Andrea Brown Literary Agency

Hi Tweetybird,

I like the idea of a freelance editor with a lit agency or major publishing experience. However . . .

I'm not sure if it's necessary. Maybe as a last resort.

How many rejections have you had from your query?
How many fulls and partials have you had?
Has any of them given you any feedback?
Have you put your work in Share Your Work on AW?
Are you in an online writing group?
Are you in an "in person" writing group?
Have you joined a professional organization for your genre, like "RWA" or "MWA" or "SFWA"?
Do you get "Publisher's Lunch" to see if there are deals being made in your book's genre/area?

Seems like there's a lot of free or in the case of the professional organizations "nominally priced" avenues to explore first.

From her site:
Query Consultation: $249
First Page Consultation: $499
Five Page Consultation: $799
15 Minute Phone Call: $249
My turnaround times are as follows:
Query Consultation: 3 business days
First Page Consultation: 5 business days
Five Page Consultation: 10 business days

For $249.00, I'd like her to rewrite my query and tell me why my first one wasn't working and why her version works. So I could do it myself next time and not have to pay a $1 a word for editing.

I don't think the first page and the five page are worth the money IMHO. Mostly because the comments/edits she can make for those pages won't help you with the rest of the book.

If you want to go the pro editor route, I would recommend getting the whole book reviewed and edited. At least then you could learn from the edits and do it yourself next time.

However, before going that route see if you can get a Beta reader here or at another online site.

tweetybird said:

Hello ppl
I was looking on the internet for freelance editors and I found Mary Kole's editorial service website. Though the prices are exorbitant, I would love some thoughts on this.

www.manuscriptguru.com
www.thenovelcoach.com

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Have you tried other, free, avenues first? Getting a good crit partner or two, posting some of your work in the Share Your Work section? There are a lot of other options you might try first.

Just wanted to post here about my recent experience with Jennifer Laughran. She requested a full and later declined--but it was one of the best rejections I've ever received. She wasn't offering to be my agent, yet she took considerable time to comment on many aspects of my book--what was working, where it was falling short, and what her reactions were as she read. It wasn't a revision request, just...kindness? Even though I've had many full requests on different projects and even several revision requests, this was the first time I KNEW the agent had actually read the entire project. I'm on to other things now, and Jenn may never be my agent, but she was just so incredibly classy! Plus, she continues to represent books I love. Anyone who gets her as their advocate is incredibly lucky.

That is hellishly expensive. When I've edited, I've charged either $35 an hour for copyediting/grammar or $50 for more developmental work. Then again, I'm not an agent, nor do I have a list of published authors I've shepherded into the big leagues.

Still, that is really expensive. It's the fact that she's an accomplished agent she's banking on (and you would be, too, in paying for her opinion).

litgirl said:

Just wanted to post here about my recent experience with Jennifer Laughran. She requested a full and later declined--but it was one of the best rejections I've ever received. She wasn't offering to be my agent, yet she took considerable time to comment on many aspects of my book--what was working, where it was falling short, and what her reactions were as she read. It wasn't a revision request, just...kindness? Even though I've had many full requests on different projects and even several revision requests, this was the first time I KNEW the agent had actually read the entire project. I'm on to other things now, and Jenn may never be my agent, but she was just so incredibly classy! Plus, she continues to represent books I love. Anyone who gets her as their advocate is incredibly lucky.

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litgirl did you respond to her revision email? I had another agent do something similar. She didn't outright say to revise and resubmit, but I thanked her for her time and let her know I was planning on making the changes. She then emailed back asking me to keep her in mind after I made the changes. I typically don't send reply emails, but if she gave you that detailed of a response, it's worth a shot? Good luck!

My fees are as follows:

• 15 Page Edit: $995
• 50 Page Edit: $1995
• Full Manuscript Edit: Please inquire about availability, opportunities extremely limited. Fee based on manuscript word count.

My turnaround times are as follows:

• 15 Page Edit: 15 business days
• 50 Page Edit: 30 business days
• Full Manuscript Edit: By agreement

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My book is around 300 pages so a full manuscript edit would be somewhere between 10-12k. I think it's way too expensive even for an accomplished agent.

Thanks, Jamie
I have edited my manuscript after a thorough critique but I know it's not ready for submission yet. It needs to be worked on.
I agree, such an expensive option should be used only as a last resort and for me who hasn't even thought of drafting a query letter as yet, I still have a long way to go

Thanks for the advice.

Kelley and Sage

I will have to wait till I make at least 50 posts so I can share my work on the SYW forum

Haha. That's so true Sage. I am glad they have the 50 post curfew, gave me a chance to overcome my shyness and actually post which is fun.

Cheers to Post: 14

tweetybird said:

Haha. That's so true Sage. I am glad they have the 50 post curfew, gave me a chance to overcome my shyness and actually post which is fun.

Cheers to Post: 14

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A quick way to rack up the 50 posts is to head over to SYW and critique other peoples' work. Also gives you a chance to see what is and isn't working and some of the helpful advice the others give.

Tweetybird,

I think there are better ways to invest in yourself as a writer. Take a class (online or in person), attend a conference, pay for someone to clean your house or watch your kids (or whatever) so you have more time to write, buy your crit partner lunch.

