Comments on Nathan Bransford, Author: Submitting to Editors Without an Agent

Just wanted to say thanks to Nathan for such an in...

2009-10-01T04:42:33.733-07:00

Just wanted to say thanks to Nathan for such an insightful, and for me, timely post. The no unsolicited queries at publishers seems to be more the rule than the exception these days. Also, to whoever gave the anonymous advice above, thanks!!! I'll wait to see if I hear something by the one month mark, then e-mail for confirmation. Oh, and the rhetorical question at the end was just me talking myself out of doing something that was "less than smart". Very interesting discussion everyone!

Darin asked: "So, I was recently at a writer&...

2009-09-30T21:29:56.205-07:00

Darin asked: "So, I was recently at a writer's convention, had the great fortune of talking to the chief editor of a major publisher in my genre. I discussed with him the concept of my book and let him look at my query letter. He said it was interesting and something he would like to hear more about, but that he was not accepting unagented manuscripts at this time. He was kind enough to give me a referral to an agent that he felt was appropriate for my manuscript. I submitted to them 3 weeks ago and mentioned the referral, and now the agent's website now says they are temporarily not accepting queries. What do I do at this point? I don't want to contact the agent and irritate them by seeming impatient, but neither do I wish to sit and wait if they aren't planning to get back to me anytime soon because of the temporary suspension of accepting new queries. How long should I wait before contacting the agent by e-mail just to get status? Also, would I be correct in assuming that "no unagented queries" from the editor means what he says? (The second question is more rhetorical...)"

Have you ever received any confirmation that your submission to them was received? If you submitted via email, then email them at the one month mark and just ask for a confirmation. Mention the editor's name again so they can place you.

Meanwhile, you really should be submitting to other agents. Even though you have a referral to this one, the fact that she has suspended queries means she's overloaded. Better to do some googling and see what other agents handle books in your genre. Simultaneous submissions are fine. Just alert the others if you have been offered representation and give them a chance to compete.

Why are you asking a rhetorical question here? Yes, the editor really meant he only wanted your ms to come in through an agent.

I've gotten published without an agent and all...

2009-09-30T13:12:09.591-07:00

I've gotten published without an agent and all I can say is I really wish I'd had an agent to negotiate for me.

WOrd verification: nests

No explanation needed.

Interesting post Nathan. I have been shopping a d...

2009-09-30T10:29:13.305-07:00

Interesting post Nathan. I have been shopping a debut mystery for the last few months and never even thought of approaching smaller presses direct.

While I would have loved to work with an agent, th...

2009-09-30T10:05:42.902-07:00

While I would have loved to work with an agent, the agent I worked with got nowhere so after a year, like Missy M, we parted ways and I approached publishers directly. I sold my manuscript to a small publishing house and am very happy with the results.
With one published novel under my belt I'll likely approach agents again with my second novel. Why? Despite having had a wonderful time with my editor and publisher, I still believe working with an agent is the best way to sustain a successful career as a novelist.

niki- I couldn't tell you - every project is ...

2009-09-30T09:16:14.699-07:00

niki-

I couldn't tell you - every project is different. I certainly don't think agents are shying away from all authors who are aiming for the pb market, but without knowing the specifics I don't know that I would be able to really speculate.

"If you query a lot of editors simultaneously...

2009-09-30T08:47:39.438-07:00

"If you query a lot of editors simultaneously with your agent search you may be inadvertently killing the submission process if you eventually find an agent."

Hi Nathan,

Just wondering if this also applies to "first novel" contests held by publishing houses. If I submit my novel to a contest and it's reviewed, but doesn't place would that discourage editors from considering the manuscript again when I'm agented?

Thank you for your time and for providing this wonderful resource for aspiring authors!

Nathan, I was talking about big publishers. Just ...

