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[Agency] Inkwell Management

rifferaff

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I'm still awaiting a response on my full from Catherine Drayton that I sent in early August. But I just checked PM and see she's been involved in five deals (!!) over the past week. So she's been busy!
 

SeymourPats

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I'm a contracts lawyer and I would be very, very VERY worried about this clause.

First off, the provisions are VERY broad, and much more broad than anything else I've seen. This goes way beyond the standard "some of our clients might have come up with something similiar" clause. They basically say that they can take anything that isn't "legally protected.

Second, they use defined terms like "legally protected" without ever explaining what that is. By "legally protected" do they mean "copyright" or do they mean "protected under the law (and under which law)?

Third, copyright suits are incredibly difficult to win. Plots and themes aren't owned by anyone (for example, no one can copyright the theme of a love triangle). To win a copyright suit, someone basically needs to take your whole story.
 

rifferaff

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finally heard back from catherine drayton on my YA urban fantasy - rejection. here's the timeline of events:

equery - 7/29/10
partial request - 8/5/10
full request - 8/8/10
full rejection - 10/8/10
 

Ruth2

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finally heard back from catherine drayton on my YA urban fantasy - rejection. here's the timeline of events:

equery - 7/29/10
partial request - 8/5/10
full request - 8/8/10
full rejection - 10/8/10

:Hug2: Keep going! You'll find the right agent!
 

Datahog

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Wow, no one with any bites/news on Inkwell since August?

Well my coauthor and I got a full request on a thriller from Kim Witherspoon a couple weeks ago, and we've tentatively got a phone meeting Friday with her. (We have an offer on the table from another agency and she knows that and had liked our opening chapters and wants to keep reading.) Fingers crossed!
 

midazolam

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I have a full out with Catherine Drayton. First she requested the partial, then the full about 10 days later - I sent it earlier this week. I'll post with any updates!
 

H_SCAR

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Wow, no one with any bites/news on Inkwell since August?

Well my coauthor and I got a full request on a thriller from Kim Witherspoon a couple weeks ago, and we've tentatively got a phone meeting Friday with her. (We have an offer on the table from another agency and she knows that and had liked our opening chapters and wants to keep reading.) Fingers crossed!

I sent out to Inkwell in June and signed w/ them in August. They were slow to initially respond (2 months) then fast to read and make an offer once I emailed I had other interest elsewhere. Don't know what difference it would make to others querying InkWell, but I write voice-driven literary fiction.
 

Dr. Johnson

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I sent out to Inkwell in June and signed w/ them in August. They were slow to initially respond (2 months) then fast to read and make an offer once I emailed I had other interest elsewhere. Don't know what difference it would make to others querying InkWell, but I write voice-driven literary fiction.

Hi H Scar,

I'm querying on a voice-driven literary historical. I've looked at the Inkwell bios. and I can't tell who would be best to query. Do you have a suggestion?

Thanks,

Doc
 

H_SCAR

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Hey Doc,

I'd read the bios, send it along to who you think it'll match, and say something like, "if you feel this project might be a better fit for another agent at InkWell, then I'd certainly be grateful if you would pass it along."

I sent mine to a specific agent, but it went into the general inquiry pool and a reader (not an agent) snagged it from there and then sent it to an agent.



Hi H Scar,

I'm querying on a voice-driven literary historical. I've looked at the Inkwell bios. and I can't tell who would be best to query. Do you have a suggestion?

Thanks,

Doc
 

Krista G.

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Queried Ms. Drayton 11/4
Rejection received 11/15

YA science fiction
 

Dr. Johnson

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Hey Doc,

I'd read the bios, send it along to who you think it'll match, and say something like, "if you feel this project might be a better fit for another agent at InkWell, then I'd certainly be grateful if you would pass it along."

I sent mine to a specific agent, but it went into the general inquiry pool and a reader (not an agent) snagged it from there and then sent it to an agent.

Thanks for the tip, H Scar. I'll give it a try. And best of success with your book!

Doc
 

moorockmomma

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I wanted to share my experience with Catherine Drayton:

EQ: 11/13
Partial request (30 pages): 11/18
Pass: 11/21

"Thanks for sending me a sample of your work. Unfortunately it isn’t for me.
good luck,
Catherine"

Thirty pages. Three days. Quick and easy. She sent the partial request at 11pm at night and when I replied with the submission, she even took the time to reply back a few minutes later to let me know that she got it. It was after 12 a.m. I couldn't ask for anything more. All I kept thinking was: wow, this is how she treats people who query? Instant replies? Her clients are so lucky.

I know it may not seem like a big deal, but little things like that really help this process feel like a well-oiled machine. Ms. Drayton is a class act. Not to mention, she has some really awesome books that she's recently sold. I feel so great right now and I'm not really sure why. lol.

Onward and upward! And good luck to everyone else waiting to hear back from any of the agents at Inkwell. You can do eeeeeeit!!!
 

happywritermom

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Catherine Drayton represents a good friend of mine, a debut author whose first novel has hit the NY Times Best Seller list a couple of times. She got her a large advance and two amazing book tours --one for hard cover and one for paperback. She's definitely worth waiting for. Even if you even got a full request from her and she rejected it, I would count that as a success. If she was interested enough to make the request, you'll likely find a good agent for your work eventually. Just keep trying.
 

C.H. Valentino

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Anyone had any dealings with Julie Schilder at this agency? She requested a full June 30th 2010 with a note saying she'd share it with David Forrer (who I originally queried) and now, her name is no long listed on their site and her profile with them is gone.

Does any one know if she went somewhere else, or have any dealings with her? I can't turn up any info on her.

CHV
 
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C.H. Valentino

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Nevermind ya'll : Sent her a nudge and here's the auto-response via email:

"As of November 19th, I will no longer be at InkWell Management.If you need assistance at InkWell, please contact William Callahan at [email protected], ext 212. "

Nice.
 

JulietG

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Perhaps since she was going to share your full with David Forrer, you can email David and/or William to ask about your manuscript? Chances are that it might be with someone else, and if not--and they know a full was requested--they'll probably ask you to resend. Good luck!
 

augusto

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AQ page says: "Please note: despite what is stated on InkWell's website guidelines, Ms. Drayton manages her own submission emails and prefers to receive emails directly to her individual email address [catherine@]." There's also a Sept '10 deal listed, so it seems current. QT and the website list a 'submissions' address. Where have you folks been sending your queries?
 

Krista G.

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AQ page says: "Please note: despite what is stated on InkWell's website guidelines, Ms. Drayton manages her own submission emails and prefers to receive emails directly to her individual email address [catherine@]." There's also a Sept '10 deal listed, so it seems current. QT and the website list a 'submissions' address. Where have you folks been sending your queries?

August, I sent mine to the personal e-mail you mentioned and received a rejection in 11 days back in November. However, other people over at QT said they sent to the general submissions address and also received a reply, so she probably looks at both.
 

richcapo

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Hello, board:

Just wondering, if you had to choose between Wylie and Inkwell to represent a work of unusual literary fiction, which agency would you go with? Both are reading my full and have been extraordinarily pleasant to deal with. Wylie represents several authors whose work is similar to mine, but Inkwell was really just so warm and enthusiastic about accepting my full that I'm having a hard time deciding between the two.

Thanks, guys,

Richard
 

pollymilton

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equeried Catherine Drayton today and got a partial request 20 minutes later. Women's fiction - bookclubs/upmarket, blerg....