the real killer. But the P.I. may have addiction problems himself that cloud his judgment, and could be responsible for his mounting paranoia. When the son turns the tables by placing the inugami curse on Padgett, the ultimate question is whether the nonbeliever can resist the power of suggestion.
About myself: I’m a former journalist and columnist for a daily newspaper. My feature screenplays have won or placed in many contests, including the Nicholl Fellowships, which is sponsored by the Academy Foundation (the Oscar folks). Two of my scripts have been optioned by established Hollywood writers/producers, but have not yet been produced.
If you would like to read INUGAMI or sample chapters, I’d be happy to email you a pdf file or snail mail you a hard copy. Thanks for your time and consideration!
Best regards,
Author
STATS: 43% request rate
Vic K says
Dear Author,
Thank you for submitting Inugami to my agency. I’m intrigued by the premise and I’d like to see the first fifty pages.
Regards,
Vic K.
Reason; I felt I could sell this and the concept appealed to me.
Heather says
Dear Author,
Thank you very much for taking the time to query our agency. I have given your project thoughtful consideration; unfortunately, it is not a good fit for us at this time because, although the project is well conceived and well written and another agent might be able to sell it, I do not believe that I would be the best agent to make this sale.
Sincerely,
Heather
Anonymous says
Dear Author,
Thank you for considering me. Please send the first three chapters.
Sincerely,
Agent X-9
Rik says
Thank you for submitting your book – Inugami – for my consideration.
May I say that I enjoyed reading your query, and would be very interested in seeing the first five chapters. If you are still interested in my services, then please send the partial to [email address] as a [preferred format] document or, if you prefer, send the pages to me at [postal address].
Please be aware that this email is not an offer of representation. Please also note that given the volume of work, it might take me a while to consider your submission – if you haven’t heard back from me three weeks after sending me the requested text, feel free to send me a reminder at [email address].
I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.
Agent Rik.
Martin Willoughby says
(form rejection)
Kevin W says
Dear Author:
Thank you for the opportunity to represent your work. I am pleased to be contacting you to request the submission of a full manuscript of INUGAMI to consider prior to agreeing to represent you.
Well done, this could be your first step towards becoming a published author.
Kevin W
p.s. I am happy to accept a pdf.
abouttothunder says
Dear Author,
Thank you for the opportunity to represent your work. Unfortunately, it isn’t a good fit for me. Since you deserve an agent who will fully support you project, I will have to pass.
I wish you the best of luck in finding representation.
Sincerely,
Agent-for-a-day Sara
P.S. Basically, I was interested, but the query could be tighter. Sample pages might have made the difference.
StephanieD says
Please send a 3-5 page synopsis and the first three chapters in the body of the reply e-mail.
Julie says
Dear Author,
I am very intrigued. Please send your full manuscript at your earliest convenience.
Best regards,
FakeAgent
Sasha says
Dear Author,
Your novel sounds promising. Please send me the first 50 pages as an email attachment.
Thank you, and I look forward to reading.
Sasha
AndrewDugas says
Dear Author,
Thank you for your query, but I do not believe I would be the best advocate for your novel. I wish you luck in finding representation elsewhere.
Sincerely,
Andy
——————–
Why would he be the next victim? Sounds like a stretch. Tempted to ask for pages, but this didn’t make my top five.
Madhat says
Dear Author:
I was on the fence about this one, but I’m going to have to pass.
-Agent
Why: I’m not sure, on this one. It’s just not grabbing my attention enough.
L.C. Gant says
Dear Author,
Thank you for your submission. Your writing is solid and your story idea shows a great deal of promise. I’d love to see more.
Please send me the first 50 pages of INUGAMI as a Word document attached to an e-mail. I look forward to reading your work
Sincerely,
L.C. Gant (Agent for a Day)
Hilabeans says
Dear Author:
Thank you for your recent submission. Please send me INUGAMI as a .doc, .docx, .rtf, or .pdf attachment immediately.
I look forward to reading your work!
Sincerely,
HHS
hilary@hilaryheskett.com
Dawn says
Dear Author,
Thank you for contacting Dawn Ink. Unfortunately, INUGAMI is not what we’re looking for right now.
Best of luck in finding representation.
Sincerely,
Dawn
Anonymous says
Dear Author,
Thank you for taking the time to submit your query to me.
