[Agency] Peters, Fraser & Dunlop / PFD UK Childrens

They're one of the most prestigious agencies in the world, so no problem with the reputation...

I was thinking of querying PDF New York. Agent Query said they accepted email queries, but their site says they prefer snail mail. Does that mean they still accept email queries?

Provrb1810meggy said:

Does that mean they still accept email queries?

Click to expand...

Yes, but why are you even thinking about sending one? What's the matter with going the way they prefer?

I also had a long wait but I was unlucky enough to email through as the agent I picked was on leave - got an out of office autoresponse. Followed up 2 months later. Withdrew my query after no response in two weeks - finally got a response to that apologising for not responding to my other emails and basically wishing me luck.

Par for the course in my books. I still think they're a fairly good agency, but busy. Go for it.

I got a response from them in just over a month. I know with picture books they will only accept submissions of three or more mss at one time (UK division)

PFD Fires its Agents

CSS Stellar has fired 11 agents at Peters Fraser & Dunlop and launched an investigation into "apparent inconsistencies in the payment of commissions and bonuses to certain employees". In an update to shareholders, CSS also claimed that it was in "discussions with numerous established talent agents eager to join the firm."

http://www.thebookseller.com/news/47175-css-stellar-fires-pfd-agents.html

For those of you who dont' know, PFD is one of the biggest agencies in England. I was horribly shocked to get this info this morning because I'm up for a PFD award and one of the agents (not sure if she was one of the ones fired, still awaiting news) has my book.

Yikes!

Fired? I thought all the agents left once they hired that new woman? Ah, just read the article. Looks to me like they're just trying to get back at the agents for resigning in the first place. Bummer. I was planning to submit to them, but I think I'll pass.

I have a very close connection to one of the actors' agents, and she says the whole thing is nightmarish - I didn't think it affected the acting side, but she says it does.

Ghost, I did see a list of the off-loaded agents somewhere, but can't remember where now. Sorry. Hope yours is not one of them.

She was one of the ones who resigned and will be opening up United with the others.

I've already seen the list of who did what. It's really terrible. But on the bright side, now they'll be able to start their own agency. I'll bet it'll do well. It's not PFD that makes the money, it's the good agents.

Big problems at PFD UK, though, with most of its agents quitting after new management was installed, and taking their clients with them. They plan to set up a rival company.

Counter-accusations have been made by the head of PFD's parent company, CSS Stellar, who says he's launching an investigation into "irregularities" in commission payments to some of the departed agents. The departed agents claim this is a smokescreen to cover up the parent company's bad management.

Sounds like a major mess.

- Victoria

PFD is a fabulous, prestigious agency to be with, though, once all this fuss has died down (and I would not CONSIDER submitting to them at present, simply because of it). I suspect that the new agency that their departing agents are setting up (United Agents, due to open after Christmas) will also be one to watch. The agents concerned are some of the best in the business.

I agree with Old Hack, once the dust has settled and the disputes have been resolved one way or another, PFD will be back on track as one of the top agencies to submit to, purely because they still have people who seriously know what they're doing.

MM

Is the New York agency affected? I sent querys to Mark Reiter at different addys. Both returned.....

The site for the NY agency seems to be down... or it no longer exists...

Yes, Yikes, indeed!

I am in the process of agency search, and pfd was certainly one to investigate; in fact, today, March 4, 2011, I was about to snail-mail a query per their protocols. Seems I'm a bit out of touch. After √√ing Water Cooler (as always), and reading the article in Bookseller, I have decided not to submit the query. Too much like Hollywood maneuvers, or so it seems. Thanks Water Cooler for your info! You are indeed "Absolute!"

Michael - check the dates on the other posts in this thread; they're 3.5 years old. Surely things have settled down. Maybe someone will come in with newer info.

I submitted to them about a year ago and got the "not for us at this time" form rejection in a reasonable amount of time.

Subbed to Juliet Mushens and got a request for a full 5 min later. My new record.

As an update, I signed with Juliet Mushens and I am now a client of PFD. Very happy with my decision.

http://www.petersfraserdunlop.com/Authors/laura-lam

E-queried Annabel Merullo / Laura Williams 'way back in February.
Got form R today.

The long version: Their website asks for hard-copy, but postage for three chapters to the UK.... Plus there's the issue of the SASE, now that the US Post Office no longer sells IRCs. Merullo isn't one of the agents that specifies they'll take email submissions, but Williams is her assistant and she lists an email address, so I sent her a brief note asking if email would be acceptable, given the cross-pond challenges. (The note also included the short-form blurb for the book, so they could judge if it was something they had any interest whatsoever in looking at.) Williams replied that yes, email would be fine, with the chapters as an attachment. So off it went.

Short version of the long version: It never hurts to ask.