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[Submission Service] eQuery Online

Aconite

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CaoPaux said:
Not legit ones, at least.
Ooh! Ooh! If having some companies get back to you quickly is all it takes, I could set myself up as a book agent, no problem. I know at least eight or nine publishers that will get right back to you. They don't pay advances or have distribution, and most of them require you to pay them, but that's not a problem, because they get right back to you! Boo rah! I'm set.
 

CaoPaux

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Heh. I don't doubt that certain agencies make a point of getting onto spammers' lists. Where better to harvest, um, impatient souls willing to part with their money?
 

James D. Macdonald

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Woo Whee!

I just got my spam from eQuery Online!

A. To Get Requests For Your Manuscript
B. Publishers Buying Manuscripts


FOR WRITER SUBSCRIBERS ONLY -- James Macdonald

--------------------------------------
A. TO GET REQUESTS FOR YOUR MANUSCRIPT:

"I had 25 responses asking to see my project and one literary outfit is
already sending me a contract for representation!"

-- Stephen Sloggett, Brisbane

eQuery Online is currently allowing writers that receive this email to use
its email query service for 50% OFF. Your manuscript info is addressed
BY INDIVIDUAL NAME to well over a thousand publishers and literary agents.

Their website can be found at http://www.equeryonline.com

They LIMIT THE NUMBER OF USERS to only 10 fiction writers per week and
commit to those 10 writers on a FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVE BASIS. Logging on
to their website today lets you reserve a spot for the period starting
TUESDAY MARCH 14th.

http://www.equeryonline.com


*******************************
B. PUBLISHERS BUYING MANUSCRIPTS:

$50,000-$100,000:

Writer Ron Currie Jr. sells his fiction manuscript "God Is Dead", a
collection of near-future linked stories, to publisher Viking for low six
figures.

Publisher Penguin Group pays low-six figures to writer R. Scott Bakker for
his manuscript "The Aspect Emperor".

Debut novel "The A-Z Guide to Arranged Marriage" earns writer Rekha Waheed
low-six figures from publisher Monsoon Press.


$100,000-$300,000:


First-time novelist Douglas Abrams gets low-six figures from Atria
Publishing for his novel "The Lost Diary of Don Juan".

A fiction manuscript "The Testament of Gideon Mack" gets mid-six figures
for writer James Robertson from Penguin Publishing.

Simon & Schuster pays mid-six figures to writer Justin Richards for his
children's action-adventure story "Time Runners".


$400,000-$600,000

"White Giraffe", a novel by Zimbabwe-born writer Lauren St. John earns him
high-six figures from publisher Orion.

Writer Katherine John cashes in for high-six figures from Accent Press for
her crime novel "By Any Other Name".

Publishers E.P Dutton and Plume pay out high-six figures for the
psychological thriller manuscript "God's Spy" by first-time writer Juan
Jurado.


First of all, I seriously doubt that there are over a thousand literary agents and publishers who are worth talking to.

Second ...

"I had 25 responses asking to see my project and one literary outfit is already sending me a contract for representation!"

-- Stephen Sloggett, Brisbane

Let's assume this is real. Can we name those publishers and that agency? Sure ... the agency is Stylus Literary Agency and the contract is in the mail! The publishers are Xlibris, iUniverse, PublishAmerica, Trafford, Whitmore, AuthorHouse, Vantage, Dorrance, Booksurge, International Library of Poetry, American Book Publishers, Trident Media, Picasso Publications, Heliographica ....

Please notice also that the list of authors who sold books for major coin in Part B has nothing whatever to do with the pitch to go send money to eQuery.com in Part A -- none of those authors in Part B used or were associated in any way with eQuery. They just want you to associate the two in your mind.
 

CaoPaux

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Heh. There've been numerous mentions of that on other boards the past few days. 'Tis spring, and the spammers are sporing.
 

roach

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James D. Macdonald said:
Please notice also that the list of authors who sold books for major coin in Part B has nothing whatever to do with the pitch to go send money to eQuery.com in Part A -- none of those authors in Part B used or were associated in any way with eQuery. They just want you to associate the two in your mind.

I wonder if the authors know that their names are being used in this way?
 

mdin

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I just got a new one. It's pretty bold.

