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Inklings Literary Agency, LLC

Tromboli

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Michelle Johnson and Jamie Bodnar Drowley split from Covisiero agency to create inklings Literary Agency.

Michelle responded to a few things on the Covisiero thread which I thought was interesting and well said. Worth checking out if you're interested. http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=235935&page=6



I think Jamie Bodnar Drowley is newer (she wasn't even on query tracker) but a friend of mine is a client of hers and she sings her praises. Here's an interview with her and some comments from her clients: http://yabookcase.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/agent-most-awesome-jamie-bodnar-drowley.html

Oh! And here's the site link, duh :)http://www.inklingsliterary.com/Home_Page.html
 
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Victoria Roder

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Received an e-mail

I received an e-mail from Michelle, asking if I still wanted her to consider the query letter I sent her. I said yes, and I'm hoping she contacts me to request pages to read. Anyone else have news?
 

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I received an e-mail from Michelle, asking if I still wanted her to consider the query letter I sent her. I said yes, and I'm hoping she contacts me to request pages to read. Anyone else have news?

Got the same e-mail from her back on Feb. 1st. Replied yes and resent the first five pages just in case. Waiting to hear back.
 

Vandal

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From the Lunch:

Margaret Bail has joined Inklings Literary Agency, where she will continue to represent romance, thrillers, mystery, science fiction, fantasy, westerns, and historical fiction. Previously she was at the Andrea Hurst Agency.
 

tbrosz

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Note that Margaret Bail says on their website that she's looking for adult fiction only.
 

PRDavid

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I got a request for a full from Michelle Johnson back in March. About a month ago another agent asked for a full so I e-mailed Michelle to let her know as a courtesy.

But I haven't heard back from her on either and it has been over two months.

Should I nudge or just stand by and wait some more?
 

Thedrellum

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From what I've read, unless agents specifically say otherwise, the only reason to notify them of another agent's interest is if that other agent makes an offer of representation.

That said, to answer your question re: nudging, I would nudge again at the three-month mark (if you want to nudge). That's a generally accepted time to wait.
 

PRDavid

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From what I've read, unless agents specifically say otherwise, the only reason to notify them of another agent's interest is if that other agent makes an offer of representation.

Ah, I will keep that in mind next time. I was thinking that by giving her the heads up it would let her know not to take much longer to look at it in case she was going to offer to rep it.

That said, to answer your question re: nudging, I would nudge again at the three-month mark (if you want to nudge). That's a generally accepted time to wait.

Cool. That will hit in about 10 days so I will wait til then. Any acceptable way to word the nudge? I'm assuming "What the heck is taking so long" is not a good way to go, lol.
 

Thedrellum

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When I've nudged, I've just said something like:

Dear Ms/Mr. Agent,

I am writing to see if you are still considering my manuscript BLAH.

Sincerely/Take care,
Author"

As you can see, I tend to err on the formal side of things. Also, I'm not (perhaps) the best at this, so maybe other people will have nudge formulas you can use as models as well.
 

PRDavid

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When I've nudged, I've just said something like:

Dear Ms/Mr. Agent,

I am writing to see if you are still considering my manuscript BLAH.

Sincerely/Take care,
Author"

As you can see, I tend to err on the formal side of things. Also, I'm not (perhaps) the best at this, so maybe other people will have nudge formulas you can use as models as well.

I too tend to lean formal/ultra-respectful when dealing with someone I am not that familiar with. Although I recently had an agent ream me for addressing my query letter to Dear Sir/Madam.

It was a general query to the agency, not to a specific agent, so I figured Sir/Madam was the best route. She yelled at me and said that wasn't a good way to "make a friend."

I'm still not sure how to reply to that.
 

NoblinGoblin

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PR--I'm sorry for your ass chewing, but what the agent said is kind of funny. I always try to find a specific agent because avoiding that "Dear Sir" salutation is a must. Whenever I make a noob mistake like that (like accidentally querying more than one agent in an agency) I apologize by calling it a rookie mistake. And I make sure to promise that it won't happen again. Tell that agent you fo sho want to be buddies, lol!
 

PRDavid

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Queried with first 5 pages 1-2-2013
Requested Full on 4-23.
Passed on 6-23.

Said I was a talented story teller!!!!

:partyguy:

Then said my characters lacked the kind of depth she'd like and passed.

:Headbang:


Time for a beer........

BTW, she has given me something to consider to make the manuscript better, so I am disappointed it was a no but I have to give her major props for how she handles the query process on her end.
 
