The Big Thread of Questions about Agents

I'd be worried that my agent or editor was a vampire.

My editor always e-mails me late / overnight

But then we are several thousand miles ( and more than a few time zones) apart. She probably gets my replies at her 6 in the morning.

I send most of my emails out between 1am and 5am, so I'm not going to worry if someone else is a night owl too.

I don't really care. I'm up at 3 a.m. anyway.

And I usually don't look at the time-stamp of the email. If it's in the inbox, it's in the inbox.

I think one of the main benefits of using email is that you CAN send at any time since the recipient will pick it up and reply when it suits them. As I am 5-7 hours ahead of most of the U.S.A. I fully expect traffic from that region of the world turning up when I log on either late evening or the following morning!
I would be more concerned if someone telephoned me in the middle of the night (my time) but hey, if it's good news I can handle it

Why should it matter? It doesn't make a darn bit of difference to me if my agent or my editor emails me at 4:39 in the morning from Tokyo from their shower--I'll still receive and respond to their email at 9 am the following morning.

Don't worry about things that are so unimportant.

I have noticed this as well, 3am emails, WEIRD!

gettingby said:

What would you guys think if you were working with an agent or an editor who always emails you late at night, like around midnight? Does it matter?

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I'd see it as a good thing. They are obviously hard workers if they are still working at midnight.

Why would it matter? What does that suggest to you? As a nocturnal critter myself, I love to work late into the night. Does that mean that I'm somehow... what? Less hardworking than my earlybird counterpart? Less reliable? What negatives do you associate with an agent emailing late into the night?

As long as they reply, I don't care when they email.

As long as they don't call when I'm asleep or in bed, what do I care?

I'm always delighted to hear from my agent. The communication and knowledge of what she's thinking, planning, doing, etc., is so important. I couldn't care less about the time stamp on the email.

Maybe he's got a day job.

Clair Dickson said:

Why would it matter? What does that suggest to you? As a nocturnal critter myself, I love to work late into the night. Does that mean that I'm somehow... what? Less hardworking than my earlybird counterpart? Less reliable? What negatives do you associate with an agent emailing late into the night?

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This.

Also, do you know for sure what time zone they're in? You could be making a mountain out of molehill.

If the emails read: "The manuscript looks great now, I think we're ready to go on submission, oh, and do you know who can hook me up with some meth..." I'd worry.

Aside from that, it's probably fine.

So, during the day, your agent is busy calling publishers, talking to editors, working with writers, looking at contracts, and doing all the things that agents do. S/he goes home in the evening, eats dinner, spends time with the family, and does all the things that people do. Then, at night, after the house is quiet, or maybe early in the morning before everyone gets up (depending on time differences), s/he gets up and goes and spends some time catching up on e-mail -- reading, sending, responding.

I fail to see the issue.

First, the person may live in a totally different time zone. Hey, I'm 6 hrs ahead of the USA-residing folks here.

Second of all (or actually, most importantly) I'd just be thrilled to have an agent interested in my work. Kind agents- feel free to contact me any time your heart desires!

How "short" is a "short synopsis?

Hi,

I'm preparing a submission for an agent that has asked for "a short synopsis", and the first three chapters of my novel.

I've read a lot, and it seems the length of a snyopsis greatly varies.

I have it down to four double-spaced pages - is this reasonable when the agent only specifies "short"?

Thanks!
Sam

Four double-spaced pages is long, even for a full synopsis. As a rough guide, a short synopsis would be a page. I do mine in 1.5 line space (but the chapters, of course, in double)

gettingby said:

What would you guys think if you were working with an agent or an editor who always emails you late at night, like around midnight?

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I once sent an email to my agent that began this way,

"Hi,

I said earlier that I would try to get the revised manuscript to you before November, and it's a few minutes to midnight on October 31. So, before I turn into a pumpkin, here it is."

There is no "standard length" of a short synopsis. Most agents will generally say two or three double-spaced pages. If I were you, I'd shoot for as short a synopsis as possible, say, no more than two pages.

I have always understood that the initial synopsis accompanying a first submission should be no longer than one page. Like qwerty I use 1.5 line spacing with double between chapters.
You may be asked for a detailed (3/4 page) synopsis when you are asked to submit more.

1,000 words if you can do it. The one I used was 1600 words for a 102k novel

qwerty said:

Four double-spaced pages is long, even for a full synopsis. As a rough guide, a short synopsis would be a page. I do mine in 1.5 line space (but the chapters, of course, in double)

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I do a page at 1.5 spacing also. I've had no complaints.

Queen of Swords said:

I once sent an email to my agent that began this way,

"Hi,

I said earlier that I would try to get the revised manuscript to you before November, and it's a few minutes to midnight on October 31. So, before I turn into a pumpkin, here it is."

Click to expand...

love it!