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TriadaUS Literary Agency

victoriastrauss

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An agent's track record speaks louder than his or her expressed interests. An agency that has a strong track record of selling nonfiction, but has been in business for several years with an interest in fiction but has yet to sell any fiction, is likely not the best fit for a novelist.

- Victoria
 

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I can't find any information on this-- has this agent sold any fiction yet? I see he's interested in it, but don't see any fiction sales as of now, just the nonfiction. (I know there's a first time for everything when an agent is branching out, just wondering.) Thanks in advance for any info. :)
According to his website, he does have a few fiction sales. The last was in July '08, though, so it doesn't seem to be his strength/focus.
 

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Dr. Stender is so cool. He's sold YA fiction for sure. I signed with his agency just a few weeks ago (I write YA) and today he sent out my novel to editors. He's such a nice guy and I love his enthusiasm. Query him. He's awesome.
 

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Sorry for the long delay in responding. Thanks for the info. I was curious because someone I know is possibly interested in submitting to him, but I couldn't find much on fiction sales. He does seem very good for nonfiction, though.
 

Laura Lond

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This agent was quick in my case, responding with a next-day rejection. He addressed me by my husband's name, Stephen, but it is still better than having to wait for long weeks to hear back after sending a query. :D
 

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Queried Uwe today for my YA fiction novel for kicks and got a request for a full via snail mail. Have any of had any contact with him lately on fiction projects?
 

LookingforAdvice

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Out of curiosity, has this agent made *any* sales since he opened his doors? Other than the two reported?

From his website.

Fiction

Mark SaFranko's "Hating Olivia" was released on April 1, 2009 in France as "Putain d'Olivia" to great fanfare. TV 2 reviewed the novel favorably. The Canadian magazine Toro just ran a feature on Mark, which you can read here: http://www.toromagazine.com/?q=node/1495

New Deal Announcement (July 23, 2008):
Dan Fante's novels to Harper Perennial:
Dan Fante's "86'd", the fourth Bruno Dante novel for a 2009 publication date, by Uwe Stender of TriadaUS Literary Agency to Amy Baker at Harper Perennial(World). Harper Perennial also acquired the rights to the other Bruno Dante novels "Mooch", "Spitting Off Tall Buildings", and "Chump Change." The release dates T.B.D.


Jill Elaine Hughes', writing as Jamaica Layne, "Market For Love," a contemporary erotic romance to Adam Nevill at Virgin Books by Uwe Stender at TriadaUS Literary Agency (World; E-rights to Madris DePasture at New Concepts Publishing).


Shawn Thorgersen's YA novel "Bizenghast" based on characters and situations created by M. Alice LeGrow, to Jenna Winterberg at TokyoPop by Uwe Stender at TriadaUS Literary Agency (World).
Dan Fante's MOOCH was optioned by Michelle Weisler (The Ring, The Ring 2).

Non Fiction

Linda Cunningham at Guideposts Books pre-empted the true story of a wise 3-legged cat named Tripod and his life lessons by Daryn Kagan, ex-CNN news analyst and purveyor of good news stories on DarynKagan.com by agent Uwe Stender at TriadaUS Literary Agency (World).


Elizabeth LaBan's "The GrandParents Handbook", to David Borgenicht at Quirk Books, in a nice deal, for publication in 2009, by Uwe Stender at TriadaUS Literary Agency (World).


Susan Irby's "The Seven Dollar A Meal Healthy Cookbook", to Paula Munier at Adams Media, in a nice deal, for publication in 2009, by Uwe Stender at TriadaUS Literary Agency (World).
Dr. Ernest Zebrowski's "Global Climate Change", to Charles Nurnberg at Imagine Books, in a nice deal, for publication in 2010, by Uwe Stender at TriadaUS Literary Agency (World).


Susan Irby's "Seven Dollars A Meal Quick And Easy Cookbook", to Paula Munier at Adams Media, in a nice deal, for publication in 2009, by Uwe Stender at TriadaUS Literary Agency (World).




Dr. Duke Johnson's THE OPTIMAL HEALTH REVOLUTION: How Inflammation is the Root Cause of the Biggest Killers� and How the Cutting-Edge Science of Nutrigenomics Can Transform Your Long-term Health, a science-based guide to health, to Glenn Yeffeth at BenBella Books, in a good deal, for publication in May 2009, by Uwe Stender at TriadaUS Literary Agency and Lisa Berkowitz at Berkowitz & Associates (World).


