Ricia Mainhardt Agency

nicolesingslave · Aug 15, 2009

Seem to have no $ on PE, http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/pealr.htm
Amazon.com shows that Jim Butcher was represented by Ms.Mainhardt.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias=stripbooks&field-keywords=ricia+mainhardt
I just went to her website. Apparently, fire gutted her office.

Rowan · Aug 16, 2009

Both Jim Butcher and Laurell K. Hamilton were once represented by Ricia... they have both since moved on (Butcher to Donald Maas Lit/Jennifer Jackson and Hamilton to Writer's House/Merrilee Heifetz).

MMcQuown · Aug 19, 2009

Status of...? (Ricia Mainhardt)

Ricia Mainhardt. When I was first looking for an agent, I ran across her listing, and since it said she took on new writers, I sent her a query. After that, I heard about her accident. Does anyone know how she is doing? I gather it was pretty bad.

cooeedownunder · Aug 19, 2009

Sorry I can't answer that, maybe someone else might, but welcome :hi:

Ruth2 · Aug 19, 2009

Welcome to the party!

poetinahat · Aug 19, 2009

Spirited this thread from Newbies over to B&BC. Also changing the thread title so the question is more apparent at a glance.

ETA: Here's a thread on Ricia. For future reference, please try searching the forums before starting a new thread - the information you seek may already be here!

Rowan · Aug 21, 2009

MMcQuown said:
Ricia Mainhardt. When I was first looking for an agent, I ran across her listing, and since it said she took on new writers, I sent her a query. After that, I heard about her accident. Does anyone know how she is doing? I gather it was pretty bad.

I spoke to Ms. Mainhardt in early August 2008 when she came back from hiatus (car accident). She requested my full MS (via phone) based on an e-mail query at which time I inquired as to her recovery --- she said she was doing much better.

Unfortunately, I never heard back from her following my submission so I can only assume she passed and is hopefully on the mend (physically).

EgyptianGoddess · Aug 22, 2009

Rowan said:
I spoke to Ms. Mainhardt in early August 2008 when she came back from hiatus (car accident). She requested my full MS (via phone) based on an e-mail query at which time I inquired as to her recovery --- she said she was doing much better.

Unfortunately, I never heard back from her following my submission so I can only assume she passed and is hopefully on the mend (physically).

Didn't you query a status? If not, why wouldn't you? I sure would.

Rowan · Aug 22, 2009

EgyptianGoddess said:
Didn't you query a status? If not, why wouldn't you? I sure would.

Uh, that would be a YES (please see my previous post, think it's on page 2 here).

Twice in fact --- I resubmitted my original e-mail (with the full that she had requested) and nudged once more after I didn't get a response following that. I even queried her with a different project in Jan 2009 just to see if she'd respond to that! Very frustrating following my conversation w/her.

I also left her a voice mail to ensure she'd rec'd said manuscript and got no response that route either (as she'd given me her number and said to call if I had any questions/concerns). I predict there is something going on there - perhaps she came back to work before she was ready? Who knows. I'd sure be interested to hear if anyone has signed w/Ricia in the past year...

EgyptianGoddess · Aug 22, 2009

Rowan said:
Uh, that would be a YES (please see my previous post, think it's on page 2 here). Twice in fact --- I resubmitted my original e-mail (with the full that she had requested) and nudged once more after I didn't get a response following that. I even queried her with a different project in Jan 2009 just to see if she'd respond to that! Very frustrating following my conversation w/her.

I also left her a voice mail to ensure she'd rec'd said manuscript and got no response that route either (as she'd given me her number and said to call if I had any questions/concerns). I predict there is something going on there - perhaps she came back to work before she was ready? Who knows. I'd sure be interested to hear if anyone has signed w/Ricia in the past year...

I'm sorry, I didn't go back that far in the thread to read. Ya know, you gotta ask though....if you finally got a response now, after all this, would you want her as an agent? I mean, so you get signed....do you think you'd get published? Or would you be sitting there for months on end, trying to nudge her along, find out if your work is being submitted, or is anything really happening with your work?

