[Agency] Defiore & Company Author Services, LLC

[JC Lynch]

Sorry to be the annoying new guy, but I have another request for information regarding an agent.

It looks like the Randi Murray agency handles novels such as mine (or at least such as I would wish mine to be). I am going through my list of potentials, and her agency takes e-mail queries (making it so much faster and cheaper).

Any ideas?

[Stace001]

Hi JC

I found a couple of sites you should check out. I'm constantly raving about them because they've helped me so many times, i don't know what i'd do without them.

agentresearch.com
preditors and editors

Check them out and see what you can find. If there's anything fishy about an agent or agency, chances are it'll be on one of those sites.
Good Luck

[CaoPaux]

If nothing else, the "How To Impress..." page is spot on. IMO. :)

http://www.murrayagency.com/index.htm

[rwam]

I was checking the website and it looks as if Randi Murray has joined Defiore & Company.

[David I]

Randi Murray--also often known as Randi Glass Murray--is legit and a very smart lady. She started out with the Amy Rennert Agency before hanging up her own shingle, and is now with DiFiore.

She hasn't made a lot of killer sales, but she's perceptive, experienced, and now has moved to a good NYC agency. I'd have no hesitations about her as an agent.

I queried her a couple of years back and we didn't hit it off (which was probably a good thing, as we weren't a good match, and I went on to better things), but she's professional, solid, and serious.

[CaoPaux]

(Excavating from Promada thread.)

http://www.defioreandco.com/

Agents: Brian DeFiore, Laurie Abkemeier, Kate Garrick & Randi Murray.

[bwoods43]

Is DeFiore legit? I've followed the submission guidelines listed on the website, and I still haven't heard a response three months later.

[Soccer Mom]

Is DeFiore legit? I've followed the submission guidelines listed on the website, and I still haven't heard a response three months later.


Yes, they are absolutely legit and according to their website, if you haven't received a response in four weeks then you should send your query again.


We respond to all queries within four weeks. If you have not received a response to your electronic query within four weeks, and you've followed our electronic submission guidelines (no attachments, "query" in the subject line), please resubmit your query.

[Blondchen]

50 day email reject from Kate Garrick.

[bwoods43]

Yes, they are absolutely legit and according to their website, if you haven't received a response in four weeks then you should send your query again.


Are you suggesting this just based on the website, or based on your experiences with them?

[Soccer Mom]

Are you suggesting this just based on the website, or based on your experiences with them?

I'm just quoting what it says on the website, that it's okay to resend if you haven't heard in four weeks.

[RBSHoo]

Anyone heard from this agency recently? I sent the 4-week followup, but heard nothing, and it's been five weeks since the followup. Frustrating.

[Copydiva]

Sent Kate Garrick a query yesterday and received a polite rejection last night.

[rtrgirl]

Wow, that's a fast response from Kate.
I've queried her twice. Once she didn't respond and once a few months went by and an R appeared in my inbox.
She reps my favorite author Jen Lancaster.

[Copydiva]

I thought her response was fast too. She's by far one of the quickest responses I've gotten:)

[nicolesingslave]

Looks like she's retired. Here's what I found from querytracker...

http://www.querytracker.net/agent.php?agent=703
Randi Murray
DeFiore and Company
RETIRED

[caitysdad]

I got a response from them 6 months to the day after submitting to their general submissions email box. It's my fault because I didn't write this query down and forgot to follow up, but 6 months later they told me to query kate directly.

[ILSinTexas]

New announcement on DeFiore & Company website:

"NEWS: DeFiore and Co. Announces Major Company Expansion (3/2010)
Brian DeFiore of DeFiore and Company announced today a major expansion of his agency with the addition of four new agents, Debra Goldstein, Laura Nolan, Matthew Elblonk and Karen Gerwin. The four, formerly of the agency The Creative Culture, which was founded in 1998 by Ms. Goldstein and Mary Ann Naples (who recently joined the start-up e-commerce site OpenSky) will join current DeFiore and Co. agents Laurie Abkemeier, Kate Garrick, Adam Korn and Adam Schear on March 1st. With nine agents and additional support staff, DeFiore and Co. is now a solidly mid-size agency with a broad list of non-fiction and fiction authors for adults and young adults."

[Roly]

Can't wait to see what each represents

[ILSinTexas]

Roly --

Matthew Elblonk reps YA, and he likes fantasy and paranormal.

[angelfrancis]

anyone have a take on Matthew Elblonk?

[quicklime]

Is DeFiore legit? I've followed the submission guidelines listed on the website, and I still haven't heard a response three months later.


I sent to Abkermier and got a rejection in a week. I am taking that as a sign they are prompt, efficient, and lacking in the sort of vision required to sign me immediately.....:tongue

seriously, she rejected in 1 week, can't speak for anyone else there.

