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,
V.I. Warshawski meets Lucy and Ethel.
Loving You Deadly is a completed novel of 75,000 words. Through the use of suspense, this novel introduces the reader to the dynamics of a battering relationship, the depth and understanding of women’s friendships, the workings of culture traditions and mores, yet entertains.
Amelia Garcia and Jennifer Reynolds – the salt and salsa team – have been best friends since they were six years old. They bring two cultures and demonstrate how they work together. As best friends, they help Rebecca Kelley to extricate herself from an abusive relationship.
Amelia comes from a big family and is confronted with the expectations of tradition set out for Latinas and the difficulties to break out of the role imposed on her by family and society.
In this book, Jennifer plays society’s role by stating all the usual platitudes on why a woman enters and stays in an abusive relationship. Jennifer also explores grief in the loss of her husband and in her attempts to win her father’s approval.
This is a multi-faceted story as it also illuminates a traditional Mexican wedding.
In 1989, I researched battering for a year before writing this book. With a Bachelors in Psychology, I was able to bring motives alive with accuracy yet instilled with hope. I earned a Master’s in Creative Writing at the University of San Francisco.
This is a multiple submission. The intensity of the issues and the solutions in Loving You Deadly are more about women’s wisdom and friendships in a world of violence. I hope you find this book worthwhile and worthy of your representation.
Sincerely,
Author
STATS:
publishingcareer says
Dear Author
Thank you for expressing your interest in our agency and submitting your query for your novel Loving You Deadly.
I read it with interest but unfortunately it is not what I am looking for.
Best of luck and kind regards.
Yours faithfully
Robert Sullivan AFAD
Melissa says
Form rejection:
Dear Author,
Thank you for your query. Unfortunately it doesn’t meet my needs at this time.
Thank you and best of luck,
Melissa (Ximera)
Nikki Hensley says
Dear Author:
Thank you for your submission. Unfortunately, I don’t think I am the right agent for this novel. Best of luck in your search!
Agent Nikki
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
Agent FaD Jen says
Dear Author,
Thank you for the query. Unfortunately, I am going to have to pass. Good luck,
Agent FaD Jen
Reason: Too much emphasis on what this story is supposed to show or teach and not enough about the plot.
Hildegarde512 says
Thank you for submitting however [If I were a real agent, a GENTLE FORM REJECTION would exist here].
Kendra says
Dear Author,
Thank you for submitting your work. Concidering my current workload, I can only take on projects I feel truly passionate about. While the work shows promise, I didn’t find myself truly drawn to the idea. I have to pass. Good luck in your writing.
Kendra
just this girl says
Dear Author,
Thank you for submitting your query to Be an Agent for a day. Unfortunately I will have to pass on this. I would have been interested if this story was written from the pov of the batterer / victim, possibly without the ‘great friendship’ angle.
Best of luck,
Just this girl
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 seems to be very well conceived, I had some difficulty with your word choice in the query letter, and feel the manuscript may need extensive editing prior to being ready for shopping at publishing houses; however, after a revision of your query letter and/or partial manuscript, please feel free to resubmit to my attention.
Sincerely,
Heather
genkischuldich says
Dear Author,
Thank you for submitting your query to us. However, we regret to inform you that we are unable to accept you as a client at this point in time.
This started somewhat abruptly and continued as a list of qualities these two women have. You may find yourself with a stronger query if you focused on what happens.
Thank you for thinking of us.
“Genki”
Rik says
Thank you for submitting your book – Loving You Deadly – for my consideration. May I say that I enjoyed reading your query. Regrettably, I do not feel that I am able to represent this particular book – a fact that has more to do with pressures on the time and resources at my disposal rather than on the book itself. Best wishes for your future endeavours, both with this book and with future projects. Agent Rik.
Martin Willoughby says
Dear Author
Can you please send a partial MS at your earliest convenience.
Regards,
Dr Jekyll
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. For me, the query is too abstract and academic for a work of ficton. It sounds like the characters might be very interesting, but it would help to find a way to show that in the query. I would have looked at sample pages if they had been included.
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
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
===========================
While the multicultural “salt and salsa” bit sounds intriguing, I don’t see a story here. Is the wedding integral to the narrative? What IS the narrative?
Julie says
Dear Author,
Although I find your premise intriguing, I do not think I would be the best advocate for this book. Best of luck and please feel free to query me with future projects.
Best regards,
FakeAgent
ludwig snarf says
i regret that we cannot help you
PCB says
Dear Author,
Thank you for submitting your query. We are not in a position to represent you at this time, but wish you all the very best in your writing endeavors.
Sincerely,
PCB
donnas says
Thank you for your submission. While I appreciate the story you are trying to tell, I am afraid it is not what I am looking for right now.
Best of luck.
Madhat says
Dear Author:
I’m going to pass.
-Agent
Reasons: I can’t tell if it’s fiction or non-fiction. You say it’s a novel, but your characters sound like stand-ins for issues. And this was written in 1989?
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 and/or work 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 / LOVING YOU DEADLY / AUTHOR. I will respond to your request within two weeks.
Good luck with finding representation and keep on writing!
Kind regards,
Nicole34
2readornot says
I’m afraid this isn’t right for me. Good luck!
Anahita says
Dear Author:
Thanks for sharing your query. Sorry I can’t represent your work. Good luck!
Anahita
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
Diana says
Not sure that the story is brought out very clearly in this story. Though the story is about abuse, the character who is in an abusive relationship is quickly skipped over. There are many ideas mentioned, but would love to see more of the plot and how the friendship between these women propel the plot. Best of luck!
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. You have an interesting premise, but the query seems to be all premise and no plot. How is Ameilia confronted with expectations? How do the two women help Rebecca leave her relationship?
For future queries I would consider including that information. As it is your query does not stand out enough for me to request a partial.
R. Markiam says
Dear Author,
Thank you for your query letter and for thinking of me for representation of LOVING YOU DEADLY. 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
Livia says
Thank you for your query, but it is not a good fit for me. Best wishes.
Livia
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
Sara J. Henry says
Pleasant rejection[Reasons: Just doesn’t excite me, and some awkward phrasing in the query.]
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 “Loving You Deadly”.
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 novel 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
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: story doesn’t grab me. And the query seems to focus on themes and issues rather than plot.]
chris says
Thank you for your query, but your project isn’t right for us at this time. Best of luck in your endeavors.