I don't think I would.

Rowan · Aug 23, 2009

EgyptianGoddess said:
I'm sorry, I didn't go back that far in the thread to read. Ya know, you gotta ask though....if you finally got a response now, after all this, would you want her as an agent? I mean, so you get signed....do you think you'd get published? Or would you be sitting there for months on end, trying to nudge her along, find out if your work is being submitted, or is anything really happening with your work?

I don't think I would.

Oh, I have no intention of signing with her - ever. Period. Full stop. :tongue

I just wanted to see if she'd respond so I could get her thoughts on my submission and because I'm curious as to what happened to her....not that I would necessarily change anything based on her opinion BUT she once represented two highly respected urban fantasy authors (Butcher & Hamilton) and one horror author (Garton) and therefore at one time had respectable taste, etc. Make any sense?

HapiSofi · Aug 23, 2009

Rowan said:
Oh, I have no intention of signing with her - ever. Period. Full stop. I just wanted to see if she'd respond so I could get her thoughts on my submission ...

That is, you're trying to use her as a free critique service?

If Ricia's trying to get back on her feet, I say more power to her. But her time, judgement, and reputation are all she has to sell, just like any other agent.

and because I'm curious as to what happened to her...

Why? Do you care about her?

...not that I would necessarily change anything based on her opinion...

You want her advice, but you don't regard it as necessarily having any value? I guess that fits with wanting to get it for free.

One seldom sees writers being quite so refreshingly blunt.

BUT she once represented two highly respected urban fantasy authors (Butcher & Hamilton) and one horror author (Garton) and therefore at one time had respectable taste, etc.

I don't think you have any idea whether her taste or perceptivity were affected by her accident.

Make any sense?

Maybe. Let me check: You don't respect Ricia, and you aren't shy about letting the general public know it. You're assuming that she's damaged goods, and therefore her time and effort are of no great value, and therefore it's appropriate for you to waste that time and effort when you have no intention of taking her on as your agent.

Have I got that right? I wouldn't want to misinterpret you.

Rowan · Aug 23, 2009

HapiSofi said:
That is, you're trying to use her as a free critique service?

If Ricia's trying to get back on her feet, I say more power to her. But her time, judgement, and reputation are all she has to sell, just like any other agent.
Why? Do you care about her?
You want her advice, but you don't regard it as necessarily having any value? I guess that fits with wanting to get it for free.

One seldom sees writers being quite so refreshingly blunt.
I don't think you have any idea whether her taste or perceptivity were affected by her accident.
Maybe. Let me check: You don't respect Ricia, and you aren't shy about letting the general public know it. You're assuming that she's damaged goods, and therefore her time and effort are of no great value, and therefore it's appropriate for you to waste that time and effort when you have no intention of taking her on as your agent.

Have I got that right? I wouldn't want to misinterpret you.

HAPISOFI:
As you don't personally know me I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't make assumptions as to my intent or meaning. It appears you're just attacking my post -- which in no way indicates that I wanted to "use Ms. Mainhardt as a free critique service" or that I feel she's "damaged goods" and I don't appreciate your insinuations (or accusations). That's all I'm going to say on the matter because you're putting words in my mouth and also MISREPRESENTING what I've said in a highly inappropriate manner. You appear to have some deep-seated personal problem with me when I've done nothing to you.

EGYPTIAN GODDESS: I hope you understood what I was trying to relay in response to your post.

Rowan

M.R.J. Le Blanc · Aug 23, 2009

Then perhaps you could explain more clearly what your meaning was? Because that's kind of how I took it as well. No intention of accepting an offer (if she made one) or making changes she suggests, but you query anyway? There's no logic to that.

Rowan · Aug 23, 2009

M.R.J. Le Blanc said:
Then perhaps you could explain more clearly what your meaning was? Because that's kind of how I took it as well. No intention of accepting an offer (if she made one) or making changes she suggests, but you query anyway? There's no logic to that.

