3 Seas Literary Agency

I queried today as well. Like your comment about having a baby while you wait. Funny.

Ha ha. John, you are too funny!

If anyone has gotten an acceptance from them, could you please email your original Query to me?

I'm trying to gather up sample accepted queries so that I can figure out what makes them acceptable overall.

pd @ petedutcher. com

On topic, what is their reputation like?

I finally got a rejection from them about a week ago, after having queried in February. I had already assumed it was a no-go anyway because of how long it took to get back, and how long I'd heard other people waited before hearing back.

With response times often over a year, isn't 3 Seas virtually ensuring they won't get first pick of worthwhile queries? I've considered querying them on a new romance project, but even my target publishers respond more quickly than this. I'm interested in 3 Seas, but faster agencies will probably get my first queries.

Anybody have newer positive news and observations about this agency?

I sent them a query this afternoon and got an auto-reply stating they had received it. Though their website guidelines only give a generic submissions email address, I put Michelle's name in my letter as I think she and my work would make for a better fit. Has anyone else heard from them lately? I'll post back when I receive a response.
Bryan

Just for experimental purposes, I'm querying them. Hey, if they actually bite, they're a good agency for my genre.

Note: queried on 18 January 2012. We'll see how long the response time is.

Finally got a form rejection from them today. 136 days is now the new record for getting a response from an agency.
Bryan

Sorry about the R, but wow...what a long wait.

Okay, so four years and over a hundred posts later, no one here has gotten an offer of representation from these folks? Gadzooks ....

That wouldn't surprise me. I queried Michelle way back in the day (2003?) after she visited my RWA Chapter meeting and invited us to sub. At this point I'd already sold two books and was looking for an agent to sub to different houses than the one I was working with then. I waited almost a year for the "no" and it said nothing about the project I'd queried, it was just a generic no. I never waited that long before and I never have since.

I did get the impression that Three Seas is exceptionally picky. Nobody from my Chapter, then published, later multi-published, or never published but a terrific writer, has ever gotten even a qualified yes from this agency.

I queried them earlier this year, but pulled the project when I got a publisher's offer. I got another agent - one far more prompt - to help me with the contract. Never heard back from 3 Seas, either way. They must have and be seeking a clientele, because one of the principals attended a local writers' conference last month.

pavtbr said:

Finally got a form rejection from them today. 136 days is now the new record for getting a response from an agency.
Bryan

Click to expand...

Sorry about the R. That's the reason I've never queried this agency. After reading this thread and seeing the number of non-responses, I'd figure it'd be a wasted query. :-(

Unless you have a "very nice deal" on the table and no agent, I'm not sure anyone would ever get a yes from this agency. The agents behave as though they have a full list and only "accept queries" by paying lip service to the concept.

Michelle and Cori sent me a form rejection letter today, for the erotic romance I'd queried in January. I'd already pulled the query on March 21 after getting a publisher's offer, and going with an agent recommended to
me by two other AW members.

I'd be interested to know who is actually represented by 3 Seas, and how well they're treated as a client.

Filigree said:

Michelle and Cori sent me a form rejection letter today, for the erotic romance I'd queried in January. I'd already pulled the query on March 21 after getting a publisher's offer, and going with an agent recommended to
me by two other AW members.

I'd be interested to know who is actually represented by 3 Seas, and how well they're treated as a client.

Click to expand...

I'm actually familiar with two of the names on their list and have spoken to (and had on my blog) one of them. I'll certainly ask and let you know if she responds.

That would be great. They're considered a strong agency in the romance field, and I can see them being very selective if they really do have that full a roster. It's possible that they're keeping an open strategy toward queries in case of a mega bestseller.

Good for them, somewhat annoying for the rest of us.

So I emailed an author represented by 3 Seas, and she told me that she is still represented by Michelle. Author (not sure if I should use her real name) couldn't give me an average wait time, but said a friend of hers has also been waiting several months to hear back from Michelle--so I guess we're (not me, but everyone else) all in the same boat. Author confirmed that Michelle has visited a lot of writing conferences in the past several months and is probably very busy.

Author (this is beginning to sound like Intern's blog, hehe) did say Michelle told her her novel would never sell, but she loved it so much she'd represent it anyway, and that's how Author came to be represented (the book was eventually published by Love Inspired Historical, and great by the way--my review). Author apologizes that she can't be more helpful and give a 'standard answer,' but that's the business.

*If you want the book name, message me.

No, that's fine. Good information.

Hi All,

Thought I'd check this thread to see if I were the only one waiting awhile
My situation is perhaps a little different: I won a Brenda Novak auction a year ago Michelle was generous to donate a one-chapter critique for. I waited till the Oct 31 deadline (last year) to submit. Three and a half months later, she responded with a useful critique and edit of the chapter, and (at least it seems to me) had a lot of praise -- and went beyond the auction's requirements and invited me to submit the next two more chapters. That rocked my world. At the least (perhaps only the most) I might get those chapters critiqued by her as well. That subsequent submittal was mid-Feb. I got a little guidance from an author serviced by that agency that it's ok to ping them every couple of months. A month ago, he speculated that although Michelle's at a lot of conferences and whatnot, perhaps I'd hear back in a bit. Nothing yet, so I sent a quick ping. I might've pinged her a bit too much than ideal; hopefully without backfiring. I have no novels published yet, and it's been hard as you-know-what getting agents to even want to look at sample chapters (when they only allow an inital query letter) since the industry constricted the past few years. From my quick scan of the latest posts in this thread, it seems I shouldn't take too personally that I haven't heard back from her, though in a few weeks, it'll be going on half a year. Unlike some posts I read (in other forums or sites) which say they're just "waiting" for an agent to get back to them, I'm marching forward and thought of a whole new novel to begin
But it would be great to see what M thinks of the next two chapters... if you know what I mean
If it hits 9 months to a year though, I'm gonna start taking it real personal

Luck to all of you! Keep writing

p.s. My story was a historical (not historical romance, just straight historical fiction).

Hey! I heard back less than an hour after I made that last post here (though I'd sent her a ping as well tonight).

Received a nice note (as always) which confirmed that yep, it's ok to ping every couple of months. And that she's hoping to have a chance to read those two chapters next week. Golly.

So, keep hope with your own submits to 3 Seas, fellow writers!

Just don't put all your eggs in one basket. Humble, I assume you have your query out to other agents?

Submitted a synopsis and three chapters to Cori on request after RWA pitch session last summer, sent a follow-up in November (ignored), and have figured it to be a "no thanks." I'll probably send another follow-up before I write it off completely. Have to say that although she was very nice during our session, she did rather look like she couldn't wait for a five o'clock shot of something strong. Can't say I blamed her, considering how tedious those pitch sessions must become after a couple days. Anyway, it's been 10 months for me and not a peep.

Has anyone queried this agency or Michelle in the past year?

Any updates on this agency? I'm almost set to query again.