Agents comfortable with Wiccan Characters?

I notice there are a lot more overseas than in the US, which makes sense since the popular religious beliefs are a bit more narrow (population per religion-wise) in this country.

(This should make me weary market-wise, but I also confirmed I have a market for this book and it's definitely beyond "niche")

I know there are agents out there open to Wiccan character, because there are books out there with Wiccan characters. When you use the "who reps whom" feature on query tracker, you can *sometimes* find the agent who represented them. However, I've found it's slim pickings.

I'm trying to figure out who would be the best person to query with this.

For what it's worth, I don't follow any religion, this was just the right religion for this character. I've tried using google to find an answer, but have come up blank. I sent out a few queries, and the response has been several agents extremely impressed my writing skill, but not sure about the use of a Wiccan character, hence my wondering... I guess I just didn't think our country was that opposed to Wicca. Funny that my book is about acceptance lol

There was one agent who contacted me, because she saw my writing online, and she was fine with the wiccan MC. She loved the MC, the "commercial writing style", and the idea of the story. But in the end, she wasn't an agent who dealt in fantasy and wasn't sure she would be the best rep for me. She liked my writing enough to ask to see a different project of mine (I write many genres), so I'm trusting she is sincere in everything she's said to me. Problem is, I just wish I could find someone else as open to a Wiccan MC as she was

Anyway, anyone who can help, it'd be appreciated. I'm posting this here because past expereinece tells me agent-savvy authors reply to these posts more than agents, but a reply from anyone who can give me the inside scoop on this issue would be fantastic!

Yeah, I've been researching this for several months now. I keep coming up with the same VERY small handful of representatives. I've avoided those who rep Christian as well. And query tracker has been a great tool. Other than that, I've tried a few other agents but even though they weren't reps for christian, they still didn't feel comfortable with a Wiccan MC (at least not one being portrayed in a good light--maybe I'd have more luck if the story was about her turning into a christian or something, but it's not.)

So I'm feeling a bit stuck here. Thanks for weighing in. I'm with you on avoiding agents on the conservative side, but sometimes it's hard to tell when it comes to this. I know some people who have Christian beliefs aren't very conservative, but still hate anything with "Wicca" in it. Then I know Christians who don't mind at all and totally respect that others have different beliefs. All kinds of people out there, but it's a bit hard when your MC's beliefs potentially clash with an agent's beliefs. It can be one way to really easily turn them off from an idea.

Hi again Amy

It's New Adult. If it was YA, it'd be VERY edgy YA, not to mention my MC isn't a teen, so I'm querying it as New Adult, which is still sort of new but from what I've read the next hottest target audience (age wise). they just started targeting this age group recently, so very few books on the market that are being marketed this way--they used to just be grouped in with the adult books.

The book is currently being considered with a top publisher and I already have a decent sized audience, considering I haven't even been published yet. And no, they aren't my friends hehehe. With the risk of sounding completely antisocial, I don't have many friends. I am friendly, just on the whole, I'm more the type to sit around reading than going out and meeting people, and I've always been that way.

I also didn't think that a Wiccan MC was such a big deal when it came to the market, but it makes sense now that I think about it. It's a big deal in real life, still. (In American, anyway). And the start of my book does have my MC targeted for her beliefs by a church who wants to pray the Wicca out of her and a Christian mother who thinks my MC is doomed. But, my MC is also best friends with another Christian. The book shows the good and bad in people, regardless of their beliefs. I guess I can see why some Christians might not like that idea, but the truth is good people are good people, Christian or not. And same goes for bad people. I'm not going to pretend that's not the case

I'm still just really bummed about that one agent. Her and I got along SO well. And she was interested in me as a writer, not just my project. She loved all my ideas and my writing style. *If only* she felt more comfortable representing fantasy. I think she contacted me because she was okay with it, but when she realized the fantasy built heavier as the story went on, she wasn't sure it would be right for her. The beginning is a bit more paranormal, and then building into Urban Fantasy. She liked my "very commercial writing style" and my characters and my first short chapters until that led up to heavier real-world fantasy (instead of just spooky paranormal stuff).

it just stinks to be THAT close, and then not make it. And then, after that, to not even have anyone willing to consider it again because of a character's religious beliefs. I have to admit it makes me feel hopeless I know they say some people query hundreds of agents before they find the right one.... but there AREN'T hundreds of agents to query! I feel very limited, which means even when I do find someone willing to rep a wiccan character, I have to hope that they ALSO like the same things the other agent liked (writing style, etc).

Oh well.... we all go through this, I know. I was just hoping maybe I could be clued into some agents I wasn't aware of.

You have to pay for Publisher's Market Place, right? I was thinking of checking them out, but I hate the idea that I might pay for it and still not find what I'm looking for.

Medievalist>>I wish you were right. I do. But it's just not what I'm being told. For one, Nora Roberts can publish anything she wants now And I did say IO know there are other books out there with Wiccans in it. (But as an MC? That is definitely more rare, and when it is there, I've noticed half the books are written by authors with no agent and if they do have an agent it's an agent who isn't agenting anymore, or, otherwise, they are already on my list.) I don't know who that first person is that you mentioned, or how he was portraying his Wiccan characters. Mine is portrayed as a good person.

