[Agency] Trident Media Group

Ahhhhh good luck Joy!!!!

Trident Media

Hi everyone! I'm new to AW and just want to say how much I love all the threads for researching.

So, I have a completed ms and am in query mode like everyone else here and I wanted to throw my towel into the ring regarding TMG and the waiting game.

Signed the electronic online form and sent query via online. Waited a month and sent a hand written note to Kimberly Whalen. I immediately got an email from her assistant stating they never got the query.They asked for a full within 24 hrs.

At the end of the exclusive I sent a very polite email. No response. Then waited a month and sent another polite email asking if they were still interested. Silence. 10 weeks later I wrote a hand note and mailed it. Nothing. I can only assume I've been rejected and I am moving on. I just don't have a good feeling about it.

I know a literary attorney that deals with all the top agents/publishers in NY. He is called in a lot by authors to fire their agent and find them a new one b/c they're a bad match. He then brokers the deal with their new agent. He says that he has to fire - well established - agents frequently because the agents aren't doing anything and it happens a LOT.

He told me not to act desparate to sign with the first agent that's interested in my ms. Take a breath, step back and assess the situation/relationship/connection with that person.

If you have a bad feeling, that little voice in your head saying "I'm not sure about this person. Maybe I'm being paranoid because they are with a top agency." Listen to that. Just because an agent is top notch or from a big agency doesn't mean that they're the best match for you.

I thought his advice was excellent. He also said that so many first time authors jump the gun and sign with agents that aren't a good match then they're stuck a year, two later with, "I don't like my agent." Now, you have to wrangle out of the contract.

I'm not saying TMG is bad, I've only heard good things about them. It seems their correspondence is the only negative. Good luck to everyone.

Just my two cents here.

Welcome to AW, Kiki.

Sorry you had a bad experience with Trident. You never have to grant an exclusive, and they're really not in your best interest at the querying stage. Alyssa didn't ask me for one, so it's definitely not an all-Trident thing. I have been asked for them before by other agents, but I've always just declined. The agents still read.

Anyway, good luck. It is good advice to not get carried away by the first agent to express interest. I hope you find your match soon!

Kiki17 -- Welcome to the forum. I'm a little dubious of your attorney friend's advice because most agency contracts come with a termination clause. You mentioned contracts so I'm assuming he's not talking about handshake agreements.

If you're concerned, just make sure any agreement you make with an agent includes a written contract with a termination clause you're comfortable with.

Recently, I sent a query to a Trident Media Group agent. He replied promptly and requested a synopsis, which I provided. Next, without requesting my manuscript, he asked to have a discussion over the phone. To make a long story short, he called and after over an hour of conversation, he told me that he charges a fee for putting together a proposal. I was, not surprisingly, taken aback and made a polite excuse for saying no.
Following the conversation, I carefully researched both Trident Media Group and the agent in question. I found no red flags in cyberspace. Just to clarify, I am speaking of Trident Media Group in NY. I am new to the world of agents and publishing however, I have contacts in the industry and research agents carefully. The situation seemed highly irregular. The agent in question has been discussed in a positive light in this thread... Has anyone had a similar experience with a Trident agent?

Workaholic, was this for fiction or nonfiction? Not that they would normally charge for one over the other, but I'm curious.

I can't get the page on their website about print publishing to load, but if anyone else can, are they now charging for certain things?

It was for non-fiction. From what I saw on their website, they charge commission only: http://www.tridentmediagroup.com/contact-us

Maybe someone with more experience in nonfiction will weigh in. I don't know what to say, but I think it's good you are posting here.

Money should flow towards the writer, not away from them. I'm not a non-fiction writer, and I'm also hoping one will weigh in, but this is setting off alarm bells for me.

I also believe putting together a non-fic proposal is the job of the writer, not the agent...

Can you name the agent who's acting irregularly?

One thing to be wary of is that some sleezy organisations do use names similar to the Trident Media Group to try and confuse writers into thinking they're legit. Trident Media company is one such organisation.

Very irregular, Workaholic. Who was the agent?

Trident Media Group?

