a touch o' the Irish

[nephele]

Not me, I'm afraid. Not a drop of Irish blood in me. But a happy St. Paddy's to those of you who are. I'm doing my part by having corned beef and cabbage for dinner. It's in the crockpot right now, stinking up the kitchen. But it'll be worth it

Comments

[nephele]

Good questions! It's hard for me to answer that first one because, of course, every agency has its own policy. At The Knight Agency, our submissions guidelines request you query the agency as a whole, and then if more material is requested, it will be passed along to the appropriate agent. Given that, a rejection from one of us is a rejection from TKA as a whole. That doesn't mean you can't query on other material, of course. I think some agencies allow you to submit to other agents within their offices, even if one has turned you down, simply because this business is such a matter of taste. But really, you need to look into their policies on a case-by-case basis

[ex_fashioni]

I'm actually giving a similar talk in a couple of weeks at my local conference, only from the writer's perspective, i.e. What did you do to get your editor's or agent's attention? I think I've boiled it down to a series of "Be's" from which I'll expand during the actual talk. Be prepared (yes, very Boy Scout, I know); Be flexible; Be curious; Be knowledgeable; Be willing; Be confident; Be professional.

And finally-- always be working on your next project.

What it all winds up boiling down to, I think, is that people get so locked into this one idea of how the process is supposed to work for them, that they're completely unwilling to explore other avenues. Where it relates directly to me is if I hadn't been flexible and willing to try different approaches, then I probably wouldn't be seeing my first book in print in a few months.

Just my .02-- :-)

Barb

[nephele]

Excellent points. I think that "be professional" one really can't be stressed enough. Writing is definitely an artistic endeavor, and you put your heart and soul into your work, but publishing is a business and writers need to remember that half of the equation and act accordingly. Professional behavior might be taken for granted, but you can bet that people will notice and remember if you don't act in a professional manner.

[nephele]

Hi, Adele. Thanks for dropping by. Feel free to visit any time. The more, the merrier.

[jasminestorm]

As a writer, my question would be this... What questions do YOU as an agent like to have asked? If a writer has a meeting with an agent at a conference, what are good questions for the author to ask the agent? (Assuming of course, the author has at least done their homework and knows the genre and such that the agent represents...)

Thanks!

[nephele]

Assuming an author is aware of the types of work I represent, I love it when they ask about the author/agent relationship. Every agent has their own style of communicating and working with their clients, and what works for one writer doesn't necessarily work for another. A writer should want an agent who likes their work, but also whose personality and agenting style are compatible with their needs. Writers who realize this and take the time to get a feel for the agent's style have a better chance of having a good working relationship once they do sign on with an agent. I try to stress that the agent-hunting process is not just a desperate search for someone willing to represent your work; you want to click with that person on another level. After all, with any luck, you'll be working together for years to come.

conferences...

[agentobscura]

Not really a question - but I look forward to meeting you (and hopefully sitting in on your workschop) at the Chicago spring fling conference! :)

Re: conferences...

[nephele]

Thanks for dropping by! I look forward to meeting you, too.