I hesitate to respond for fear my words will be misconstrued or overanalyzed once again... :flag:

As Egyptian Goddess said... I wouldn't feel comfortable signing with an agent who is unresponsive (someone I don't feel I could personally rely on, etc.) I had hoped Ricia would respond so I could ask her not only what she thought about the initial submission (as we had 2 phone conversations in which she was very excited about it) and so I could determine if she was too sick to carry on, etc.My final phone conversation w/her led me to believe all was not well (that's all I'll say on that because it's pure speculation). I don't feel I should have to provide a life history here but Ricia was my DREAM agent, hence the frustration. I have the utmost respect for her (I never stated otherwise) but it would seem she's fallen off the map. Anyway, I was strongly agreeing w/EG that I wouldn't necessarily sign with her based on my previous experience (all things considered). - or any agent that I had a similar experience with. [I should note that when I submitted the follow-up query I included my initial query (the project she requested the full MS on) so while the logic may be faulty there was a method to my madness.]

Enough said.

Wonderlander · Aug 23, 2009

In fairness, I took it that it wasn't so much Rowan queried Ricia Mainhardt with a view to not signing with her, more it was frustration with how it had gone since had soured Rowan's view.

But EG is right. You need an agent that will correspond with you.

EgyptianGoddess · Aug 23, 2009

Ok....not sure that my opinion counts for much, but here goes:

I took the post by Rowan to mean this:

She had been excited to hear from Ricia, and would have been thrilled to have her as her agent. Her phone conversations got her even more excited. She sent in her work, then seemed to have dropped into the abyss....she nudged and hung on to the hope (since this was one of her dream agents). She didn't understand the silence after all that. She had a reason to worry that she was ok from something that was said, but since she didn't hear anything, she moved on. Now, she's simply curious about what happened and why. AND because Ricia WAS one of her dream agents, she would have appreciated hearing something personal about her work, not silence or a form rejection. Obviously, her opinion would have mattered to Rowan and maybe even helped her.

Now...what's wrong with that? Everyone of us has, at one time or another, said how we would appreciate REAL feedback on our work, even though we all know most agents don't do that, don't have the time, whatever....but it's still something we wish for. I know I have

Lots of us have been frusterated with silence, even a form rejection is better than the silence! Wouldn't you all agree?

As to Rowan not accepting her as her agent......that was certainly not what she intended wayyyyy back when she first queried. That is clear. She responded to MY remark about: if all you got was silence for all this long of a time, after multiple attempts to get a response, would you really want this person as your agent?

And her response was no.

I don't believe for a minute that she would have turned down representation had it been offered way back when. She would have been thrilled.

It seems that her post was picked apart, and nuances sought in "what she really meant" instead of being a little more objective and fair. She was also venting a little. None of you have ever done that?

Geeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. Can't we cut each other a little slack in here?

Cyia · Aug 23, 2009

Rowan said:
I don't feel I should have to provide a life history here but Ricia was my DREAM agent, hence the frustration.

Meh. "Dream agents" are overrated. What you want is the "right" agent, and you won't know you have the right agent until you go through all of the mundane and frustrating parts of weeding out the "wrong" agents. Someone made a pretty good analogy for "dream agent" assumptions (where someone just "knows" Agent X is the perfect person to rep them.) It's like a teenager with a crush on a celebrity - they think they know someone they've never actually met and based a lot of assumptions on attributes they only hear of second or third hand.

Keep going. It may very well turn out that your dream agent is one you haven't even heard of yet.

Rowan · Aug 23, 2009

EgyptianGoddess said:
I don't believe for a minute that she would have turned down representation had it been offered way back when. She would have been thrilled.

Thank you, Wonderlander and EgyptianGoddess.
I was BEYOND thrilled when my phone rang and I looked at the caller ID and saw "Mainhardt, Ricia" and spoke to her in person. I was even more thrilled when I had a subsequent voicemail and follow-up phone call requesting my full. [I still have the caller ID log and her voicemail saved...

] Ricia truly was my dream agent (I never imagined she would ever actually call me) and had she responded back in January 2009 - I would've signed w/her in a heartbeat.

I'm going to go pour myself a large glass of wine and perhaps keep my future responses to "Yes" and "No".