Anyone here have experience with Trident Media Group in NYC?
I sent a query yesterday and received a request for a full. I realize that this was a fast response...hell, I am stunned they even responded. I am new at this game, and this is the only agent I sent a query to, because I was very impressed with the agency, and the particular agent seems incredible.
Frankly, I was on the fence about seeking an agent, but I feel like I am getting to the point where the marketing and business aspect of this gig are taking a chunk out of my writing time. I need to be able to focus on writing.
So, my question is, how long does it typically take an agent to read your manuscript & respond? Should I follow up in a month or two, or should I wait longer? If anyone has experience with this agency in particular I would appreciate the input.
TY

There is an existing thread for Trident Media. You can find a link to it in the index.

Congrats!
Just checked out the Trident website. It's new. They say to query without pages. They will ask for manuscripts etc. Then they say they don't accept simultaneous submissions. Is this for real? Unless it's your very first sub, as the OP, it's not possible.

Thanks for those who linked me/suggested the thread on this agency, I am checking it out.

merlot143 said:

Congrats!
Just checked out the Trident website. It's new. They say to query without pages. They will ask for manuscripts etc. Then they say they don't accept simultaneous submissions. Is this for real? Unless it's your very first sub, as the OP, it's not possible.

Click to expand...

I followed the direction under the submissions tab to use the online form. There is a pull down menu to select the agent you want to query. I used the online submission form, which you need to cut & paste your query into. Then I received an email request(to my personal email, which I listed in the query) in response for the full, with the waiver attached. She asked for it to be exclusive to them, which I am fine with since I am not sending out any other queries. I signed the waiver, scanned it, and sent it back as an attachment with a pdf of my book.

I hope this makes sense. Yes, I am new to seeking an agent, this is all nerve-wracking for me. It appears the submission protocol for this agency has changed over the last few months, according to posts in the other thread (which I am still going through, tx for pointing me there.)
I just don't want to make any mistakes if I can help it, as far as how long to wait for them to read my full.

I will ask the mods to move this

I think (I could be wrong, I haven't queried them in awhile) that they don't take simultaneous submissions to multiple agents at the agency. I certainly had several queries out at a time.

I also always included 5 pages of the document, and saw my request rate go up when I did. It's one of those rules I think it's worth breaking. Great pages can salvage a mediocre query, after all, or push someone who is on the fence to make a request (or reject, depending on quality).

I do remember Trident having an odd waiver you had to agree to before submitting, but I just filled out the form online and queried as usual.

I did read that they required a waiver before submitting the query, but this appears to have changed I think. I used the online form for the query and followed the directions.
Then they responded to my query & sent me the waiver and requested my full manuscript(in the same email). So I didn't have to fill out the waiver just to submit the query.
It was a pretty straightforward process. I imagine if they like it, they will get in touch with me sooner, rather than later?

This is the Trident Media I've submitted to (and got rejected):

http://www.tridentmediagroup.com/

Let's make really sure we're all talking about the same company here.

tbrosz said:

This is the Trident Media I've submitted to (and got rejected):

http://www.tridentmediagroup.com/

Let's make really sure we're all talking about the same company here.

Click to expand...

Yes, that's the one I am referring to.

Hi everyone! Thanks JoyMC and EMaree for the welcome and advice. I'm new to all this and this forum is so helpful! Thank you JoyMC for the exclusive info and EMaree on the termination clause in the writers contract.

I' just don't want to make a mistake but I know I will and it's part of the learning process....

Off to query...

Quick question for everyone:

When an agent/publisher asks for a full ms and then asks do I have it out anywhere else. Is it okay to tell them where and who?

For example: I had a small publisher - referral from a freind - ask to read the full ms and I sent it. When they asked me if anyone else was reading it, I said yes. Then they asked who and I hesitated but told them.

"It's at Trident."

"Which agent?"

"Kimberly Whalen."

Can some of you weigh in on this?

Thanks!

Kiki, they are within their rights to ask (always ask what you want to know) and you are within your rights to give the information or say you'd rather not share it.

Unsolicited advice: Don't query agents and publishers at the same time. If you want an agent, query them first. If you want to query publishers agent-free, start with the biggest presses first. Either way, keep small-press referrals in your pocket. If you get an offer, you may be put into the position of making a decision before you're really ready and explored all your options.

kellion92 said:

Unsolicited advice: Don't query agents and publishers at the same time. If you want an agent, query them first. If you want to query publishers agent-free, start with the biggest presses first.

Click to expand...

Good advice.