[Agency] Curtis Brown, Ltd. (USA)

In case you're interested, email query to N. Bransford turn around 24 hours. Nice reject.

Oh, Ginger! eQueryied on 10-2, she requested a partial on 10-7. Now counting the days. My fingernails are gone so I've started on my feet.

Good luck Leukman!!! Curtis Brown is TOPS.

Oh and just to add to the Nathan Bransford convo: he has a GREAT blog here:

http://nathanbransford.blogspot.com/

Leukman said:

Oh, Ginger! eQueryied on 10-2, she requested a partial on 10-7. Now counting the days. My fingernails are gone so I've started on my feet.

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Good luck!! I've heard great things about Ginger. I just signed with Maureen Walters, and I couldn't be happier!!

Good luck!

Prawn said:

Bransford was very fast and professional. I got a rejection back on my e-mail sub in about two hours. He's on the ball.

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Me too. I gave it a shot and his quick but nice rejection has just urged me on. He said he didn't think he was the best agent to represent me. I wrote a memior and I know he is right, but I tried anyway..I will get published....just finding the right one.......

I could use some input... Eight weeks ago (when I was still a little ignorant) I called Curtis Brown NY on the phone (b/c I couldn't get their website up) to ask what their submission requirements were. They told me what to send, but also told me NOT to address my query, etc. to any particular agent b/c they like to decide which agent should read it!

Well, it's been eight weeks and I haven't heard a reply from my query, and I've been reading other posts that say to ALWAYS address queries to a specific agent! Do you think that b/c I wasn't specific they would "throw it out" or not respond? Am I being paranoid? There's really no way to "status query," as they don't accept email.

emandem said:

I could use some input... Eight weeks ago (when I was still a little ignorant) I called Curtis Brown NY on the phone (b/c I couldn't get their website up) to ask what their submission requirements were. They told me what to send, but also told me NOT to address my query, etc. to any particular agent b/c they like to decide which agent should read it!

Well, it's been eight weeks and I haven't heard a reply from my query, and I've been reading other posts that say to ALWAYS address queries to a specific agent! Do you think that b/c I wasn't specific they would "throw it out" or not respond? Am I being paranoid? There's really no way to "status query," as they don't accept email.

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My guess - your response will take much longer because now someone has to decide who should read your query first, then the "normal" wait for the query response from whoever it was passed to.

I believe you should always address to a specific agent, even if told it's not needed. Targeting a specific agent demonstrates (hopefully) that you've done some homework in an attempt to identify which agent at the agency would likely be a good fit for your material. And if they really like to "decide" on their own, then if the agent you target doesn't feel interested, maybe they'd pass it on to another who might.

Thanks for the quick input...I guess I'll just bite my nails a little longer.

I have been finding if they DON'T like your query, you'll get an immediate response. I have been rejected so far 11 times and they all came back within a couple of days. Feel good...they probably like it but trying to decide who to give it to. I sent mine to one particular agent in Curtis Brown and was rejected very nicely the next day. I often wondered why he didn't pass it on to one of the others. Maybe if I send it to Curtis Brown main they will find the right one. Hang in there.....

So I shouldn't be assuming they hated my work so much they decided to forgo the rejection letter?

I sent a PB ms to Elizabeth Harding 10/7/08 and have yet to hear from anyone at Curtis Brown...

No, I don't think they would do that, after reading Nathan Bransford's blog. It possibly may be making the rounds through the agents. Keep positive thoughts.

Thanks
^_^ (thinking positive thoughts.....)

emandem said:

I could use some input... Eight weeks ago (when I was still a little ignorant) I called Curtis Brown NY on the phone (b/c I couldn't get their website up) to ask what their submission requirements were. They told me what to send, but also told me NOT to address my query, etc. to any particular agent b/c they like to decide which agent should read it!

Well, it's been eight weeks and I haven't heard a reply from my query, and I've been reading other posts that say to ALWAYS address queries to a specific agent! Do you think that b/c I wasn't specific they would "throw it out" or not respond? Am I being paranoid? There's really no way to "status query," as they don't accept email.

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Just FYI, I would check out individual Curtis Brown agents on Agent Query and/or Publishers Marketplace to see whether they accept email queries or not. My agent, Ginger Clark, does--although she only responds to projects she is interested in. I'm pretty sure Nathan Bransford also accepts email queries. I think it's generally a safer bet to check out the individual agents on Agent Query and/or Publishers Marketplace in order to get an idea of what they specifically accept, in addition to checking out the websites of those agencies who have them.

Good luck to all!

Thanks Kasey... Like I said, I was a little ignorant then, and I guess I could have looked at Agent Query specifically, although, after I called Curtis Brown (and they told me to use snail mail and not put an agent's name on it), I was afraid to not follow "the rules."

I may never know now, since I didn't address it to a particular agent, whether it got delegated to someone who practices "no response" replies vs an agent who gets back to authors over a much longer time frame...(sigh)

Congratulations on having Ginger Clark as your agent--I think I read on another thread that you're looking at some promising propositions!? (smile) That's the best! Maybe one day I'll be able to say the same.

OH yah! Kasey, what is the good word? Any update on you Birthday Good News?????

LaurieD -- I submitted to Elizabeth Harding on Aug 7 and she rejected me Sep 10 -- all via snail mail (so about 5 weeks). She wrote some nice comments on their standard rejection card and I really appreciated that...

Hi! If I send a query but don't hear back, how long do you think I should wait before querying someone else at CB? They don't have any info out there on simultaneous subs. How does a month or two sound?

Prawn, when I called to find out their submission requirements they told me to give my query 6-8 weeks. Of course they also told me not to address it to a specific agent! Sooo, I'm guessing their "longest" agent takes at least 6-8 weeks. Therefore I'd give it at least two months.

Unfortunately, I'm now going on 9 weeks (sigh). You can always check QueryTracker for the individual agents' response times... Good luck!

CharlieBabbitt said:

LaurieD -- I submitted to Elizabeth Harding on Aug 7 and she rejected me Sep 10 -- all via snail mail (so about 5 weeks). She wrote some nice comments on their standard rejection card and I really appreciated that...

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On your query, partial or full?
I like details.

Hi Scully -- I submitted a Query + first 2 chapters. She said she was intrigued by the original plot and storytelling but didn't connect enough with my MC to want to read more. Encouraged me to reach out to other agents and all that. Very nice.

I submitted a query and two chapters via snail mail to a specific agent in early October. Her assistant e-mailed me about five days later to request a full for a 4-week exclusive read (which will be up in a week). I haven't heard anything back yet.

Congratulations PVish - that sounds encouraging!

rebobinar said:

Congratulations PVish - that sounds encouraging!

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Thanks, Reboninar! I only recently started the query process.

One thing, the agent's assistant did tell me what to write on the envelope to ensure they knew that my manuscript was requested.

Edited to add: I received a form rejection six weeks later.

I just got a great letter from Ginger Clark - my first official rejection!

Yes, damn it, that's good news. I've had four friggin mss out there for what feels like an eternity, and I finally got a response!

Okay, okay, I should be bummed, but hell, you all know as well as I that I can't let that happen. There's got to be a positive in this (just look at Cray's new battery).

Come on Trident/Scott Miller. Everybody think positive for Christmas!