2009-09-30T08:47:30.606-07:00

Nathan,

I was talking about big publishers. Just because my first foray into the publishing world was with a small press doesn't mean I want to stay there. Like most authors my goal is to make a name with a big publishing house. I don't want to be a one hit wonder. I see my work as part of the trade market. Those holding my m/s are big pubs. Therefore, I still wonder why I can garner interst there, but not from an agent? Personally, I think it is simply the way the PB market is. Had I been at this stage in my career during the boom of the 90's I think I would have fared well. Why do agents shy away from PB's? According to an editor I just saw at a conference, the PB market is NOT dead. What do you think?

It's easier to find editors at small presses t...

2009-09-30T08:18:52.505-07:00

It's easier to find editors at small presses than an agent because while publishers can make money publishing books for niche audiences, agents can't really make a living off of these types of projects.

The math is pretty daunting. Let's say it takes fifty hours of work on a project to read it, work with the author on revisions, prep submissions, etc. And then that book sells for $1,000 to a small press. That's 50 hours of work for $150 (15% of $1,000), or about three dollars an hour.

Now, maybe an agent will send a project to small presses if they think it's going to help the author's career in the long run. But you can see why agents really tend to focus on projects they can sell to the major publishers.

Linda - thank you!!! :) Right now especially it&...

2009-09-30T08:00:27.006-07:00

Linda - thank you!!! :) Right now especially it's really nice to hear things like that - I appreciate it. :)

You know, reading Niki's post made me wonder about something. Maybe the economy is creating a situation where it's more difficult to find an agent. Agent's are conservative because they are find it hard to anticipate what will sell. On the other hand, if an editor knows what he wants, like a PB, then he'll take a look at direct submissions. I don't know if that makes sense. I have heard that PBs are the hardest thing to sell, so agents are probably very reluctant to take them on. This is all just a guess, of course....

Nathan, I have been a subscriber to your blog for ...

2009-09-30T07:27:59.334-07:00

Nathan, I have been a subscriber to your blog for many months now, and this particular article caught my eye. It was intersting to see your take on it. I am primarily a PB writer. I have one published with a small press and have some magazine credits under my belt. I have been searching for an agent for my newest creation for months. There are not a lot of agents who are willing to take on PB's right now and of those I submitted to, I'm not getting any bites. Just lots of form letters. Yet, it has been my experience that most editors respond kindly to my queries. This has opened numerous doors for me and although I haven't received another contract yet, I have begun a relationship in places that might otherwise be closed to me. As of today, 3 different PB's have passed the slush and are under consideration at different houses. I often wonder why I am garnering more interest from the editors than agents? Any thoughts?

Great post! One more thing for writers without ...

2009-09-30T07:21:56.243-07:00

Great post!

One more thing for writers without an agent to keep in mind - if they get an offer, it might be worth it to hire a literary lawyer to look over the contract and make sure everything looks good.

I sold my first book to a publisher while I was be...

2009-09-30T07:20:43.384-07:00

I sold my first book to a publisher while I was between agents and I would definitely agree that you need a professional (either a lawyer or an agent) to help with the contractual process. That is not something a writer should try to figure out on their own.

Mira, please stay away from the tall buildings, I&...

2009-09-30T07:03:03.486-07:00

Mira, please stay away from the tall buildings, I'd miss your comments! You will get in that grad school groove, I guarantee. Super good luck with that!

My goal is 80-100 agents before I move on to the n...

2009-09-30T06:34:28.173-07:00

My goal is 80-100 agents before I move on to the next thing, and yes, I think I picked that expectation up from Miss Snark. (Sigh -- how I miss her!) This is a good reminder that "the next thing" may be pitching an editor directly (though I've already been playing with the small press idea).

Thanks for this really interesting post, Nathan. T...

2009-09-29T20:20:46.150-07:00

Thanks for this really interesting post, Nathan.
Through an email query (well, just a 'can I submit directly to you?') I got the go-ahead to snail mail a proposal to Pan McMillan here in Australia. But they want so much information other than just the synopsis and chapters that I've not got around to doing it yet. I like writng, but not working out marketing info and writing resumes, etc.