Subject: to submit your manuscript
From:
[email protected]
To: Me


A. To Submit Your Manuscript
B. Publishers Paying For Manuscripts in APRIL

FOR WRITER SUBSCRIBERS ONLY -- <my name>

--------------------------------------

A. TO SUBMIT YOUR MANUSCRIPT TO PUBLISHERS/AGENCIES:

"The eQuery for my manuscript "Inquisition" turned out spectacularly including
requests for it from major publishers (Doubleday, Random House, Simon & Shuster,
HarperCollins, Berkley Publishing, St. Martin's Press, Knopf, Bantam Dell) and the
big NY agencies (International Creative Management, Writers House, Curtis Brown,
Zachary Shuster Harmsworth). I recommend eQueryonline to any writer!"

-- Jack Eddinger / Baltimore, Maryland April 2, 2006


"My eQuery Online response was overwhelming and included requests from top agencies
like Curtis Brown, A.M Heath, ZSH Literary, and publishers like St. Martin's Press.
It's a fantastic service!"

-- Sid Bailey / Santa Barbara, California April 9, 2006

eQuery Online is currently allowing writers that receive this email newsletter to
use its query service for 50% OFF. They send your manuscript description custom
addressed BY INDIVIDUAL NAME to well over a thousand publishers and literary agents.


Their website can be found at http://www.equeryonline.com

This past month alone, writers using eQuery Online have received manuscript requests
from publishers including:

Simon & Schuster
Doubleday
Penguin Group
Scribner
Random House
Bantam Dell
Houghton Mifflin
HarperCollins
Kensington Publishing
Knopf
Random House Golden Books for Young Readers
St. Martin's Press
Vintage Anchor Books
Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Morrow/Avon
Berkley Publishing Group
Harpertorch
Crown Publishing

...and from agencies including

William Morris Agency
Curtis Brown
ICM
PFD
Writers House
Zachary Shuster Harmsworth
A.M. Heath

...and more.

They LIMIT THE NUMBER OF USERS to only 10 fiction writers per week and commit to
those 10 writers on a FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVE BASIS. Logging on to their website
today lets you reserve a spot for the period starting MONDAY APRIL 17th.

Their website is http://www.equeryonline.com


*******************************
B. PUBLISHING NEWS--PUBLISHERS BUYING MANUSCRIPTS THIS MONTH:

$50,000-$100,000:

First time novel writer LIZ TUCCILLO sells her fiction manuscript "How To Be
Single", about a group of friends dealing with being single as one of them leaves
the U.S. to see how women around the world do it, to publisher ATRIA via literary
agency ICM (INTERNATIONAL CREATIVE MANAGEMENT).

Publisher ALGONQUIN pays out for the fiction manuscript "An Arsonist's Guide to
Writers' Homes in New England" about a young man who's been jailed for burning down
Emily Dickinson's house by writer BROCK CLARKE via the CURTIS BROWN AGENCY.


$100,000-$300,000:


First-time novelist PETER MELMAN gets low-six figures from publisher COUNTERPOINT
for his novel "Landsman" about a young Jewish man who joins the Confederate army to
escape a false murder charge.

CROWN PUBLISHING pays low-six figures to writer LAURA DIETZ for her fiction
manuscript "In the Tenth House", via the lit agency ZSH (ZACHARY SHUSTER HARNSWORTH)
about a medium in Edwardian London who comes to the attention of a psychiatrist
determined to prove that she's a fraud.


$400,000-$600,000

"The Kept Man", a novel about a young wife who discovers troubling evidence about
her marriage when her painter husband falls into a coma, by writer JAMI ATTENBERG
earns her mid-six figures from publisher RIVERHEAD via the agency STERLING LORD
LITERISTIC.

Publisher DOUBLEDAY pays mid-six figures to writer ADAM MANSBACH for his novel "The
End of the Jews" which follows a 20th century Jewish-American family through three
generations.

That's the entire email. It didn't come with removal instructions, which I believe is in violation of federal law.
 

eqb

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Apparently eQuery Online is still spamming the world. I just received two copies this afternoon within five minutes of each other:

12 August 2007

A. To Submit Your Manuscript
B. Networking Opportunities
C. Publishers Buying Manuscripts


FOR WRITER SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

--------------------------------------

A. TO SUBMIT YOUR MANUSCRIPT:


"Using eQuery Online I just sold my first novel to St. Martin's press!"


-- Steve Carlson / Jacksonville, Oregon


"The agent who I snagged though eQuery online has just advised me that an editor at a major New York publishing house now wants to make an offer on my novel!"

