James Fitzgerald Agency

mike471 said:

Anyone dealt with them, successfully or otherwise?

Click to expand...

I e-mailed them 10/31/09 with a query and it came back undeliverable. Just as well. I didn't care for the list of data he wants before he even tells you if he is interested on a basic query.

I just signed with them. It took seven months for him to get back to me after requesting the proposal, and I'd been working with Mitchell Waters at Curtis Brown except that he didn't offer me anything besides a verbal agreement, but James offered me an Agency Agreement in writing on the spot a few days ago and I took it. Very fair, usual stuff (fifteen percent of domestic, twenty percent of international, liability for international phone calls and FAXes, etc) and so far so good.

In looking at his sales and web site, he seems unlikely represent commercial thrillers like the one I am submitting, but I did want to comment on his list of requirements. I take the opposite view of charlys (though I do understand the position). It's refreshing to see requirements that detailed and comprehensive. As part of a serious submission process, I should have all that information easily available and spending an extra hour to prepare a query shouldn't be a big deal if I am being methodical about identifying likely agents.

Any news of these people? Their site isn't working.

I dislike when an agent asks what I intend to do to sell my own book before they agree to take a chance on reading it. I have no degree in marketing or public relations. Furthermore, if I had the capability for organizing tours, booking media appearances, et al, why wouldn't I simply self-publish?

Queried on 2/5/14
Full request - 2/7/14

Pretty fast response for a New York agency. I like their style - kind of anti-establishment. Fits me perfectly! I should add that my book already has an endorsement from Douglas Preston, so that may have made a difference in getting a response.

CaoPaux said:

Working fine now.

Click to expand...

I'm sorry ... I'm sure this should be obvious, but I always see this and just can't figure it out ... what do the two oval bars represent???

(They're in the signature of CaoPaux.)

etherme said:

I'm sorry ... I'm sure this should be obvious, but I always see this and just can't figure it out ... what do the two oval bars represent???

Click to expand...

Current completed word count / projected or intended word count for works in progress, for the calendar years 2013 and 2014.

Cool idea; thanks for letting me know!

I got an offer to publish from my #1 indie publishing choice, and I couldn't refuse. Mr. Fitzgerald still had my full, and didn't have time to get back to me, unfortunately. I might query them for another project, if they're not too pissed at me

Just received a request for a full from this agency on my supernatural suspense novel.

Any updates on the agency?

He sold a book for me in 2000 for the biggest advance I ever got. Lately, I heard he moved to Taos, New Mexico and his old website is disabled. I haven't got the address of the new one yet. But he posts a lot on Facebook. A quirky guy.

Thanks, popmuze.

He recently sold a book of mine quickly with a decent advance, so I'm glad I found him. I noticed in a recent email that he'd moved to New Mexico. I hope he's still actively agenting, but he's not for the writer who needs a lot of hand-holding. All communication is terse and minimalist.

How recently?

I just got an offer email from one of his assistants. Seems a tad strange.

Update: Sadly, James Fitzgerald has passed away

I was shocked to learn that my agent, James Fitzgerald, died on Dec. 28, 2019. I don't know the details, but I read it in an online newsletter, Publishers Lunch, and it was confirmed by an auto-reply to my email. His daughter is handling royalty disbursements and other inquiries, but I believe that the death was sudden, and she must be reeling from it. QueryTracker noted Jim's passing in its listings.

Jim's agency was basically a one-man show, so I don't know what will happen next, but as Query Tracker noted, the agency is closed to submissions. I didn't have a chance to meet him in person, but he was supportive of my work in his own unique way and a straightforward, honest guy. It is a loss to publishing.