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juliesondra

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For the record, Michelle is probably going to be slower than normal for a while as she digs herself out of whatever query pit she's in . . . she's just relocated to another state. :)
 

PRDavid

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For the record, Michelle is probably going to be slower than normal for a while as she digs herself out of whatever query pit she's in . . . she's just relocated to another state. :)

Actually, the delay from Query to full request was due to a lost e-mail. She actually responded to the full about two weeks before the deadline she'd given me to send her a nudge.

It seems like she has caught up.

Would have loved to have her say yes and, based on her responses to me, I'd say she sounds like she'll be a solid agent for anyone she takes on.
 

juliesondra

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I understand, PRDavid, that your delay was for a different reason, but that was months ago based on the stats you showed us. I'm saying that right now, this week, Michelle is looking for a new home in a new state, and people who have queried her from before she closed to queries for a while may have to be even more patient than usual while waiting for a reply. (But we're authors, and we ~love~ waiting, right? We're full of patience, right??)

I can vouch for her solidness as an agent as far as her communication and compassion goes. She hasn't sold my book yet, but we're both confident that that will change!
 

PRDavid

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Oops. My bad julie. I misread the last part of your comment. I will attribute my lack of reading comprehension to being a pair of beers into my pity party.

Leaving note to self to drink coffee before posting next time.....
 

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I had a full request from Jamie in April that I've heard nothing from-I nudged after three months and then again after a month after I got nothing from either nudge. Does a no response on a full mean no from this agency?
 

juliesondra

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Hi A.P.M.! I recommend being patient just a bit longer because Jamie has actually recently moved across the country and is still settling in. (Michelle just moved too. This is one of the reasons why only Margaret is open to queries right now.) I hope she'll be able to dig herself out of the pile and respond to you soon!
 

A.P.M.

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Thanks Julie! I guess I'll just settle in to wait then. :)
 

Undercover

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I got a full request from Michelle. She requested my full a few months after I queried. It took her a few months to get back to me, when she did she raved about how "fantastic" it was and even gave me an depth reader's report. All she questioned was that it was too graphic and that I tone down the swearing and soften the sex scene. I did all that. Then I nudged her after a couple of months. Before all that I saw quite a bit of comments that Michelle has a tendency to ask for R&Rs than pass on them which created some doubt. And lo and behold, I guess I was another.

When she did get back to me, she said, even though you did everything I asked you to do, I'm going to pass. And that it wasn't right for her list.

It's kinda funny cause, you'd think she'd figure that out on the first read. After reading all those comments on (I think it was query tracker) I kinda expected it. All and all it was a big fat disappointment.
 

Krista G.

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I got a full request from Michelle. She requested my full a few months after I queried. It took her a few months to get back to me, when she did she raved about how "fantastic" it was and even gave me an depth reader's report. All she questioned was that it was too graphic and that I tone down the swearing and soften the sex scene. I did all that. Then I nudged her after a couple of months. Before all that I saw quite a bit of comments that Michelle has a tendency to ask for R&Rs than pass on them which created some doubt. And lo and behold, I guess I was another.

When she did get back to me, she said, even though you did everything I asked you to do, I'm going to pass. And that it wasn't right for her list.

It's kinda funny cause, you'd think she'd figure that out on the first read. After reading all those comments on (I think it was query tracker) I kinda expected it. All and all it was a big fat disappointment.

Stinks, Undercover. :( I once had an agent request the first 20 pages, then the next 100, then the full manuscript, then reject because of a plot point that should have been obvious from the query, so I feel your pain.

That said, that agent ended up quitting after another year or two, and I went on to write another manuscript and sign with the agent at the top of my list, so maybe it will be for the best. All's well that ends well and all of that. Doesn't make the waiting any easier, though...
 

Undercover

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Okay, umm, I'm sure she didn't mean it, but she rejected me yet again...on the very same manuscript!!! It sucks getting it the first time, let alone twice. And unfortunately it wasn't exactly the same either. She mentioned a little more on why she rejected it, which was even more of a dig, saying I had too much awkward phrasing in there (that apparently she didn't see before when she wanted a revision.)

I'm not trying to make waves or anything, and she seems like a really sweet person, just really disorganized. Makes me wonder how it would be if she had accepted it.
 
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LMT

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I had a full request from Jamie in April that I've heard nothing from-I nudged after three months and then again after a month after I got nothing from either nudge. Does a no response on a full mean no from this agency?

I sent requested revisions at the end of May and am still waiting, too. But I saw that Michelle posted a message on FB that Jamie and Margaret hoped to open to queries again in Oct. So hopefully, you'll hear something within the next few weeks.