I think professional editing can benefit someone who is still learning English or someone who has a hard time accepting feedback from other writers.

Good luck!

tweetybird said:

My book is around 300 pages so a full manuscript edit would be somewhere between 10-12k. I think it's way too expensive even for an accomplished agent.

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I'm actually a bit concerned to see these steep fees and an editing service being offered by an agent. All the preditor-type websites warn about agents who charge a reading fee or are more interested in making money through editing than agenting. There are stories out there of desperate writers being strung along and milked for all they're worth. At the least, check out these posts on what to watch out for in an agent:

http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=978

http://www.agentquery.com/writer_bs.aspx

Whatever you decide, good luck!

GreaterGatsby -- that's a very good warning to put out there. There are many 'agents' who really don't have your best interests in mind, whether their intentions are misguided or downright predatory.

I don't think, however, that Mary Kole is one of those shady agents. Whether you're comfortable with her editing services or not, Mary Kole is a very legit agent.

On Publisher's Marketplace, she made seven deals last year to reputable houses such as Simon & Schuster Childrens and Dutton Children's. That's amazing for her first year--I know of many great agents now that didn't make sales in that start-up year. Plus, she's at a very reputable agency. Andrea Brown Literary is consistently ranked #1 for volume of Juvenile sales on PM, again to great houses. I know that the agents at Andrea Brown are very close, so I cannot imagine any of them tolerating questionable behavior from one of their colleagues.

Now, do you personally want to get into a relationship with an agent that also edits for fees, either on the representation or editing side? That's something you'll have to decide for yourself, and you'll want to thoroughly research how she keeps both of her 'selves' separated. Her fees are also very high -- there are many other editing services that are great for less. I'd personally search for someone much much cheaper, TweetyBird.

litgirl said:

Just wanted to post here about my recent experience with Jennifer Laughran. She requested a full and later declined--but it was one of the best rejections I've ever received. She wasn't offering to be my agent, yet she took considerable time to comment on many aspects of my book--what was working, where it was falling short, and what her reactions were as she read. It wasn't a revision request, just...kindness?

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Ditto for me. I got a rejection from her last week on a full, and it was like gold. Short of an offer of representation, it was the best possible letter she could have sent. A full page long, and not all bad stuff, but pointing out what she loved as well.

She is first class.

Quick question, did you email in your query or snail mail it? Many agents I see are no longer accepting snail mail, but sometimes I wonder if hitting delete isn't too easy. What are you all doing?
Young Adult Writer

Hello all,

I'm trying to decide on whether to submit a query to Caryn Wiseman or Jennifer Rofe for my MG query. I've read their bios and rep deals and I like them both, so it's really hard for me to decide who to send it to. I know I've only got one shot.
Anyone have them as an agent? Or does anyone have great feedback from them in the way of queries?

tweetybird said:

Hello ppl
I was looking on the internet for freelance editors and I found Mary Kole's editorial service website....

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Hi there. I try to stay away from this thread so that you guys can talk amongst yourselves. But I will confess that I do drop by on very rare occasions and peek.

I just wanted to chime in and say that Mary Kole is not only a legit agent, but a tireless and wonderful one. And she is a really great editor. I recommended that she start freelance editing, in fact, before she became a full time agent, because she is really, really good at it.

To be perfectly clear: The site in question was put up originally before Mary started agenting full time. We were aware of it, and Mary made very sure to put all appropriate disclaimers and conflict-of-interest barriers in place. But actually, all that is moot, because she never even actually used the site or linked to it from her own blog or the agency website, and had forgotten about it till I pointed out this thread.... so thanks for pointing out that it was still "live".

The site has now been removed - she's got plenty on her plate now. As you were!

Jamiekswriter said:

Hi Tweetybird,

I like the idea of a freelance editor with a lit agency or major publishing experience. However . . .

I'm not sure if it's necessary. Maybe as a last resort...

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[FONT=&quot]I am an author, novel editor, novel coach, and ghostwriter. I have been in the industry for thirty years and I take on two novel clients per year. My skills also involve helping clients find agents.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]All my prices are negotiable. You can trust me to treat your work with care and confidentiality. I know this is your baby. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]I can't give a firm price until I actually know what is involved. Every job is individual. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Feel free to ask me questions. I work honest and fast. [/FONT]

Can someone recommend which agent I should submit too here?? I am up in the air. Laura Rennert seems like the one who would most like realistic YA with cross over potential and my voice but I'm scared of her because she looks so accomplished. Then I was thinking Mary Kole or Jen L. but they seem to like para and fantasy more. Any advice?

mellieb40 said:

Can someone recommend which agent I should submit too here?? I am up in the air. Laura Rennert seems like the one who would most like realistic YA with cross over potential and my voice but I'm scared of her because she looks so accomplished. Then I was thinking Mary Kole or Jen L. but they seem to like para and fantasy more. Any advice?

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Both Ms. Kole and Ms. Laughran rep a bunch of contemporary writers, too. They're both great agents. I'd happily query either.

Thanks Krista- I'm still thinking. : )