ONE REQUEST FOR.. a partial? The whole book? I dunno

glendalough · Jul 18, 2007

So here is what they said about a week or so after I sent them my revised query:

We would like you to please send your available materials, whatever that may be, to:

Please make sure to mark your package “EMAIL QUERY”.

Please be sure to include your contact information on your cover letter and a SASE for reply – I will not be able to contact you in reply if this information isn’t available.

If you would like receipt conformation of your work – please send a SASP(postcard) that we can mail right back to you with the date of arrival.

What does this mean? "available materials...whatever that may be"??? Do I send them my entire novel printed out?
Thoughts?

scarletpeaches · Jul 18, 2007

If you have the entire novel written, then send it. Whatever you have available suggests to me, as much as you currently have.

Shady Lane · Jul 18, 2007

Send all but the last five pages. Always leave 'em wanting more.

Send the whole thing.

WordGypsy · Jul 18, 2007

Send it all. It'll save them the work of requesting the full when they finish the first few chapters of your amazing work!

glendalough · Jul 18, 2007

Aww, thanks all...I guess I will print it all out and send it. ::::faints::::

glendalough · Jul 18, 2007

PS My PA 'published' sil says to copyright everything before I send it to anyone. Is there any such thing I should..what..notate on the first page? On each page? I am sooooo nervous.

Shady Lane · Jul 18, 2007

Don't be nervous. Be excited.

Don't note a copyright anywhere. It's implied, and it makes you look paranoid if you include it. Just print it out, make sure you have a cover lever with all the info, and hope for some lucky pennies. You're gonna do great.

Jersey Chick · Jul 18, 2007

Do not, under any circumstances, put a copyright symbol anywhere on the manuscript. It marks you as a rank amateur. All manuscripts are automatically copyrighted the moment they are affixed in a permanent medium (lawyerspeak for - the minute you write them down, be it on a computer, pen and paper, or crayon and your bedroom wall)

Good luck and keeping my fingers crossed!

oh yeah - send the whole thing, too

glendalough · Jul 18, 2007

Oh my gosh, okay. I'm going to do it. Say a little prayer for me, I ohmygosh...I feel so nervous. What if they actually liked it?

I know lots of you probably get requests for your writing all the time, this is all so new for me. It's so exciting!

Shady Lane · Jul 18, 2007

Pssh, I never get requests for partials/fulls. Only one I ever had was for the one that got accepted. I'm an all or nothing kind of chica.

Hopefully you'll have my same luck.

RLB · Jul 18, 2007

I think sending the whole thing is the way to go. Good luck!

I was tearing my hair out a couple of weeks ago when an agent responded to an equery with only the phrase... "how about a little more?"

Did it mean a partial? Another chapter? The whole thing? Snail mail? Email with attachment? Email with chapters pasted into the body?

Aargh! We go out of our way to follow every guideline down to the letter. I can't deal with the vagueness from someone I don't want to pester!

I finally just decided to be an adult and sent a quick line asking if she preferred snail mail or email. But it was a traumatic decision.

Shady Lane · Jul 18, 2007

RLB: That hooked better than any query letter I've ever sent. What happened?

gerrydodge · Jul 18, 2007

SEND IT ALL!!! And I hope they love it.

RLB · Jul 18, 2007

I'd already pasted the first couple of pages into my query, so I really didn't know how much more she wanted. She wrote back to my inquiry with "an email attachment will be fine" which didn't at all answer my question about how much she wanted, and there was no way I was going to ask again. I emailed her three chapters. I got a nice, personal (though not in any way helpful or instructive) e-rejection the other day.

Shady Lane · Jul 18, 2007

That sucks.

I was going to say more, but I really don't know what else there is to say....

RLB · Jul 18, 2007

Shady Lane said:
That sucks.

I was going to say more, but I really don't know what else there is to say....

Yeah well that's how my cookies tend to crumble these days! I'm still querying though.

And OP, I didn't mean to litter your thread with gloom! I wish you the best and hope this agent loves your work.

reenkam · Jul 18, 2007

RLB said:
I was tearing my hair out a couple of weeks ago when an agent responded to an equery with only the phrase... "how about a little more?"

Did it mean a partial? Another chapter? The whole thing? Snail mail? Email with attachment? Email with chapters pasted into the body?

Shady Lane said:
RLB: That hooked better than any query letter I've ever sent. What happened?

Wow, seriously, though. Just reading that made me want to know more...I guess we can't do that in a query, though... *sigh*

And good luck glendalough! I hope it all turns out great for you!

ChaosTitan · Jul 18, 2007

Available materials...that's a new one. It sounds like they aren't sure if the manuscript is complete, which is odd, because most agencies don't consider works-in-progress.

*ponders*

Congrats on the request, though.

Siddow · Jul 18, 2007

glendalough said:
What if they actually liked it?

This just makes me want to pinch your cheeks and kiss your nose.

Good luck with the requested materials! *fingers crossed*

Jersey Chick · Jul 18, 2007

Barbarique said:
Ooops! Now I feel like a rank amateur. <blush> <chagrin>

Fortunately, it didn't stop my agent from offering representation... before he'd finished the book. Guess I dodged a stupid bullet.

**pulls foot out of mouth**

Sorry - I read too much Miss Snark

- I mean, it looks better if you don't put a copyright symbol on.

Of course, as Miss Snark also said, good writing trumps all! And there's your proof!

Will Lavender · Jul 18, 2007

ChaosTitan said:
Available materials...that's a new one. It sounds like they aren't sure if the manuscript is complete, which is odd, because most agencies don't consider works-in-progress.

Sounds to me like a form request they use for everything they want to take a look at, both nonfiction and fiction. Instead of saying "Send proposal" or "Send three chapters," just send "available materials."

Will Lavender · Jul 18, 2007

Barbarique said:
Ooops! Now I feel like a rank amateur. <blush> <chagrin>

Fortunately, it didn't stop my agent from offering representation... before he'd finished the book. Guess I dodged a stupid bullet.

If a book's good, then the agent is going to want to sign you on. I don't care if you requested up front that a publisher refer to you as Ronald McDonald on the dust jacket. It's all about the book and everything else is corollary.

That said, copyrighting the work is a terrible idea and a waste of time. There's not a person in this business who would recommend it, and it might (stress that word) turn an agent off before he hits the first page. I wouldn't want to take that risk in a business that is already full of risks.

ONE REQUEST FOR.. a partial? The whole book? I dunno

Not so new as all that, really

my name is hannah

Not so new as all that, really

Not so new as all that, really

my name is hannah

Up all night to get Loki

Not so new as all that, really

my name is hannah

bundled

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aka cupcake

Around

I'm super! Thanks for asking

Up all night to get Loki

Everything is what it seems.

Everything is what it seems.