-- Wayne Arthurson / Edmonton, Alberta


"The dumbest thing I've ever done is NOT use eQuery Online sooner! I received responses to read my manuscript from people at Bantam Dell, Kensington Publishers, Penguin Group, and so many agents! I recommend you to every writer!"

-- Julie Palella / Naples, Florida


eQuery Online is currently allowing writers, unpublished and published, those seeking an agent or those already agented, who receive this email newsletter to use its service for 50% OFF. They send your description of your novel or children's book, custom addressed BY INDIVIDUAL NAME to well over a thousand appropriate publishers and literary agents.

More details are posted on their website at http://www.equeryonline.com

Most recently, writers using eQuery Online have received requests to read their manuscript from the major publishers including:

Penguin Group | Random House | Berkley Publishing | Avalon Books | Grove/Atlantic | Daw Books | W.W. Norton | Ballantine | Warner Books | Viking | Simon & Schuster | Doubleday | Morrow/Avon | Scribner | Bantam Dell | Houghton Mifflin | HarperCollins | Kensington Publishing | Knopf | Random House Golden Books for Young Readers | St. Martin's Press | Touchstone Fireside | Vintage Anchor Books | Farrar, Straus & Giroux | Harpertorch | Tor Books | Crown Publishing

...and from the major literary agencies including:

Sterling Lord Literistic | Andrea Brown Literary Agency | Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency | Trident Media Group | William Morris Agency | ICM (International Creative Management) | Marly Russoff & Associates | Joy Harris Literary Agency | Curtis Brown | PFD (Peters Fraser & Dunlop) | Writers House | ZSH (Zachary Shuster Harmsworth) | Writers' and Artists' Agency | A.M. Heath | Artists and Artisans | Gelfman Schneider | Artists Literary Group | Brick House Literary ...and more.


They LIMIT THE NUMBER OF USERS to only 7 fiction writers per week and commit to those 7 writers on a FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVE BASIS. Logging on to their website right now lets you reserve a spot for the period starting this MONDAY AUGUST 13TH.

More details are posted on their website at http://www.equeryonline.com


*******************************

B. NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES:

5th Annual Southern California Writers Conference:
Crowne Plaza Hotel, located near John Wayne Airport in Irvine. Address: 17941 Von Karman, Irvine, CA 92614. Phone: (949) 863-1999. September 28-30, 2007. Be sure to book your room by no later thatn Sept. 14th to ensure the super-discounted SCWC rate. For more specific information phone directly (619) 303-8185.

Maui Writers Conference:
Labor Day Weekend -- Friday, August 31st - Monday, September 3rd. Call to register (808) 879-0061 9930


*******************************

C. PUBLISHING NEWS--PUBLISHERS ACQUIRING MANUSCRIPTS THIS MONTH:

$50,000-$100,000:

Publisher KNOPF acquires from first-time novelist DOMNICA RADULESCU her manuscript "TRAIN TO TRIESTE" which tracks the life of a woman who flees her native Romania at age 17 for Chicago, via agent JODIE RHODES.

Agent KATERINE COWLES negotiates a payout from publisher ST. MARTIN'S for the novel manuscript "THE TRICKING OF FREYA" about a woman whose search for a mysterious relative takes her on a journey through the mythology of Iceland, for first-time novel writer CHRISTINA SUNLEY.

First time novel writer MATTHEW GOODMAN sells his manuscript "HOLD LOVE STRONG", about a young man's harrowing upbringing in a Queens housing project, to publisher TOUCHSTONE/FIRESIDE via agent VICTORIA SANDERS


$100,000-$300,000:

RANDOM HOUSE pays out low-six figures to first-time novelist C.W. GORTNER for his manuscript "THE LAST QUEEN", about the last queen of Spanish blood to inherit the throne of Spain who's haunted by lurid rumor, via JEAN V. NAGGAR LITERARY AGENCY.

"CASTLE OF THE STARS", a novel manuscript by writer ENRIQUE JOVEN, a suspense story narrated bya Spanish Jesuit physics teacher who attempts to unravel the mystery of the Voynich Manuscript, earns him low-six figures from publisher WILLIAM MORROW via agent THOMAS COLCHIE.

Agent MOLLY FRIEDRICH scores low-six figures from publisher TWELVE for first-time novel writer ELIZABETH KELLY for "APOLOGIZE, APOLOGIZE!", a tragicomic tale of a wild, brilliant, crazy, wealthy Massachusetts family.




