The Endeavor Agency, LLC (Richard Abate)

Dear Rachel,

I have a recent story about Richard Abate. Last November I queried him about a novel I'd written and he asked to see it. After a few weeks he wrote me a lengthy letter and said he liked the novel, but wanted some changes. "I'd be delighted to have another look," is what he said. I thought, WOW! Richard Abate. Anyway, I made the changes, but in the meantime I began to query other agents because you can never be sure if you've done the right things to the ms. One agent was Brigid Wagner at Segalyn Agency. In the query I mentioned that Richard Abate had liked the novel but that he wanted changes. Wagner, without reading the entire query, assumed that I had used Abate's name falsely. She called me a liar and said I had said that Abate recommended that I contact her. I said nothing of the sort in the query. She obviously only read the first sentence or two. She said she was a friend of Abate and she'd called him and he said he'd never recommended me to anyone. I was outraged and tried to call her so that she could retract what had been said. Finally her boss gave me a luke-warm apology. In the meantime Abate left ICM and went to Endeavor and has bounced all of my emails back and won't listen to the facts about what happened.
That is my experience with Richard Abate.

Gerry

I got an agent for the novel, Steve Schwartz, at the Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency in the meantime. However, I still feel angry about being called a liar. It goes to show you that some agents don't really read queries. I sent the same query out to other agents and they responded kindly and did not misconstrue what I said.

Endeavor Literary Agency

Does anyone have any experience with/thoughts on Endeavor's book division, functioning as of May 2007 as a literary agency? I found a few dated posts around the time that Endeavor opened it's literary doors, but nothing since.

Rebecca Oliver was at a conference that I attended, and I was trying to do a little homework before submitting. There's just not much out there, but it appears as if Endeavor has serious clout in the non-literary world. Will that transfer over to its new literary endeavors? (sorry - really not trying to make a bad pun there -- it was just the right word)

Thanks!

According to Publisher's Weekly, she has quite a pedigree:

Rebecca Oliver has joined Endeavor's New York book division as a literary agent. She will oversee foreign and domestic subsidiary rights and work alongside Richard Abate, who recently created the agency's East Coast book division. Oliver had been at Grand Central Publishing (formerly Warner Books) since 1999, first as associate director of domestic rights and most recently as associate director of subsidiary Rights, handling serial and translation rights for GCP and its imprints. In 2001, she oversaw the launch of the Hachette Book Group's large print program. Oliver began her book publishing career in 1996 at St. Martin's Press selling domestic and foreign rights.

Click to expand...

I think this is confusing; I do not believe they publish books. Are they a branch of Endevor, the powerful Hollywood agency? If so, wow.

Yes, they are a New York-based branch of the big Hollywood agency. It all sounds very promising, but I haven't been able to find much of a track record since they've opened their doors (granted, it's only been 6 months...).

Found this at the South Carolina Writers Workshop Conference website:

"At Endeavor her clients are diverse and range from practical non-fiction (Dr. Michelle Callahan, Dating Detox) to memoir (John DeLucie, The Hunger) to fiction across all genres."

Fiction across all genres? I can't imagine her repping all genres.

This is a recent sale (posted on 10/19/07 at a blog called The Swivet):

Brunonia Barry's originally self-published debut supernatural thriller THE LACE READER, about a woman who can see the future by reading patterns in lace who returns home to Salem, Massachusetts after her great-aunt goes missing, to Laurie Chittenden at William Morrow, in a major deal, reportedly for $2 million (NY Mag), at auction, by Rebecca Oliver at Endeavor (world English).

~Nancy

Wow, that's some high profile agency!

RICHARD ABATE REPLIED TO MY EMAIL WITHIN AN HOUR OF SENDING IT HE REPLIED "SEND IN" I REPLIED WITH A THANKS FOR THE QUICK RESPONSE BUT THEN ASKED IF HE WANTED THE ENTIRE MANUSCRIPT SENT VIA SNAILMAIL OR EMAIL... I FEEL RATHER STUPID BECAUSE I IMAGINE HE MEANT THE ENTIRE MANUSCRIPT SNAILMAIL BUT I'VE NEVER HAD THAT RESPONSE FROM AN AGENT BEFORE. IM KICKING MYSELF. I'M STILL GONNA SEND IT I JUST HOPE HE DOESN'T FIND ME TO BE TOTAL IDIOT NOW!

My policy is always, "If you don't know, ask." Better for them to think you're an idiot than for you to guess wrong about what they want.

He responded back, simply stating "mail"... sso off it goesith!

Contact info for Abate

Does anyone have his contact information?

ENDEAVOR LIT AGENCY-PH. #

Does anyone have Endeavor lit. agency's phone number in New York?

AppleTree76 said:

Does anyone have Endeavor lit. agency's phone number in New York?

Click to expand...

I sent this to you in a PM.

I sent a snail mail query to Richard Abate on February 12th regarding my non-fiction book. I told him that my book proposal with sample chapters is available upon request. I just got an email from his assistant stating, "Richard will be happy to take a look at your manuscript. Please send it to us at..."

I've never had my manuscript rejected before. This will be a who;e new experience. If he decides to rep me, THAT will really be a new experience.

I sent the full then received an email before Christmas- his assistant stating not for me!

AppleTree76 said:

I sent the full then received an email before Christmas- his assistant stating not for me!

Click to expand...

Is your book fiction or non-fiction?

Has anyone queried Rebecca Oliver? Know what her response time is like? Thanks.

I queried her on 4-17 and have heard nothing. After a month plus i'm guessing that's a 'no thanks'.

No-No River Rat

River Rat,

A month plus is not that long. I've attended a number of writer's conferences. Most agents sort through approximately 250 queries, not to mention partials per day. Average turnover from the dozen or so agents I've talked with is approximately 60 days. Hang in there.

The one and only,
Transom-jumper

(Faithfully jumping through editor's transoms since 1967)

Thanks for the words of encouragement Transom. Seems like I hear back on my queries relatively quickly or not at all ever - hence the assumption of rejection. I remain blindly optimistic, however.

Rebecca Oliver

I sent an email query July 12, got a request for 30 pp. July 14 with a warning that it would take her "some time" to get to.

Endeavor

Endeavor is expanding their lit department by adding Kirby Kim, who joins the Agency from Vigliano Associates, and Trena Keating, who joins from her position as editor-in-chief of Penguin's Dutton imprint.