What to submit when an agent approaches YOU?

SRBast · Mar 18, 2010

Hello and thank you for your advice.

I recently spoke at a MOTH Storyslam and a very respectable agent approached me, asked me if I was a writer and requested materials from me.

I told him I'm new to writing, taking my first writing class and working on a book about my peculiar life which is what he was most interested in.

Can I submit an informal synopsis of my book and some chapters that I've written or should I hire someone to help me work up a formal proposal? I don't want to appear a veteran writer, yet I don't want to appear that I can't do research and hard work either.

Any advice is so appreciated.

Thank you,

Stephanie

Katrina S. Forest · Mar 18, 2010

I'm going to assume by your description of this agent as "respectable" that you've done your homework here, and you can verify sales this agent has recently made to recognizable publishers.

What specifically did the agent ask for material from? The book about your life? That sounds more like a memoir, which I believe you would write a query for, not a proposal, just as you would write a query for a novel.

Also, like a novel, you need the finished, polished piece in hand before you query. If the agent likes the query and asks for the full manuscript, you want to be able to submit it right away. I'd contact this agent, thank him for his interest, and let him know when you approximate the manuscript will be ready to submit to him. When you do submit, remind him politely who you are and that this is material he asked to see.

I wouldn't hire anyone to write the query for you. Write it yourself, get feedback, revise it yourself. It's not worth the money, and you can't learn how to write a good query by paying someone to write it for you.

If this is a nonfiction book that isn't a memoir, then you can submit a proposal and sample chapters (depending on what the agent's submission policy is), but I would still take the time to learn how to do it yourself and do it properly. Don't pay someone to do what you as an author should be learning/know how to do.

SRBast · Mar 18, 2010

Yes, thanks to this forum and some writer friends, I was able to verify the legitimacy of this agent and his sales.

He knew I was a new writer and working on my memoir for only a couple of months. He said "send me some of your writing." That's it. And that he's looking forward to it.

Thank you for this advice. I'm nowhere near a full manuscript and I have a lot to learn, but have found many sources in just the 24 hours of his inquiry.

Thanks again,
Stephanie

What to submit when an agent approaches YOU?

SRBast

Katrina S. Forest

SRBast