Frances Goldin Literary Agency

Plix:

I don't know anything about Ellen Geiger, but the Francis Goldin Agency is very legit. FG represents Barbara Kingsolver and seems to really love that type of fiction (somewhat political, socially progressive).

Grommet

Too funny, grommet! I was going to say that I don't know anything about the agency, but Ellen Geiger has been around FOREVER! She was with Curtis Brown Agency for years and is very well respected!

Sounds like a good place to query, Plix! Good luck!

Frances Goldin Literary Agency?

Does anyone have first-hand information about them? Their website seems impressive, including their client list, but I'm having trouble getting a read on them (no pun intended).

Very professional, old school agency - requested a partial via my SASE. The rejection came in about a month, within the time frame that Ms. Goldin set.

Goldin is legit

Very professional, cordial. One of the nicest, most personal rejection letters I'd gotten!

Matt McGowan at Frances Goldin Literary

Does anyone have experience with this agent? I sent him an email query and he responded saying that I should send him my entire manuscript. I thought this was kind of unusual since most agents ask for a partial first and then if they're interested, the whole thing. He didn't say how long it would take him to read the manuscript, why he was asking for the whole thing, or give me any instructions or information, such as to mark the envelope "Requested Material." Other agents I've contacted have asked me to mark the envelope requested material so it doesn't end up in the slush pile, but he's obviously not concerned about this. Seems odd to me.

There are two threads on the Frances Goldin agency listed in the index.
http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21798
http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30172

Legit agency. Long story short, it's not completely odd for an agent to ask for a full based on a query only, even if it is a bit unusual. Since he didn't ask for an exclusive, he probably won't give you a timeline, and I believe it was Miss Snark herself who said she doesn't ask for "Requested Material" to be put on the covers either, since sneaky writers have tried to bypass the slush pile the same way.

Thanks, but I don't know if I want to spend $10 mailing the manuscript w/o a timeline. I mean, am I supposed to weight 6 months for him to get back to me or never get back to me??

Eh, it's been 4 1/2 months since I sent one agent a mailed manuscript and I haven't heard anything yet either. It's just part of the business. I would suggest going for it, since this is a good agency, and if they signed you and sold the manuscript to a publisher, it would more than make up for the $10.

It's not unusual. I went from query to full to rep.

Tri

It seems to me that you either lay the money down or you fold up and walk away.

How long did it take you to write your book? It's not worth $10.00? Send it second class, or even third class book if you don't have the money.

Regards,
Scott

The postage from all the submissions add up over time, so it's not just the $10. I'm trying to submit to people I think are SERIOUSLY interested. Since he didn't say anything other than to send him the manuscript (no timeline, no comments as to why he is interested), I sort of think maybe he does this all the time and isn't extremely interested in my book. I googled him and found someone's blog where they said they submitted a partial to him and never heard back.

Most writers are happy to get requests for the ms. And they send them out because they know that this is a numbers game (otherwise known as a subjective business). You might get ten requests for the full before you get an offer. Or you might never get an offer. Most people don't.

Some agents say they liked the idea, or liked the sample writing you sent them. Others are terse, not saying anything except send the ms. That could be a good sign--that they're busy--or could mean that they don't want to get involved in unnecessary correspondence. As an author you have no way of knowing, so you just send it out and query a new batch of agents.

Some agents will give you a timeline, but most don't. Some agents are rude and don't respond if they don't like your submission, even when you include an SASE. That's just the nature of the business. Get used to it.

just_a_girl said:

The postage from all the submissions add up over time, so it's not just the $10. I'm trying to submit to people I think are SERIOUSLY interested. Since he didn't say anything other than to send him the manuscript (no timeline, no comments as to why he is interested), I sort of think maybe he does this all the time and isn't extremely interested in my book. I googled him and found someone's blog where they said they submitted a partial to him and never heard back.

Click to expand...

You should feel very thankful that anyone legit wants to look at your work.
Go look at the rejections threads and see how many people round here would give their teeth to have a legit agent request their full manuscript.
Legit agents do not waste their time by requesting manuscripts they are not seriously interested in. If $10 or ten times $10 seems like too much to invest in trying to get your book published by a 'real' publisher then I suggest you quit now.

I was formerly represented by Susan Schulman, a legit agent. She didn't sell my book b/c she really didn't care that much. It's not just about finding someone who is legit, it's about someone who really connects with your work and will be an advocate for it. That's an agent's job. I think you all need to raise your standards a bit.

Why would you query someone and then not send the full he asked for? That makes no sense to me. I guess I don't understand your standards.

Raise our standards? I thought the problem was the ten bucks and the absence of ego stroking?

Raise our standards? In what way?

I have had 8 US agents, including two from 'big name' agencies and two 'hot, young and upcoming agents', request my full manuscript. The requests were all short 'please send the full manuscript to the address below' type messages. What were you expecting? Singing telegrams?
Incidentally, as I'm in the UK, each full manuscript submission by airmail costs me close to $40. I'll think it money well spent if someone offers me representation.

Singing telegram

waylander said:

Raise our standards? In what way?

I have had 8 US agents, including two from 'big name' agencies and two 'hot, young and upcoming agents', request my full manuscript. The requests were all short 'please send the full manuscript to the address below' type messages. What were you expecting? Singing telegrams?
Incidentally, as I'm in the UK, each full manuscript submission by airmail costs me close to $40. I'll think it money well spent if someone offers me representation.

Click to expand...

Thanks. You're the first person who replied that seems to have any idea of what they're talking about.

I decided to ask him for an estimate of his reading time before I sent the manuscript. He emailed me back and said probably a few weeks. I thanked him for getting back to, said that sounded good, and sent him the manuscript. He received it on a friday and I got my rejection (via email) on Tuesday. He said he "took a look" over the weekend and saw that it wasn't for him. What a flake!!! He should have asked me for the first 50 pages if all he was going to do was "take a look." I knew something like this would happen, but everyone on this message board was all like, you should be grateful, blah, blah. From now on I'm going with my gut.

Matt McGowan is a flake!!!!!

BEWARE: If Matt McGowan asks you for your full manuscript after only a query letter, save yourself the postage!!!!!!!!!!! I just don't get my he didn't ask for a sample if he wasn't going to read the whole thing???? And then to ADMIT all he did was "take a look." STAY AWAY form Matt McGowan.

You seem a little hysterical, just. I'd always send the ms, if they would let me. The cost is minimal.