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[Agency] Dystel, Goderich & Bourret, LLC (formerly Dystel & Goderich Lit. Mgmt.)

Parametric

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Don't give yourself a deadline. You're only going to be back here on X day asking whether and how to let the agent know that you can't make the deadline. :tongue Why make things more complicated for yourself? Just thank him for his suggestions and tell him you're working on revisions hoping to resubmit later.
 

Mr. Anonymous

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Okay, so I need some advice:

If I want to make the changes, so I write back and say I'll be looking those over, making the changes and plan to resubmit by X day? Or do people not give themselves that sort of deadline?

If I were you, I'd just let him know that

1) You agree with his suggestions
2) That you will be starting on implementing the changes immediately
3) That you will get back in touch with a revised version as soon as you can.

If you really want, you can give him a general idea of when you're aiming to get back to him, like say, a few weeks, a month, etc. I wouldn't give a specific day though.
 

JJPie

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Parametric: Hm, good point about not making the deadline (though I probably would have been staying up nights to make it)!

Mr. Anon: I like your three-point bullet.

Let me ask another question then: should I be audacious and ask for more specific changes or just be happy I got any feedback at all? I'm okay with not, but naturally I would rather not over-change and have the agent hate it - as some other threads had posted.

Thanks in advance!
 

Parametric

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Let me ask another question then: should I be audacious and ask for more specific changes or just be happy I got any feedback at all? I'm okay with not, but naturally I would rather not over-change and have the agent hate it - as some other threads had posted.

You described your rejection letter as "very detailed", so I'd say you'd be pushing your luck writing back asking for more.

If you need further input, get some betas (or go back to your original betas). Show them the agent's comments and ask for help implementing the suggestions. No problem for a good beta.
 

JJPie

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Maybe I should have left out the "very" qualifier then, ha ha. But no, I think you're right. Alas!-it has been hard to find a good beta on here...
 

Parametric

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Maybe I should have left out the "very" qualifier then, ha ha. But no, I think you're right. Alas!-it has been hard to find a good beta on here...

I'm surprised you can't find betas for an urban fantasy. Half the beta forum is populated by urban fantasies and paranormal romances. Maybe it's just tough to find a good beta, emphasis on good. :tongue

If you haven't already done so (and I skimmed your previous posts and couldn't find this), you may wish to post your first pages in SYW. This gets you (a) a broad range of responses and (b) a good look at critiquers who are interested enough to comment and may be persuaded to beta read for you. I understand a lot of people approach each other in QLH and SYW rather than using the beta forum.
 

JJPie

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I'm surprised you can't find betas for an urban fantasy. Half the beta forum is populated by urban fantasies and paranormal romances. Maybe it's just tough to find a good beta, emphasis on good. :tongue

If you haven't already done so (and I skimmed your previous posts and couldn't find this), you may wish to post your first pages in SYW. This gets you (a) a broad range of responses and (b) a good look at critiquers who are interested enough to comment and may be persuaded to beta read for you. I understand a lot of people approach each other in QLH and SYW rather than using the beta forum.

You're totally right about the "good" beta. Some people have been super prompt, but others I've never heard from again. I'm actually shooting out some e-mails to those who have actually gotten back to me to see if they can help. Can you tell I'm starting to feel desperate due to my own literary blindness?

Writing my thank you for Jim right now...(sigh)
 

PoppysInARow

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Hey JJPie, sorry you got the big R letter. But you got the chance to resubmit! That's great news! :)

Good luck on your edits.
 

JJPie

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Thanks Poppy! Keep us updated on your full submission too!
 

PoppysInARow

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Of course. :tongue Just sitting on the egde of my seat, biting my nails until they bleed. Hope he gets back to me before I bite my fingers off.
 

EgyptianGoddess

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Of course. :tongue Just sitting on the egde of my seat, biting my nails until they bleed. Hope he gets back to me before I bite my fingers off.


Ok, after a rather crappy day, that really made me laugh:)

I hope you hear from him too before your digits are mere stubs. Good Luck!
 

houndrat

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Any news yet, Poppy? When did you sub? I just sent mine in last Friday, so I figure I have awhile to wait...
 

PoppysInARow

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I sent my MS on the 24 of April. This friday will be two weeks since I sent it in. Since it took Jim 18 days to get back to JJPie, I assume I have another couple of days before he gets back to me.

Did you send your full MS in to him, or just a query? (Sorry if you mentioned already. I didn't see it.)
 

houndrat

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Thanks Poppy. I sent in my full. I'm a mess, though, because I sent him a brand new version of my chapter one, and when I went back to take another look, the first page was horribly overdone. Ack. Hopefully, he will get past that so I can get a more honest opinion of my story, but who knows? I sent Maya at WH a different version, at least!

Good luck!
 

PoppysInARow

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I'm sure he will. Agents usually realize that novels do often need work. They're not perfect. Don't worry too much about it, the worst he can do is reject it, right? :)

I'm glad Jim is so fast at getting back though. If I had to wait six months like this I think I'd keel over and die.
 

socact

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I sent a query three weeks ago. Do they usually respond? Should I try resending it?
 

socact

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I sent it to Jim McCarthy (email).
 

PoppysInARow

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That sounds like a long time, especially for Jim. I'd give it maybe another week (?) just because of how fast he responds. If he doesn't respond in a week, try resending. I'd suggest sending an email to inquire what happened to the query, but if he hasn't responded, even a rejection, my suggestion is just to requery.
 

socact

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I'll do that. Thanks for the advice!
 

PoppysInARow

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Sorry for the double post, but this has been bugging me for a while. Has anyone recieved an itital rejection from Jim? Not an MS rejection, but a query rejection?

Also, socact, have you recieved a response?
 

rosepddle

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Sorry for the double post, but this has been bugging me for a while. Has anyone recieved an itital rejection from Jim? Not an MS rejection, but a query rejection?

Also, socact, have you recieved a response?

I recieved an initial rejection from Jim on a query, but I snail mailed him because I was unsure what to send through email. My rejection came back so fast in the mail that I wondered if it was even read. I read an interview with Jim where he said he read every query that came to him, but maybe he meant every e-query sent to him directly. I don't know what other authors received from him, but my rejection was a form letter rubber stamped by the agency not Jim.

Granted, he could have read it and saw in 60 seconds that he didn't want it. If my prayers, hopes and wishes are not answered and both of the agents currently reading my full respond in a way other than what I'd like, then I think I'm going to resub to Michael Bourret.
 

socact

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I requeried yesterday, haven't heard anything. I'll keep you posted, hopefully he'll respond this time.
 

Senora Verde

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rosepddle, good luck querying Michael Bourret. FYI I queried him over 6 weeks ago and have had no response.