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Charlotte Sheedy Literary Agency

Hopcus

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I would really love to submit directly to Meredith Kaffel at Charlotte Sheedy Lit but I can't find info for how to send just to her. I'm also a little confused as to whether Charlotte is still with Sterling Lord or if she has started her own agency. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
 

Appalachian Writer

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I lost it, but I think, from what I read on Query Tracker or was it Agent Query? Anyway, it says that Sheedy is the mother of Ally Sheedy (go figure) and she has an e-mail at Sterling Lord. It continues that "she also has her own literary agency." I'm not sure I've helped, but it looks like she represents far more than the Lemony Snicket stuff, lots of literary and commercial fiction. It seems, if I read it right before it vanished before my very eyes (I swear that sometimes I'm convinced that computers and the anti-Christ are somehow linked) she works with SLL and on her own. I read an article on Salon.com in which one person described her as having beautifully coiffed gray hair that surrounded a rosy face. I don't know why they'd include something like that, but it struck me and so I've transferred the info. Good luck!
 

ExposingCorruption

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I would really love to submit directly to Meredith Kaffel at Charlotte Sheedy Lit but I can't find info for how to send just to her. I'm also a little confused as to whether Charlotte is still with Sterling Lord or if she has started her own agency. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Hello Hop,

PM says that "Meredith Kaffel at Charlotte Sheedy Literary Agency" just sold a deal on February 6, 2008.

The Sterling Lord Literistic website states: "After working at the Dial Press for thirteen years, Charlotte established the Charlotte Sheedy Literary Agency in 1974. In 1995, she joined Sterling Lord Literistic, Inc., as an affiliate agency. Her agency now represents a distinguished list of authors and among them are Lani Guinier . . ."

http://www.sll.com/agents_sheedy.html

One can only assume that they are at the same address. You could always call Sterling Lord, (212) 780-6050, and ask about contacting Meredith Kaffel, who works for Charlotte Sheedy.
 

Hopcus

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Thanks everyone for the info. I saw Meredith's recent sale, which is part of the reason I'm so interested in tracking her down. :) I think I will probably call Sterling Lord and find out about Meredith's info. From what I've heard, they are very nice and don't mind phone calls too much.
 

Senora Verde

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FYI: I just got a very nice rejection from Meredith Kaffel at Charlotte Sheedy Literary Agency and it said they are no longer taking on any new clients. I don't know if they just said this to make me feel better (doubt it) but thought I would let other people know to maybe save those stamps for another agency.
 
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Weebil

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Thanks everyone for the info. I saw Meredith's recent sale, which is part of the reason I'm so interested in tracking her down. :) I think I will probably call Sterling Lord and find out about Meredith's info. From what I've heard, they are very nice and don't mind phone calls too much.
ooh, ahh, don't do it!
Read the website, they don't even want an e-mail query. If you send a SASE with your MS, just direct it toward the agent you prefer. After researching and following agent blogs, they HATE it when you don't follow clearly spelled out protocol from their websites.
Good luck!
 

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Does anyone have more information on Meredith Kaffel or her recent deals? She responded positively to my proposal and I'm hoping to learn more about her.
 

CaoPaux

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Last deal reported to Publisher's Marketplace was Feb '08.
 

Tuuli

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FYI: I just got a very nice rejection from Meredith Kaffel at Charlotte Sheedy Literary Agency and it said they are no longer taking on any new clients. I don't know if they just said this to make me feel better (doubt it) but thought I would let other people know to maybe save those stamps for another agency.

She's definitely looking for new clients as she requested a full from me with as much exclusivitity as I can give. :ROFL:Two weeks sounds reasonable to me. What do you think?
 

Senora Verde

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Actually, I sent my query to Charlotte Sheedy, and Meredith was the one who responded. Still think it's strange to say the agency isn't taking on new clients, when it seems untrue. Could've just said "Thanks, but no thanks." I've gotten plenty of those.
 

Marva

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Charlotte Sheedy isn't taking new clients, but Meredith is currently building her list. Since you queried Charlotte, you got the correct reply.
 

Tuuli

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Has anyone heard from Meredith lately? Someone on QT received a rejection on their full, but it seems no one else has heard from her since. . . other than a request for a full.
 