$400,000-$600,000

First time novel writer DANIEL SHARFSTEIN scores mid-six figures via STROTHMAN AGENCY from publisher PENGUIN for his manuscript "SUN & SHADE" a sweeping story of three black American families during historical times.




*******************************

[END]
Note that they claim to be for subscribers only. (Right.) I also find it amusing that they include these announcements of mega-sales. Are we supposed to believe that these came from eQuery customers?
 
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Unimportant

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I got two copies too, but they were a few hours apart. Stupid spammers.
 

Mac H.

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"The eQuery for my manuscript "Inquisition" turned out spectacularly including requests for it from major publishers (Doubleday, Random House, Simon & Shuster, HarperCollins, Berkley Publishing, St. Martin's Press, Knopf, Bantam Dell) and the big NY agencies (International Creative Management, Writers House, Curtis Brown, Zachary Shuster Harmsworth).

I recommend eQueryonline to any writer!"

-- Jack Eddinger / Baltimore, Maryland April 2, 2006
I'm wondering why he went to AuthorHouse then.
Does eQuery figure people won't check this stuff? Or that people won't know that AuthorHouse is a vanity press?

"The dumbest thing I've ever done is NOT use eQuery Online sooner! I received responses to read my manuscript from people at Bantam Dell, Kensington Publishers, Penguin Group, and so many agents! I recommend you to every writer!"

-- Julie Palella / Naples, Florida
.. and then she signed up with PublishAmerica! (I'm complaining about the publisher, not the novel. The excerpt of the novel that I read was surprisingly good.)

Sheesh.

I wonder if Tor Books knows that Tor Books has been recently requesting manuscripts via eQuery ?

The curious thing is that it must have some success - because Steve Carlson did sell his first novel 'Almost Graceland' to St Martin's Press/Thomas Dunne Books. Darn. I hate it when things aren't clear cut.

Mac
 
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BarbJ

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Please notice also that the list of authors who sold books for major coin in Part B has nothing whatever to do with the pitch to go send money to eQuery.com in Part A -- none of those authors in Part B used or were associated in any way with eQuery. They just want you to associate the two in your mind.

I've read about this guy named Tolstoy or Toadstool or something who wrote this really big book about War and Peace. Send me money. :tongue
 

Mac H.

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OK, clearly they are spamming some pretty inappropriate venues. There doesn't seem to be a thousand valid places to send a genre piece, yet eQueryOnline spams a thousand places for the writer.

However, the testimonials quoted do appear genuine. If they weren't genuine, then they wouldn't be dumb enough to use names that can later be traced to PublishAmerica & AuthorHouse - which makes eQueryOnline look very ineffective! (Although PublishAmerica does appear to meet its criteria for receiving the spam)

So surely that is reason to suspect that the sale to St Martin's Press (by the named author) is genuine? After all - spam may be terrible for the 99.9% of people receiving it.. but it does work in the 0.1% of cases - which is why people make money from it.

I'm curious how they manage to ignore the law on spam, though. The laws don't allow the eQueryOnline to simply not include unsubscribe instructions simply because it is one-shot spam operation for a specific client - if it did then NO spam would be required to include unsubscribe instructions!

Since eQueryOnline seems to be hated by those on the receiving end (even if they are fooled into requesting work via it occasionally because it doesn't self-identify as being eQueryOnline) perhaps it this illegal behaviour is what should be targeted instead of the effectiveness.

Mac
 

victoriastrauss

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When I wrote my blog post, linked above, they did not post names--just initials, or initials plus last names.

One of the many reasons I'm extremely skeptical of their claims is that so many of the publishers their ecstatic clients say they've been contacted by are agent-only publishers. It says so the publishers' websites.

There really is a Steve Carlson of Jacksonville, Oregon, whose first novel, Almost Graceland, is coming out from Thomas Dunne Books in November. According to the book's catalog listing, St. Martin's Press holds both UK and foreign rights, which suggest to me that Mr. Carlson did sell his book without an agent. He's a professional actor, and the author of two nonfiction books on acting, both published by real publishers. Nonfiction authors often don't know the ins and outs of selling fiction, but he's not exactly a novice.

If you throw water at a table, some of it's probably going to go into the glass sitting on the table. That doesn't mean it's a good way of getting something to drink.

- Victoria
 

CaoPaux

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Site hung on until '10, but domain is now a Thai travel blog.