Thanks for getting back D.G. I see what you'...

2009-09-29T20:05:51.968-07:00

Thanks for getting back D.G.

I see what you're saying, but I respectfully, don't agree. Status is not necesarily bound up in money. It means position, rank, prestige.

Some people buy status with money, but money and status are separate. Yes, we all need to pay the bills and provide for our families. That's different from status seeking.

Maybe I should have said, some of us want to make a living at writing. Not all of us want prestige. Some of us want to simply provide for ourselves and our families, the best way we know how.

J.J. - I hope that doesn't happen to you, too!...

2009-09-29T19:58:03.394-07:00

J.J. - I hope that doesn't happen to you, too! But people talk about luck in getting published - I think that may be true to some extent - but persistance makes a huge difference too.

I wish I could join in your contest! I hope other people do - that is very cool of you. But I'm in my first week of grad school, and I'm having (what I'm told is) the normal and ordinary complete and utter freak-out. I need all my energy to either not a. jump off a tall building; b. jump off a short building; or c. sue the school for not accomodating my preferred cultural choice of jumping off a medium-sized building. See? Don't I sound like a Social Worker already?

Anyway, good luck with the contest! And don't give up until you hit 140. Not if you think it's good. William Saroyan had 6000 rejections letters - I think he holds the record.

So, I was recently at a writer's convention, h...

2009-09-29T19:26:18.740-07:00

So, I was recently at a writer's convention, had the great fortune of talking to the chief editor of a major publisher in my genre. I discussed with him the concept of my book and let him look at my query letter. He said it was interesting and something he would like to hear more about, but that he was not accepting unagented manuscripts at this time. He was kind enough to give me a referral to an agent that he felt was appropriate for my manuscript. I submitted to them 3 weeks ago and mentioned the referral, and now the agent's website now says they are temporarily not accepting queries. What do I do at this point? I don't want to contact the agent and irritate them by seeming impatient, but neither do I wish to sit and wait if they aren't planning to get back to me anytime soon because of the temporary suspension of accepting new queries. How long should I wait before contacting the agent by e-mail just to get status? Also, would I be correct in assuming that "no unagented queries" from the editor means what he says? (The second question is more rhetorical...)

Nathan - thanks for answering Ink's story coll...

2009-09-29T19:19:00.949-07:00

Nathan - thanks for answering Ink's story collect question; I've been wondering the same thing.

I agree with Kristi in being a big believer in the...

2009-09-29T19:18:02.002-07:00

I agree with Kristi in being a big believer in the power of an agent. Right now I don't have any desire to submit directly to an editor (although none of my manuscripts fall under Nathan's guidelines either). However, I might change my mind if my current MS is shot down by 100 agents!

Mira - hope schools going great for you. How do you find the time to blog??? I'm so jealous.

2009-09-29T19:15:54.164-07:00

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Mira... I forgot! I'd love it if you'd sto...

2009-09-29T18:59:44.454-07:00

Mira... I forgot! I'd love it if you'd stop by and enter my little contest. Laura needs someone to give her a "run for her money"...

Mira, I'd need some chicken soup too after al...

2009-09-29T18:58:16.112-07:00

Mira,

I'd need some chicken soup too after all that! I'd heard the comment before. I'm just saying there's no way I could deal with that much rejection and still want to continue. I'm sure there's many people who have gone through that. I'm just hoping I won't be one of them.

Terry said... "D.G.Hudson, I read that Donal...

2009-09-29T17:43:01.051-07:00

Terry said...
"D.G.Hudson, I read that Donald Maass observation recently online and I think he missed a third category. Those who write for money and don't care about status and all the problems associated with it. They may still love storytelling though."

Terry, that category would cover a lot of people. I don't think D. Maass was necessarily associating the status seekers with money, but in how and why they write.

Don't most writers want to make money? IMO, the storyteller wants to know that others like what they write, but they, like the status seekers, have to eat and pay rent.