At this moment in time, however, I choose to pass on your project. This does not automatically mean your query isn’t good enough. It simply means that I am not the right agent for this project. This can be for a number of reasons.
If you would like to know why, you can send a reply to this mail. Please change the subject line to: FEEDBACK / INUGAMI / YOUR NAME. I will respond to your request within two weeks.
Good luck with finding representation and keep on writing!
Kind regards,
Nicole34
Owl Sprite says
Dear Author,
Your query was excellent and came very, very close to being picked by me for the contest. Unfortunately, I have used up all my choices.
Congratulations on a terrific entry, and best wishes in your search for actual representation,
Owl Sprite
SuzieQ Agent4U says
Dear Author,
Please email your manuscript to SUZIEQ@AGENT4U.BIZ. I look forward to reading it.
Best,
S
2readornot says
Although I set your query aside for further consideration, I’m afraid I’m going to have to pass this time. Good luck!
Anahita says
Dear Author:
Thanks for sharing your query. Sorry I can’t represent your work. Good luck!
Anahita
GuyStewart/DISCOVERCHURCH says
Dear Author:
Thank you for your query! Your synopsis intrigues me. Please send the first fifty pages to the following email address attached as a Word document (1983-2003). I look forward to reading the pages!
Sincerely, Guy Stewart
Sara J. Henry says
Rejection[Reason: Just can’t get excited about this one.]
AMM says
Dear Author,
Thank you for submitting INUGAMI for my consideration. I am interested in reading more.
Please send a brief synopsis and the first three chapters for further consideration.
Sincerely,
AMM
Diana says
This sounds great, although the fourth paragraph, where the addiction problems begin, threw me off a bit. Nevertheless, would request this.
That Girl says
Dear Author,
Thank you for your query. Unfortunately, I will have to pass at this time.
Best of luck,
That Agent Girl
Kathy says
Thank you for your query. I’m going to have to pass on this project.
Best of luck to you.
Sincerely,
Kathy
Saint_Fool says
Dear Author:
Thank you for your query. Unfortunately, I do not feel that your story is the right fit for me.
Best of luck.
Saint_Fool
Enusan says
Thank you for your query. This sounds like a great, well written premise. The only reason I am not requesting a partial is because my list is full and I would be unable to devote adequate time to represent it in the way it deserves. I’m sure another agent will pick it up. Good luck!
R. Markiam says
Dear Author,
Thank you for your query letter and for thinking of me for representation of Inugami. While your novel sounds intriguing, I’m sorry to say I won’t be able to pursue it further with you. I wish you all the best in securing other representation.
Regards,
R. Markiam
Anonymous says
Thank you for your submission. I am interested in seeing more of your work, and would like to request further material. Please send me the first three chapters of your novel at your earliest convenience.
Best,
Agent M
Requested: #17, #35, #38, #46
MonkBoy says
I believe this has some potential. Please send me your manuscript for further review.
Sincerely,
Placebo Publications
ludwig snarf says
Snarf City! Please send the first 50 pages.
Livia says
Dear Author,
This sounds interesting. Please send me a copy of your manuscript.
Livia
Jenn S. says
Dear Author,
Thank you for your query. It’s not right for me, but please keep me in mind for future submissions.
Regards,
Jenn S.
(Reason: This was on my short list for a long time. I think it may be marketable, though I wonder how strong the ending will be. But I do not think I’m the right agent for this book; I just don’t connect to mysteries/thrillers and wouldn’t be able to champion this book wholeheartedly. If I knew any other agents who were interested in this type of book, I would refer the author to them in the query letter.)
Laura Martone says
Dear Author:
Thank you for submitting your query for consideration. I appreciate the time, energy, and passion that it required to complete “Inugami”.
I am intrigued by the story outlined in your letter and would like to request the complete manuscript – in order to determine the possibility of representing you and your work. Please adhere to the submission guidelines indicated on my agency website, and please allow me four weeks to consider your manuscript before sending it to other agents.
I look forward to reading your novel soon.
Sincerely,
Laura Martone
chris says
Please send pages attached to this email.
Sincerely,
Lowly Scribe
Linta says
Dear Author
Thank you for your submission. Your story sounds interesting.
Please send a synopsis and the first 30 pages of your manuscript as a Word document.
Regards
Agent for a day