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 hard-driving VP at OmniGlobe Entertainment comes up with a bold strategy to form the most lucrative band in the world—a children’s band. For rock and roll talent scout Chandra West, that means auditioning hopefuls for the reality show “Children’s Superstar,” and promising to revive her childhood idol’s career after the VP muscles him out. But first she has to manage the new band, whose handsome lead singer is surprisingly talented. Unfortunately, one of his talents is rebellion.
From L.A. boardrooms to Asia and ValueVille, Missouri, THE KNOCK-OFFS (commercial fiction, 103,000 words) is a satiric riff on children’s music, greedy corporations, and the challenge of earning a living without selling your soul.
When I was a journalist, my work appeared over 200 times in newspapers and magazines such as Portland Monthly and Forbes ASAP. I’m also the co-author of an academic book, Super-Patriots in America: A Century of Growing Influence (Hollowbrook Press, 1995).
Thanks for considering this project, and I look forward to hearing from you.
Author
STATS: 24% request rate
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)
Mira says
Dear Author,
I’d like to request a partial. I think your manuscript sounds highly marketable and very current.
It’s interesting that people see this as YA. I see this as much more of an adult edgy romance sort of book. Roman a clef? Is that the term? Shades of that, too.
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.
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: I thought the story premise sounded intriguing overall, but the query itself had problems. The first line about the hard driving VP felt unnecessary. It’s not the main character and just felt out of place. As well, I’m not sure what the book is about. At first, I thought it was about the main character seeking the talent for the show, but then she’s dealing with the talented rebellious kid. Other than his rebellion and wanting to help her idol’s career, there really is no sense of the conflict.
Eric M says
4/17/09
Dear Author,
I would be interested in reading your story THE KNOCK-OFFS.
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
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. Unfortunately, this is not a project I feel I can sucessfully represent. 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. Although I think this could make an interesting story, I don’t get any feeling for the characters from your query, and the synopsis is a little unclear. Also, the sentence ‘when i was a journalist…’ puts me off.
Best of luck,
Just this girl
Hallie says
Dear Author #6,
Thank you for your query. I’d like to request a copy of your manuscript (and submission instructions go here). It usually takes me about a month from the time I receive the file to read and consider manuscripts and reply. Thank you again!
Warm regards,
Hallie
Heather says
Dear Author,
Thank you for considering our agency for THE KNOCK-OFFS. I would like to request the first 100 pages of your manuscript to be sent as a PDF attachment via email.
Best Wishes,
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.
Your novel sounds fun, although I was initially thrown off by the reference to a children’s band and immediately thought of a band comprised of children, until you mentioned the lead singer being handsome.
Thank you for thinking of us.
“Genki”
Rik says
Thank you for submitting your book – The Knock-Offs – 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
Dear Author,
Please forward a partial MS at your earliest convenience.
Regards,
Mr Hyde
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. I’m intrigued, but the query was not specific enough on plot points. Sample pages would have allowed me to make a more informed decision.
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
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
KareFree Kennels says
Sorry, not for me.
Best of luck,
Sheryl
ludwig snarf says
i’m sorry, but i 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, but I do not believe this is the right story for me.
Best of luck.
Madhat says
Dear Author:
I’m going to have to pass.
-Agent
Why: You say it’s a “satiric riff,” but I didn’t pick up the satire. I’m a published writer of satires and love them, so I’d want to request one if it worked for me– but this doesn’t.
Dawn says
Dear Author,
Thank you for contacting Dawn Ink.
Unfortunately, THE KNOCK-OFFS is not what we’re looking for right now.
Best of luck in finding representation.
Sincerely,
Dawn
Owl Sprite says
Dear Author,
Thank you so much for sending me your query for “The Knock-offs.” It was a finalist in my choices for this contest, but I have decided to pass this time.
Best wishes in your search for representation,
Owl Sprite
GuyStewart/DISCOVERCHURCH says
Dear Author,
Thank you for your query. Notes like this are the hardest for me to write because while you came close, I can ultimately only represent those manuscripts I feel passionately about. Thank you for thinking of me. Good luck in placing this elsewhere.
Sincerely, Guy Stewart
Anonymous says
Dear Author,
Thank you for taking the time to submit your query to me.
I found your premise in combination with your experience as a journalist quite interesting.
At this moment in time, however, I choose to pass on your project. This does not automatically mean your query is not 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 / THE KNOCK-OFFS / 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
I’m sorry, but this doesn’t resonate with me. Good luck!
Anahita says
Dear Author:
Thanks for sharing your query. Sorry I can’t represent your work. Good luck!
Anahita
kathy says
Dear Author,
Your query is interesting. Please send the first 50 pages.
Thanks,
Kathy
Kathy says
Thank you for your query. I’m going to have to pass on this project.
Best of luck to you.
Sincerely,
Kathy
Diana says
Great premise, would have liked a longer query with more details on the other characters.
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
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
R. Markiam says
Dear Author,
I am glad you sent your query for THE KNOCK-OFFS to me and look forward to working with you further. Please send the complete manuscript for my review.
Talk to you soon,
R. Markiam
Enusan says
Thank you for you query. Your writing is interesting, as is your premise, but I’m not sure that there is a market for books of this sort that have such a large wordcount. If I were less restricted by time I would request a partial anyway, but as it is I’ll have to pass.
Livia says
Thank you for your query, but it is not a good fit for me. Best wishes.
Livia
MonkBoy says
I believe this has some potential. Please send me your manuscript for further review.
Sincerely,
Placebo Publications
Sara J. Henry says
Vaguely encouraging rejection[Reasons: You lost me at “satiric riff on children’s music, greedy corporations, and the challenge of earning a living without selling your soul” – up until then, I was intrigued.]
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 “The Knock-Offs”.
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
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: not enough plot detail. I was confused about the childhood idol and if “the new band” = “children’s band,” because “handsome lead singer” would be disturbing.
What I see of the premise is interesting, and I’d read sample pages if they were attached.)
chris says
Thank you for your query, but your project isn’t right for us at this time. Best of luck in your endeavors.