Do agent's assistants reject manuscripts?

KikiteNeko · Mar 17, 2008

I have received a partial request from an agent's assistant, who asked me to mark it to her (the assistant's) attention. Two weeks later I received a form-letter rejection from another assistant at that agency. During all this, there was never any mention of the agent I queried. So my question is, when an assistant requests a partial manuscript, do they pass it along to the agent, or can they reject it if they believe the agent won't like it? Or does it vary between agencies?

I'm curious because I also received a full request from an agent's assistant at another agency who named the agent I queried and said that she (the agent) would like to read it. So in the latter case I have reason to assume the agent herself will read it, but not in the former circumstance.

Will Lavender · Mar 17, 2008

I would imagine the assistant can reject it. Don't see why not. At big agencies I would say the assistant passes it up to the agent-in-charge if he/she really likes it, and the agent then makes a decision on representation.

WildScribe · Mar 17, 2008

I would assume that they have that power, yes... GOOD LUCK!

Appalachian Writer · Mar 17, 2008

I once got a rejection from a person whose signature read "assistant to."

Deleted member 42 · Mar 17, 2008

Sure, the assistant does the first pass, and can reject (but usually not accept) mss.

ORION · Mar 17, 2008

yup that's how it works.
At WMA the assistants send it up to the agent if they like it...

KikiteNeko · Mar 17, 2008

What would you say the odds are of an assistant not liking something an agent would like?

ORION said:
yup that's how it works.
At WMA the assistants send it up to the agent if they like it...

Mumut · Mar 17, 2008

The agent must have faith in the assistant (or am I being an optimist?). Or was it 136 agent's assistants rejected Gone with the Wind?

KikiteNeko · Mar 17, 2008

I actually heard that Gone with the Wind thing was a rumor, and it was picked up right away.

Mumut said:
The agent must have faith in the assistant (or am I being an optimist?). Or was it 136 agent's assistants rejected Gone with the Wind?

Stacia Kane · Mar 18, 2008

tomothecat said:
I actually heard that Gone with the Wind thing was a rumor, and it was picked up right away.

It is. Margaret Mitchell gave the book to Harold Latham, MacMillan publisher, whom she met while she was working as a journalist in Atlanta. She'd never submitted it anywhere else.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Mitchell#Publication

(It says "citation needed" but the story is repeated in several biographies of her, so I assume it's true.)

KTC · Mar 18, 2008

tomothecat said:
What would you say the odds are of an assistant not liking something an agent would like?

I would have to think the agent picks the assistant based on compatibility and that they fully trust their judgment.

astonwest · Mar 18, 2008

Other than the initial response when I asked if they'd received my submission (and the agent said she couldn't find it), all correspondence during my one experience of requested material was with the assistant...including the rejection.

waylander · Mar 18, 2008

Agency assistant's blog http://rejecter.blogspot.com/

clara bow · Mar 18, 2008

waylander said:
Agency assistant's blog http://rejecter.blogspot.com/

fwiw, I remember her posting something to the effect of she runs possible queries/partials/fulls by the agent before rejecting or requesting material. From her post I gathered assistants verbally discuss a project with the agent but the agent doesn't actually read any material.

Birol · Mar 18, 2008

tomothecat said:
What would you say the odds are of an assistant not liking something an agent would like?

It's a moot question really. If the assistants are employed as a first level filter, to screen submissions, the agent will have confidence in their decisions and abilities.

stormie · Mar 18, 2008

I know of an agent who relies on her assistant. If the assistant likes it, she sends it to the agent. The agent reviews it, sends the writer an email about liking it or not, and if there are rewrites, they're to be sent back to the assistant, not her. The agent, of course, ultimately makes the decision to take on the writer as a client or not.

Do agent's assistants reject manuscripts?

KikiteNeko

.

Will Lavender

Everything is what it seems.

WildScribe

Slave to the Wordcount

Appalachian Writer

Somewhere in the hills....

Deleted member 42

ORION

Sailed away years ago

KikiteNeko

.

Mumut

Well begun is half done...

KikiteNeko

.

Stacia Kane

Girl Detective

KTC

Stand in the Place Where You Live

astonwest

2 WIP? A glutton for punishment

waylander

Who's going for a beer?

clara bow

Li'l Rug Bug

Birol

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