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:
I am seeking representation for my 70,000-word college memoir, Driving Toward The Edge.
Brief Summary:
Driving is the story of a team of engineering students who spent our college careers staying up late and skipping class so that we could spend all our time designing, building and driving racecars. The story starts at the beginning of the school year and follows me, the Chief Engineer, through the difficulties of staying on schedule, overcoming unexpected challenges and managing obstinate team members.
The team designs and builds a racecar to compete in the international intercollegiate Formula SAE competition against engineering schools from around the world. As the year progresses and the team members approach graduation, we become forced to reconcile our passion and drive to win with the realities of our mediocre Grade Point Averages, deteriorating friendships, and the cost of our obsession with racing. Once at the races, the difficulties only amplify. However, absent the distractions of school and work, the team comes together and drives to the top of the points.
Our University had never been a top level competitor in this sport. Formula SAE had always been dominated by preeminent engineering schools such as Cornell and Texas A&M. In our Senior year, we managed to move into the number one spot by an almost unprecedented lead during the competition, only to drop out due to a spectacular engine failure a few laps from the end of the final event.
Audience:
The book would appeal to the thousands of current Formula SAE students and the many more alumni, as well as engineers and fans of auto racing.
Me:
I am a Racecar Engineer and part time writer. I actively participate in the Formula SAE events every year and in other local and national auto racing events. I have a monthly column in Racecar Engineering Magazine.
The book is complete. If I have not heard from you in four weeks, I will assume you are not interested. Thank you for your time.
Author
STATS: 7% request rate
vicariousrising says
Thank you for your submission. I regret that I don’t feel this project isn’t right for me.
I wish you the best in your writing endeavors.
Kendra says
Dear Author,
Thank you for submitting your work. Unfortunately, this is not a project I feel I can sucessfully represent. Good luck in your writing.
Kendra
Eric M says
4/17/09
Dear Author,
I would be interested in reading your story DRIVING TOWWARD THE EDGE.
Please send the complete manuscript to me at:
AGENT
ADDRESS
We will review your manuscript and let you know if it fits our needs.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Eric Maier
AGENT
COMPANY
PHONE
Agent FaD Jen says
Dear Author,
Thank you for the query. Unfortunately, I am going to have to pass. Good luck,
Agent FaD Jen
Comments: The premise does sound interesting. The story may have potential. Perhaps tighten the query a bit. Also, maybe don’t have the line telling the ending. Wondering whether or not the team wins could be a draw for requesting pages. (Though you’d have to have it for a synopsis.)
Hildegarde512 says
Thank you for submitting however [If I were a real agent, a GENTLE FORM REJECTION would exist here].
Jada says
Dear Author,
Thank you for considering me for your query. Please email me the first three chapters of DRIVING TOWARD THE EDGE.
Regards,
Agent for a Day.
Heather says
Dear Author,
Thank you for considering our agency for DRIVING TOWARD THE EDGE. Please send the first 100 pages of your manuscript as a PDF attachment via email to my attention.
Best Wishes,
Heather
The Spidermonkey says
Thank you for your query, which I have considered carefully. I’m sorry to say I can’t represent you at this time.
I’m sure it was a great experience for you but I don’t think it would be of enough interest to others to be viable.
This is a subjective opinion of course, and others may see it differently. Good luck!
Anonymous says
Dear Author,
Thank you for considering me. Unfortunately I have to pass. Reason for rejection – personal taste.
Best of Luck!
Agent X-9
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. While the story may be interesting, I am concerned that the potential audience would be too limited.
Rik says
Thank you for submitting your book – Driving Toward The Edge – for my consideration. Regrettably, I do not feel that I am able to represent this work for you. Best wishes for your future endeavours. Agent Rik.
Martin Willoughby says
(form rejection)
GuyStewart/DISCOVERCHURCH says
Dear Author:
Thank you for your query, but I’m going to have to pass. I do not feel strongly enough about your story to represent it well.
Sincerely, Guy Stewart
SuzieQ Agent4U says
Dear Author,
Thank you for your query. Unfortunately, I do not feel your book is right for me. Good luck with your search.
Best,
S
Julie says
Dear Author,
I am very intrigued. Please send your full manuscript at your earliest convenience.
Best regards,
FakeAgent
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
==========================
Not a bad idea, but I don’t see a lot of interest for it. Now if they were only cutting class to, I don’t know, play blackjack or something…
Madhat says
Dear Author:
I was on the fence about it, but I’m going to have to pass.
-Agent
Reasons: It’s entirely subjective on this one. As an Indianapolis resident, I hear a lot about race cars… and ignore it all. That means I’m not passionate about the subject and wouldn’t be a good advocate for your work.
Dawn says
Dear Author,
Thank you for contacting Dawn Ink. Unfortunately, Driving Toward The Edge is not what we’re looking for right now.
Best of luck in finding representation.
Sincerely,
Dawn
ludwig snarf says
i’m sorry–we cannot help you
Anonymous says
Dear Author,
Thank you for taking the time to submit your query to me.
I think your work shows promise. 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 / DRIVING TOWARD THE EDGE / YOUR NAME.
I will respond to your request within two weeks.
Good luck with finding representation and keep on writing!
Kind regards,
Nicole34
2readornot says
Although this is an interesting topic, I’m afraid I don’t represent this genre.
Anahita says
Dear Author:
Thanks for sharing your query. Sorry I can’t represent your work. Good luck!
Anahita
PS I am an engineer and I like your work. Would read it if published.
Sara J. Henry says
Gently encouraging rejection[Reasons: Sounds like a tough sell, and the writing doesn’t excite me. Sounds like it could be a promising screenplay]
Diana says
Not sure I liked the format of the query, though it is trying something new. Watch out for point of view in the query. Another thing that threw me off was the drama of racing versus the drama of college minutiae–they seem to get the same level of attention/passion in the query
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,
After reading your query, I would like to request that you e-mail me the first 30 pages of your manuscript.
My usual response time on partials is three to four weeks. If you have not heard from me in that time, feel free to e-mail me.
Sincerely
Saint Fool
I’m intrigued enough by the idea to request a partial even though the query has some flawas. Auto racing is still really populat (for reasons that escape me.)
Enusan says
Thank you for your query. Unfortunately I will be passing on it, as the book sounds very niche and does not seem to have any elements that would appeal to the general reading public.
R. Markiam says
Dear Author,
Thank you for your query letter and for thinking of me for representation of Driving Toward the Edge. 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
MonkBoy says
Thank you for your query submission, but I’m afraid we’re not interested in your material at this time.
Best of luck,
Placebo Publications
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 “Driving Toward the Edge”.
Unfortunately, given the thousands of queries that I receive annually, I can only request a small percentage of manuscripts for possible representation. While I find the subject matter of your memoir intriguing, it does not meet my editorial needs at this time.
I am grateful for the opportunity to consider your work and wish you much luck in your future endeavors.
Sincerely,
Laura Martone
Livia says
Dear Author,
Sounds interesting. Please send me a copy of your manuscript.
Livia
Linta says
Dear Author
Thank you for your submission. Unfortunately I’m not the right agent for you. Best of luck in finding your novel a home.
Regards
Agent for a day
[reasoning: this story just didn’t interest me.]
chris says
Thank you for your query, but your project isn’t right for us at this time. Best of luck in your endeavors.