Cheers!

CYIA said: Meh. "Dream agents" are overrated. What you want is the "right" agent, and you won't know you have the right agent until you go through all of the mundane and frustrating parts of weeding out the "wrong" agents. Someone made a pretty good analogy for "dream agent" assumptions (where someone just "knows" Agent X is the perfect person to rep them.) It's like a teenager with a crush on a celebrity - they think they know someone they've never actually met and based a lot of assumptions on attributes they only hear of second or third hand.

Keep going. It may very well turn out that your dream agent is one you haven't even heard of yet.

You are right... There was just something about Ricia (call it a hunch), but you are right... and thank you.

Wonderlander · Aug 23, 2009

Cyia, that's very true and you made me laugh!

I had a dream agent... who "lost" my submission, and "lost" my friend's submission. I wasted a year on chasing this person.

On the other hand, having to change the materials to resubmit *yet again* honed them to the point where I got my real dream agent, and the same happened for my friend - couldn't be happier for him.

All's well that ends well, it seems!

EgyptianGoddess · Aug 23, 2009

Wonderlander said:
In fairness, I took it that it wasn't so much Rowan queried Ricia Mainhardt with a view to not signing with her, more it was frustration with how it had gone since had soured Rowan's view.

But EG is right. You need an agent that will correspond with you.

Objective and fair of you, wtg!

I don't know that Rowan would actually turn Ricia down if she called her today and offered to rep her (and I'm not saying she should).......my question was more along the lines of "thinking things through" before you leap to sign, and in asking more hard/direct questions after this experience.

I am a believer that things happen for a reason, and as long as a person continues to perserve and work hard for what they really want, what is right for them will work out in the end.

EgyptianGoddess · Aug 23, 2009

Rowan said:
. .......I'm going to go pour myself a large glass of wine and perhaps keep my future responses to "Yes" and "No".

Rowan said:

Don't you dare go back to lurking. (I sent you an email, btw). Everyone has the right to vent or post in this forum. You go right ahead! Not everyone is quick to pick other people's posts apart.

Keep working on getting an agent and keep on posting. Btw...what do you write?

Zada

Click to expand...

Rowan · Aug 23, 2009

EgyptianGoddess said:
Rowan said:

. .......I'm going to go pour myself a large glass of wine and perhaps keep my future responses to "Yes" and "No".

Rowan said:

Don't you dare go back to lurking. (I sent you an email, btw). Everyone has the right to vent or post in this forum. You go right ahead! Not everyone is quick to pick other people's posts apart.

Keep working on getting an agent and keep on posting. Btw...what do you write?

Zada

Click to expand...

I got your e-mail - thank you (replied) ...and you just had to ask a question where I can't use "yes" or "no"!

I primarily write adult contemporary / urban fantasy but I recently completed a YA CF (in hindsight I think it was a bit too much like Twilight). My current WIP is A/UF. What do you write? Why am I thinking paranormal (did you post that somewhere)?

Click to expand...

EgyptianGoddess · Aug 23, 2009

Rowan;3961268I got your e-mail - [I said:
thank you[/I] (replied) ...and you just had to ask a question where I can't use "yes" or "no"!

I primarily write adult contemporary / urban fantasy but I recently completed a YA CF (in hindsight I think it was a bit too much like Twilight). My current WIP is A/UF. What do you write? Why am I thinking paranormal (did you post that somewhere)?

I write crime/mysteries. The first one is done (it's gonna be a series) and my agent will start submitting it soon. I'm about 30K in the 2nd one. I sent you another email, btw

You know, I may just have to make myself a mango margarita.........lol

Rowan · Aug 23, 2009

EgyptianGoddess said:
I write crime/mysteries. The first one is done (it's gonna be a series) and my agent will start submitting it soon. I'm about 30K in the 2nd one. I sent you another email, btw

You know, I may just have to make myself a mango margarita.........lol

Crime/Mystery. Any feds involved?
Keep me posted on your publishing progress!! That's great news!

Great thing about being on the East Coast... already 1500 so not too early for cocktails.

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