What's the etiquette for...

Becca C. · Mar 29, 2012

...querying an agent you've dealt with in the past for a new manuscript?

"Hey, remember me? I wrote that book you said you loved but had to pass on? I have a shiny new book!"

Should I move the "TITLE is a XX,XXX-word YA novel" to the top of the query and include it there? Something like:

"Dear Agent,

I would like to thank you again for all the great advice you gave me on my novel, TITLE, last year. I'm now querying a new novel, NEW TITLE, a XX,XXX-word YA novel."

And then launch into the rest of the query?

This is an agent I had an R&R with and spoke to on the phone and everything, so less formality is required, I imagine.

lauralam · Mar 30, 2012

That sounds fine to me. Most agents have good memories.

heyjude · Mar 30, 2012

Did the agent tell you to submit your next work? If so you can lead with that. "As requested," or something similar.

If not, what you have sounds fine. And good luck!

Sage · Mar 30, 2012

Becca C. said:
"Dear Agent,

I would like to thank you again for all the great advice you gave me on my novel, TITLE, last year. I'm now querying a new novel, NEW TITLE, a XX,XXX-word YA novel."

This is exactly how I would do it.

amschilling · Mar 30, 2012

Definitely do it that way. A couple of agents have told me that they want you to remind them if they liked your last book enough to request a full or partial. Putting it in might not get you a request this time, but it will help weed you out from the rest of the auto-reject slush for a closer look.

Siri Kirpal · Mar 30, 2012

Sat Nam! (literally "Truth Name"--a Sikh greeting)

Bless your heart for asking this question! And blessings equally to all who answered! I have a similar situation and had no idea what to do...and didn't think to ask.

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal

Colossus · Mar 30, 2012

I had an agent give me a full read on a subsequent manuscript by a similar tactic. I used some of her advice when writing the new story, and made note of that in the query letter.
If you have any changes to your writing style, or anything of note, I'd mention it as well.

Becca C. · Mar 30, 2012

Colossus said:
I had an agent give me a full read on a subsequent manuscript by a similar tactic. I used some of her advice when writing the new story, and made note of that in the query letter.
If you have any changes to your writing style, or anything of note, I'd mention it as well.

I would say something along those lines, that I implemented some of the things she taught me, but her problem with the last manuscript was kind of a "I love it, but I don't think I'm equal to the task of selling it." So maybe I could include some comps for this one? Maybe make it sound more marketable than the last one?

lauralam · Mar 31, 2012

Comparisons can be good, as long as they're not too much of a stretch. I didn't bother with any for mine because mine's a really weird mashup of stuff.

Best of luck!

MKrys · Mar 31, 2012

Yes, Becca, what you have there sounds pretty perfect to me

JSSchley · Mar 31, 2012

Jumping on the bandwagon not only to say, "Yeah, looks good," but more to wish you luck! I recall this R&R and what a good experience you had. I've got my fingers crossed this will be the one.

Sounds good, and good luck!

ThunderBoots · Mar 31, 2012

My thought in this type of situation is: How could it hurt?
That is, the worst that can happen is that the agent takes a pass, right?
So long as you are polite in the query, and don't harass the agent by other means (phone calls, e-mails) ... it's hardly likely that the agent will get offended and submit your name to the Agents' Blacklist That We All Fear Is Somewhere Out There.

djf881 · Mar 31, 2012

Becca C. said:
...querying an agent you've dealt with in the past for a new manuscript?

"Hey, remember me? I wrote that book you said you loved but had to pass on? I have a shiny new book!"

Should I move the "TITLE is a XX,XXX-word YA novel" to the top of the query and include it there? Something like:

"Dear Agent,

I would like to thank you again for all the great advice you gave me on my novel, TITLE, last year. I'm now querying a new novel, NEW TITLE, a XX,XXX-word YA novel."

And then launch into the rest of the query?

This is an agent I had an R&R with and spoke to on the phone and everything, so less formality is required, I imagine.

If you did an R&R with the agent last year, she'll remember you. The number of times she did that was most likely in the single digits.

What's the etiquette for...

Becca C.

lauralam

Moonshade

heyjude

Making my own sunshine

Sage

Supreme Guessinator

amschilling

Siri Kirpal

Swan in Process

Colossus

I reckon so.

Becca C.

lauralam

Moonshade

MKrys

Quietly obsessing

JSSchley

Have Harp Will Travel

ThunderBoots

Back with new name, no dachshunds

djf881

AW Addict