[angelfrancis]

My last book I sub to them, I recieved a full request, followed by a rejection.

[MysteryScribe]

Has anyone heard from Caryn Karmatz Rudy since she joined the agency?

[Dr. Johnson]

Has anyone heard from Caryn Karmatz Rudy since she joined the agency?

I queried her 10/4/10 and just got a nice, personal "r." 4 weeks TAT.

FYI, she said she didn't rep my novel's genre (paranormal romance/mystery)

Good luck with your queries.

Doc

[MysteryScribe]

Caryn requested a full BUT a couple weeks later, I received a personal rejection on my query? I'm going to assume she meant to reject my full instead of my query and chalk it up to a simple typo. I know I've had my fair share of them ;)

Aside from the moment of confusion (on my part), I'm sure she'd be a wonderful agent for anyone lucky enough to land her. Good luck!

[bunderful]

Queried Feb. 17 request for partial from Caryn yesterday (March 21)! Fingers crossed...

[bunderful]

So I haven't heard from Caryn since March 21. That means it's been two months that she's had my partial. What to do?

[flygal716]

OK, here's an oddball question for ya.

I queried this agency about 4 weeks ago and just read the guidelines on their site, that if I haven't heard in 4 weeks, to feel free to resubmit. This was only the first or second agency I queried, and I was using my original query letter (I call it Letter A), which was pretty crummy. I have since modified it and am now sending out Letter E, which is a hundred times better! So, if I resubmit after 4 weeks, is it okay to send Letter E?

[Becca C.]

OK, here's an oddball question for ya.

I queried this agency about 4 weeks ago and just read the guidelines on their site, that if I haven't heard in 4 weeks, to feel free to resubmit. This was only the first or second agency I queried, and I was using my original query letter (I call it Letter A), which was pretty crummy. I have since modified it and am now sending out Letter E, which is a hundred times better! So, if I resubmit after 4 weeks, is it okay to send Letter E?

I would say yes, go ahead and submit the new one. Maybe wait one more week though, just in case.

[happywritermom]

Caryn Karmatz Rudy represents best-selling novelist Joshilyn Jackson (Backseat Saints, The Girl Who Stopped Swimming, gods in Alabama, Between, Georgia). Not sure whether she has always repped her, but she's certainly done well by her.

[Laura Droege]

I queried Kate Garrick in May and received an autoreply that she was on maternity leave and would respond after 9/6/11. I got a nicely-worded form rejection today. That seems like a pretty prompt reply, considering that it's only been around 2 1/2 weeks since she returned to work. (And with a new baby, no less!)

[pavtbr]

Has anyone submitted a query to Adam. Am preparing to send one and wanted to know if anyone has had any dealings with him. He represents historical fiction, which is the best category my book falls into. I will post back when I have received a response.
Thanks!
Bryan

[Flatliner]

Pavtbr, did you ever get a response from Adam? I sent a query recently and wanted to know what to expect in terms of timing. Thanks

[pavtbr]

I sent my query to Adam on 10/14, but haven't heard anything back. I have two other queries that have been out longer (9/27 and 9/30), so I haven't given up on this one yet. I still feel pretty new to querying and such. I just got a response back a couple of days ago from another agent, and the turn around time was 51 days. I keep pretty close tabs on all of my responses, and the average response time so far has been 12 days. So, my advice is to be patient, but by all means, send out more queries in the meantime.

I'll post back when I do hear something. Good luck to you!
Bryan

[Flatliner]

Thank you for the info Bryan. Sometimes I feel as though I'm alone on an island and my queries are lost in the Bermuda Triangle. Of course, when the Rs come in I'll feel like hiding under a rock:) My queries have all been out about 2-3 weeks. I'll let you know my stats too. Best of luck to you too!

Anita

[pavtbr]

Thank you for the info Bryan. Sometimes I feel as though I'm alone on an island and my queries are lost in the Bermuda Triangle. Of course, when the Rs come in I'll feel like hiding under a rock:) My queries have all been out about 2-3 weeks. I'll let you know my stats too. Best of luck to you too!

Anita

I think we all feel like we're on an island sometimes. But that's what this site is good for, to give us all helpful advice and a much needed confidence boost from time to time. Don't despair, the perfect agent for you is out there someplace. It's just a matter of finding out who that person is :)
Bryan

[lisa17]

Has anyone queried Mathew Elblonk recently and heard anything back?

[pavtbr]

I just got a response from Adam yesterday on the query I sent in October. It was a rejection unfortunately. But for anyone who is waiting to hear on a query, it appears that it is taking a long time to read them, but they are responding.

Good luck to everyone!
Bryan