Thanks, Amy. I am going to see if there are any people on that list I haven't rejected. Lynn was one I thought i'd have a good shot with, but she rejected me for a different reason. Like I said, it's just really limiting. This is one factor. You have to nail on other factors as well. As for writing a good book, doesn't mean much if I say I already did that But as I said, I have an agent contact me. As in someone I hadn't even queried. Top agency in the UK. So my writing is not a problem. Nor is my story. She loves my story. She just doesn't think she is the right agent to rep it because she doesn't usually rep fantasy but the start had a more commercial than genre appeal, so she thought she could swing it until she found out that it does go a little deeper into the fantasy elements. So... now I'm at square one. Kind of hard to get that close all over again, and go the last mile. As I said, I know we all go through this. My other book is easier because there are more potential agents to work with, and I have a well-known published author doing a blurb on it to back it up (it's more literary fiction)--but the book I'm querying NOW I feel very limited in options because of this. I know there are worst things in fiction, but I'm sure you are also aware of what the market is like right now and that agents are going for "safe". A book where the "heroine" of the novel has faith in something the majority of the country doesn't approve of makes it a little tougher. I don't think it would be a problem, but I guess I look at it from a non-religious standpoint.

Medievalist said:

You need to read more. Seriously.


Wiccan YA is a LOC Subject heading now.

Click to expand...

It's not YA.

Anyway, thanks for your comments. I DO read a lot. And widely. I can only go on what I'm being told directly from the source. I appreciate you are one of those people who things the ways things were are the way they are now and always will be, but that's just not how it is If you want to answer my concerns in the OP, I appreciate that. Otherwise you are just being nasty to feel better about yourself, and it doesn't paint you in a very good light. Feel free to keep at it, though.

Thanks, Amy. I use query tracker, but I'm going to try as you say with PM. It looked a bit hard to navigate without paying, but I'll try

Is there a filter on P and E for genre? I never can find one lol.

Wow...90 agents you LIKE? That's really awesome. I have found about 90 that rep the genre in total (actually, 87 I think?) but most of them didn't seem like a good fit. Maybe I'm wrong.

Hi Giant....

Admittedly, not to widely. At the risk of sounding nuts, I just have a "thing" for data, so I probably take comments too close to heart. I make notes and look for patterns, and because of my... problem.... I tend to say emerging patterns really easily. I can't help it But I figured before I try querying any more, I should look into it more (and I've already spent several months looking into it. It was that one agent who even gave me the confidence to start querying. She really believed in me. I had a moment there where I was thinking if there was a possible way I could make the book less fantasy and more paranormal-only because she would have taken it then and I just like working with her. She was NICE, and I really wanted someone to work WITH...someone who I could connect with. I'm sure there are other agents out there just as great, but I get weary with all the industry snark that goes on among writers and agents. That's really not me. i just want to write good books and bring them to my readers. I'm not trying to look "cool" in the process, and I really want an agent with the same kind of focus. I know there are TONS AND TONS out there, but agents know what they are looking for, so I'm trying to find the agents who I'm the one who has what they are looking for. I have been querying on the adult end of things, but I like your idea of including the YA end of things. Thanks, Giant.

(And trust me, when they turn me down for not feeling comfortable with the Wiccan MC aspect, I tend to think it IS best that they turned me down. I don't really think it makes them bad agents or anything.... considering everything, it kind of makes sense and I respect it. But they are right--they aren't right for me in that case)

Hi again amy!

I don't know how accepted Wicca is. I know a few Wiccans who aren't very open about being Wiccan anymore because of the reaction they've gotten. I know Wiccan's who think the reactions they get are funny, and kind of play on it for amusement. I know Wiccans who just dont care one way or another and don't even notice. I know Christians who think Wiccans are all going to hell, and I know Christians who are best friends with Wiccans. I know lots of Jewish people too, and the ones I know seem to not really care at all. When it comes to religion, the way someone feels about it on a personal level is so.... personal. It's hard to really say that anything is a certain way because of someone's religion. (I'm not a fan of stereotypes). But I've noticed Wicca is one of the least accepted religions in this country, unfortunately. I think its sad because the Wiccans I know are really good people, just like the Christian friends I have are really good people.


And I have lesbians in my book, too. I'm just pressing all the wrong buttons Again, something I don't think of as a big deal.

Again, I'm not writing YA. It's too adult to be YA. Feel free to ignore me. I'm not here to argue, plain and simple. I would think if you were so "in" you would know that the list you sent me is full of unagented authors as well as authors with agents who are not currently accepting manuscripts. You assume I've done no research. I have. And that's why I'm here, because I clearly an missing something or I've written a book that is unmarketable due to the slightly controversial content (which I find hard to believe, since other books with this content have done well in the past).

I haven't blown anyone off in this thread. Most have been very helpful

Also, you weren't contradicting ME, you were contradicting the agents who contacted me. It's okay. It happens.

Thanks again, Amy! You've been amazing! Will put her on my list. A lot of the agents I had the "best feeling" about aren't accepting manuscripts. Go figure.

While I'm at it, I better do some research on working with publishers without an agent, this way I don't end up in a last minute bind if anything promising comes from my current situation.

I really don't mean to sound like NO agent wants to deal with a Wiccan MC. I know that is not the case. (I still have a full and a partial out, and then there is a large partial out with a publisher out too) I'm just looking for some agents I maybe missed because even with those who do want a Wiccan MC, they may not be interested in my MS for other reasons. Subjective business I just want to be prepared. Thank you to everyone offering support and information!

I see this was moved to Pagan. Hehehe. Wicca and Pagan are different religions. I wouldn't really call this Religious writing either, just the religion of my MC. But that's okay