Andrea Hurst & Associates Literary Management

Wow!!! That's great KrisA!!! Congrats!!!

Congrats, KrisA!!!

Hi All,
Yesterday Andrea Hurst did a webinar on the Writers Digest site about Crafting Fiction and Memoir That Sells-An Agent's Point of View....Did anyone else happen to check it out besides me??? She gave some really great advice!

Thanks,
Robin

KrisA said:

Hey all,

I'm circling back here...I signed with Vickie Motter this week. It's been a whirlwind, but well worth it. From Query to signed contract, it was just under 8 weeks. I'm still pinching myself.

Good luck to all of you still waiting--Vickie is wonderful!

Kris
_________
www.krisasselin.blogspot.com

Click to expand...

Krista, Congratulations!!! What a rollercoaster ride this must be for you. Is this your first book being published?
I queried Vickie Motter on 2/7/11 and received and email yesterday for the first 20 pages, which I sent today.
To date, I have two full MS-of the same book- out there (going on the 5th week for both), one set of first 3 chapters and one first 20 pages...fingers crossed one of them likes my story!
Heather

ROF--I missed it...can you find it online somewhere?
Thanks!

ROF said:

Hi All,
Yesterday Andrea Hurst did a webinar on the Writers Digest site about Crafting Fiction and Memoir That Sells-An Agent's Point of View....Did anyone else happen to check it out besides me??? She gave some really great advice!

Click to expand...

Hi Robin, only reason I couldn't attend was because I live halfway across the world and the timing was too awkward. Andrea edited my memoir recently and I have to say that while I was on the phone with her last Thursday, I learnt a lot about writing a memoir. She was quite generous with her compliments but also equally candid about the weaknesses in my ms. We discussed various options to make it more marketable. I'm going study all her comments and work on my ms. I'm sure you found the webinar very helpful. I'm kicking myself now for missing it.

Does anyone know if Vickie responds to all queries, or if no response = no?

Toni1953 said:

Does anyone know if Vickie responds to all queries, or if no response = no?

Click to expand...

Looking at her stats on QueryTracker, it does seem like she replies to everyone.

I queried Vickie Motter on Feb. 11. I received a request for the first fifty pages last night, so just under four weeks. I don't know if that helps you at all, Toni1953.

tarak said:

I queried Vickie Motter on Feb. 11. I received a request for the first fifty pages last night, so just under four weeks. I don't know if that helps you at all, Toni1953.

Click to expand...

it does, tarak, thanks! I queried on 2/25, so i've still got a bit to go.

Queried Ms. Motter on 1/13
Partial request (first 20 pages) received 1/13 (partial sent 1/14)
Partial request (next 100 pages) received 1/20 (partial sent same day)
Upgrade to full request received 2/14
Personalized rejection received 3/6

YA science fiction

Stinks, but in the last two weeks, I've picked up four independent R&Rs. So I'm working on a revision with gusto and hoping for better results with other agents.

Congratulations, KrisA! And Heather3, this is the third manuscript I've queried; happily, my stats have gotten better with each one (since that first attempt was abysmal ).

Bummer Krista! Sorry to hear about that, but good luck with the R&Rs!

For any potential query-ers on the fence because of the P&E rating, don't worry. I signed with Vickie in December, and ever since she has been a phenonmenally thoughtful and thorough (and free!) editor. In fact, as far as I can tell, my manuscript has been editted by several readers at the agency too (again, for free). So if anything Andrea Hurst Lit's staff of editors has only helped me. Not preditor-y at all!

I can't speak to the actual sales (or lack thereof, scary thought) because we haven't started pitching yet. But I will be back with updates!

Vickie Motter seem to respond within a month to queries and requests. She always updates her blog about rejection rate for the month. Might want to check it out

ksbaby said:

Vickie Motter seem to respond within a month to queries and requests. She always updates her blog about rejection rate for the month. Might want to check it out

Click to expand...

ZOMG!! I didn't know this. I went to check it out. I think I am one of the 5% she requested more of from the partial. And I LOL'd when I read this though:

"My eyes sort of glaze over when I see "vampires" in the query. I think it's dried up in the YA world, but I'll consider it for adult Paranormal or Urban Fantasy. Make it original. Make it sparkle (but not in an Edward Cullen's fairy sort of way)." :oints to my signature line::

Just received a partial request (100 pages) on an query sent to Vickie Motter on 9th March. Am very excited as she seems like such a good match for my work!

Congrats Samara!!!

Haven't heard any news lately.

Does anyone have any news to report? The thread has been very quiet.

I sent a query to Vickie Motter today. Fingers crossed!

By the way, reading through this thread has been really helpful!

Queried: 6/9/11
20 pages request: 6/29/11

Will let you know what happens.

Received a standard rejection on my partial on 22nd June. It was very short and sweet...

Thank you for your submission. I'll have to pass at this time. I wish you the best of luck.

Oh well!

Queried Vickie yesterday. Will keep you all posted! Best of luck to any and all who have pages with her...

I recently saw an Andrea Hurst contract (from January of this year) that imposed a minimum $1,500 commission, regardless of the advance amount, deducted from the first two advance checks with a standard 15% due thereafter. If this agency placed you with a smaller publisher, your commission obligation could conceivably exceed your actual advance.

- Victoria

victoriastrauss said:

I recently saw an Andrea Hurst contract (from January of this year) that imposed a minimum $1,500 commission, regardless of the advance amount, deducted from the first two advance checks with a standard 15% due thereafter. If this agency placed you with a smaller publisher, your commission obligation could conceivably exceed your actual advance.

- Victoria

Click to expand...

Hmmm. That's a steep price to do business. Vickie recently asked for a partial. Waiting to hear back. Is $1500 up front plus a 15% commission very common? I haven't heard of that before, but I'm pretty much in the dark concerning agent cuts.

It's not money up front. It's a minimum commission in the event of a sale. The writer doesn't pay a fee if no sale is made--only if a commission is due. So it's not the same as charging a fee--but it is an attempt to set an income minimum per sale, which most definitely is not standard practice. I was talking about it on Twitter today, and the agents who responded were all shocked and/or disbelieving.

- Victoria