Got an Offer - Need some help

BrookieCookie777 · Sep 10, 2007

Hi guys. Got an offer tonight after the agent read only my partial . . .full offer - never read the whole manuscript. I do write for a well known tv network and large magazines . . . maybe that is why. Still is this weird? They are reputable as far as I've researched . . . still is that strange to be given an offer to rep off of just a partial?

I just wondered if I should see red flags.

JoNightshade · Sep 10, 2007

Did you send a summary as well? That would make it a little more credible to me; if I saw that someone had a nice tight plot and a well-written first few chapters, I'd probably assume that the rest of the book was good as well. And if I thought you were well-known I might want to snap you up before someone else got to you.

newshirt · Sep 10, 2007

But can they sell?

I'd ask a few questions. What have they sold in the last 12 months? How big were the advances? What type of contacts do they have? What terms are they offering? Etc.

Nevertheless, congratulations! That's impressive.

--ray

BrookieCookie777 · Sep 10, 2007

Thanks for the help and the congrats guys. Actually they have several New York Best Selling authors . . . so that's a major plus.

I'm not well known in a sense I suppose, but the company I write for is a Christian Network aired all over the world - so I guess that could be why. I just didn't expect such a fast offer! I just wanted to be sure I wasn't jumping the gun and not making sure it was all on the up and up. After seeing their sales records I'm impressed. I'm going to ask some questions tomorrow about commision rates and such.

Thanks for the help guys! Very helpful indeed . . . lifted a huge brick off my shoulders!

God bless you all!

DeadlyAccurate · Sep 11, 2007

You already have an agent for your children's books, right? That could also be why they decided to make an offer. Congrats!

BrookieCookie777 · Sep 11, 2007

Thanks Deadly. Helpful and encouraging as always! =)

badducky · Sep 11, 2007

This happened to me. I told them to read the whole book and see if they still feel the way they do.

They still wanted me.

I also had someone call and make an offer after reading most of a book (like 3/4). That scenario was a bit weird, though, and after we both slept on it a while, we decided against teaming up.

Anyway, the partial read offer has been consistently part of my career. It doesn't seem weird, but I do like to make sure people read the whole thing before they sign on.

Don't buy a car if you haven't driven it in every gear you'll need, you know?

Kasey Mackenzie · Sep 11, 2007

Congratulations on the offer!!! =)

Irysangel · Sep 11, 2007

I had something similar happen to me. My agent read my partial and called me because he loved it. We discussed representation, but he couldn't offer it 'for sure' until he read the full. So I emailed it to him and he offered me representation the next day.

Sometimes the voice and the synopsis could be enough to carry it (or they have an editor looking for that specific item).

ILove2Write · Sep 11, 2007

CONGRATS!

BrookieCookie777 · Sep 12, 2007

Thanks for the advice and congrats guys. I adore you all! =)

Sury · Sep 12, 2007

CONGRATULATIONS, BC!

Sury

victoriastrauss · Sep 14, 2007

Be sure the agents know about one another.

- Victoria

BrookieCookie777 · Sep 19, 2007

Thanks for the congratulations guys! =)

Thanks for replying Victoria. They know about each other. I let my children's agent know long before I started searching for an adult genre agent. She does strictly children's material. I also put in all my query letters that she will remain my chidlren's agent and I will not sign any contract that binds me to anything other than adult material with the other agent.

Thanks all of you! God bless!

Mandy · Sep 19, 2007

I believe Lauren Barnholdt (Reality Chick, Two-Way Street, etc) not only got an agent on a partial, but sold her book as a partial, as well. So it's not entirely unheard of.

clara bow · Sep 19, 2007

Mandy said:
I believe Lauren Barnholdt (Reality Chick, Two-Way Street, etc) not only got an agent on a partial, but sold her book as a partial, as well. So it's not entirely unheard of.

So did Diana Peterfreund (although the agent already had a full of hers under consideration, and she met the agent at a conference in the meantime, which may have helped).

BrookieCookie777 · Sep 21, 2007

Thanks so much guys! What would I do without you? =)

Got an Offer - Need some help

BrookieCookie777

JoNightshade

has finally arrived

newshirt

Almost competint

BrookieCookie777

DeadlyAccurate

Absolutely Fazed

BrookieCookie777

badducky

No Time For Chitchat, Kemosabe.

Kasey Mackenzie

One Hit Wonder?

Irysangel

She of Many Names

ILove2Write

Jaws has nightmares too

BrookieCookie777

Sury

Word Worker

victoriastrauss

Writer Beware Goddess

BrookieCookie777

Mandy

limbo.

clara bow

Li'l Rug Bug

BrookieCookie777