Tuuli

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Finally heard back from Meredith. She like my story and characters but wasn't in love with the voice. But she was interested in seeing it again if no one wanted to rep it and I was willing to do some serious revisions. She also gave me some valuable feedback. At that point I had already considered rewriting the voice, but then a senior agent at a major agency request a full because she liked my first chapter. So I'm making revisions based on Meredith's feedback and will start rewriting it (I have no problem with that since I have a new vision for the voice) if it doesn't go anywhere with the other agent. Still in shock with that request.
 

emandem

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Anyone heard from Meredith lately? I'm torn as to what I should do. A while back she responded positively to a partial and told me to email her back once I was able to offer exclusivity on the full. Now that I've finally cleared my plate and am able to offer exclusivity on the full, she's not responding to my email I sent (a week or two ago).

I'd just wait patiently awhile longer, but NOW another agent (from a query I sent a couple of months back) is requesting a partial! So, if I send THAT in I'll be riding the merry-go-round again--- the thing is, I'd really rather give the submission to Meredith, AND I'll be really embarassed if she finally emails back requesting the exclusive full and I won't be able to offer it (again)!

Any advice?
 

Momento Mori

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Personally, I'd send a polite email to Meredith to let her know that you've got another agent interested in the partial, but that you're still waiting to hear from her if she wants the full on an exclusive basis and could she let you know what she wants to do.

MM
 

Tuuli

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Anyone heard from Meredith lately? I'm torn as to what I should do. A while back she responded positively to a partial and told me to email her back once I was able to offer exclusivity on the full. Now that I've finally cleared my plate and am able to offer exclusivity on the full, she's not responding to my email I sent (a week or two ago).

I'd just wait patiently awhile longer, but NOW another agent (from a query I sent a couple of months back) is requesting a partial! So, if I send THAT in I'll be riding the merry-go-round again--- the thing is, I'd really rather give the submission to Meredith, AND I'll be really embarassed if she finally emails back requesting the exclusive full and I won't be able to offer it (again)!

Any advice?

Is the other agent asking for an exclusive? If not you don't have a problem. I had partials out when Meredith asked for an exclusive. I explained that and she was fine with it.
 

Juneluv12

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I queried on May 13 and haven't heard anything....anybody have ideas on how long it is, or is she a crickets means I'm not interested?
 

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Thanks MM and Tuuli! No, the other agent is not asking for an exclusive...

Hmmm--I've gotten confused before on the exclusive vs. non-exclusive definition. When I queried Meredith I told her that other agents had partials/fulls and she promptly declined reading my full "until the other agents were done with it," so I'm assuming(?) she didn't want me to have ANY other partials or fulls out when submitting to her. Which I'm fine with. But, like I said, I've painfully waited, clearing out my submission responses so I could get back with her, and now I can't get a response from her.

It may be that she is just not interested anymore, which is fine, or maybe she's swamped. Again, no problem--It's just that I've been debating whether or not to avidly resume querying (and also whether to submit this other back-dated partial request...)

But I think you've helped me, Tuuli. If she didn't mind YOU having other partials out, then maybe she meant the same for me--? I'll consider submitting this partial to the other agent, but if Meredith gets back w/ me I'll still give her exclusivity (or what I think exclusivity is, anyway).
 

emandem

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JuneLuv, it seems that people either hear back from her immediately, or it takes a long time. Maybe she lets the emails pile up, then responds all in one day(?) Sorry I can't be more helpful...
 

Juneluv12

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JuneLuv, it seems that people either hear back from her immediately, or it takes a long time. Maybe she lets the emails pile up, then responds all in one day(?) Sorry I can't be more helpful...

No, I appreciate the reply period. I guess I'll keep holding out hope!!! :)
 

Tuuli

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Judging for Query Tracker, the queries have been piling up. But someone recently received a request for a partial after sending her query the night before. Maybe Meredith is becoming a non responder.

Good luck Emendam. Even if she rejects yours, she gives great feedback. I'll probably be sending her my new version at the end of the summer. I realized it wasn't a new voice she wanted; it was for me to fix the issues my voice had. It was easy to do when I realized what I had done. Still banging my head against to wall on that one. No wonder the other two agents rejected the partial. Thanks to Meredith's feedback, I've made some big improvements in other areas, too (not all were suggested by her though). I'm just waiting to hear back from the other agent first. ;)
 
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emandem

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Ack--! Meredith finally emailed back requesting the full, so she is not a non-responder! She was bogged down at conferences, which is completely understandable, and she was very professional in her communication. So, whew--I'm glad I waited.

I still have the other "old" agent(s) with partials, but I'm considering the submission to Meredith "exclusive" since she has the full. Hope I'm doing this right. Although, now, other people are telling me to never grant the exclusive b/c it is of no benefit to the writer.... I can understand where an agent would want some short exclusive time, though. So they don't waste their time reading while the author is agreeing to representation by someone else--?
 

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Did you put a time limit on the exclusive? Does she understand that other agents have partials?