Film rights to Covert have been optioned in a significant deal. Details will be given when/if actual production and filming commences.
TV series/film rights to Fake Alibi have been optioned in a very good deal. Details will be given when/if actual production and filming of Pilot starts.
Activist journalist and BET host, Jeff Johnson, explodes old school notions of life's purpose in EVERYTHING I�M NOT , MADE ME EVERYTHING I AM, an inspiring guide for discovering your personal B.E.S.T. to Cheryl Woodruff at SmileyBooks/Hay House, in a six-figure 2-book deal, Book I for 2009 publication date, by Uwe Stender of TriadaUS Literary Agency (World).


World-renowned consultant and speaker Dr. Kevin Elko and bestselling author Bill Beausay's "True Greatness" to Jacquie Flynn at Amacom by Uwe Stender at TriadaUS Literary Agency (World). This book shares how to build greatness in your business life through a self-focused, conscious and sub-conscious reengineering of your mind.


Bestselling author and NAACP Image Award Recipient Omar Tyree's "The Equation." This book provides a groundbreaking formula that teaches the reader how to apply the four undisputable components of all successful business to Shannon Vargo at Wiley by Uwe Stender and Becky Post at TriadaUS Literary Agency (World).
David Lavery's "The Essential Cult Television Reader" to Leila Salisbury at University Press of Kentucky by Uwe Stender at TriadaUS Literary Agency (World).


Dale McGowan's "Raising Freethinkers." This book is the accompanying project to Dale McGowan's successful book "Parenting Beyond Belief", again to Christina Parisi at Amacom by Uwe Stender at TriadaUS Literary Agency (World).
Dr. Joel Block and KD Neumann's THE SEXUAL SOLUTION, showing readers how to use erotic play and sex as a way to work out conflicts and create verbal intimacy, to Paula Munier at Adams Media, in a nice deal, for publication in 2009, by Uwe Stender at TriadaUS Literary Agency (world).
Lynnette Porter's "The Hobbits: The Many Lives of Bilbo, Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin." This book provides a well-researched discussion and analysis of the many ways that hobbits have been adapted to meet audiences� expectations and present the stories in audience-pleasing ways, to Philippa Brewster at I.B. Tauris by Uwe Stender at TriadaUS Literary Agency (World).
Dr. David Page and Dr. Pamela Rowland's "How to Survive Your Surgery" covers every aspect of surgical care in nine steps from first assessment by your surgeon to going home from a high tech hospital, to Philip Turner at Sterling by Uwe Stender at TriadaUS Literary Agency (World).


Dr. Joel Block and KD Neumann's The Real Reasons Men Commit, a guide for women on how to make the man in their life commit to a long term relationship, to Paula Munier at Adams Media by Uwe Stender at TriadaUS Literary Agency (World).
Jill Elaine Hughes' Wacko, a powerful memoir about surviving mental illness, to Kris Van Hoof-Haines at Hazelden Publishing by Uwe Stender at TriadaUS Literary Agency (World).



Brad Turk's Lifemoney: The Proven System for Creating the Money You NEED for the Life You WANT, the book to help you understand what success really means and teach you how to attain it, to Glenn Yeffeth at BenBella Books by Uwe Stender at TriadaUS Literary Agency (World).


Bridget Graham and Monique Reidy's "How Can I, Like, Totally Get a Job?", the book to help college graduates find the job that matches their skills, to Paula Munier at Adams Media, in a nice deal, by Uwe Stender at TriadaUS Literary Agency (World).


Daryn Kagan's "What's Possible! Creating Possibilities Beyond Life's 5 Biggest Obstacles," To be Released in May '08, to Lisa Berkowitz at Meredith Books, a division of the Meredith Corporation (NYSE: MDP),one of America's leading media and marketing companies. "What's Possible! Creating Possibilities Beyond Life's 5 Biggest Obstacles," will feature original stories and reports about people whose experiences and challenges have inspired and affected change in the world. These are real stories about real people who are extraordinary in every sense of the word.



Lynnette Porter, David Lavery and Hillary Robson's Battlestar Galactica, a timely analysis of the TV phenomenon Battlestar Galactica, to Peter Lynch at Sourcebooks in a nice deal, will be released in 2008.
Nicholas Holt and Elizabeth Hutcheson's FAKE ALIBI, about the adventures associated with the Fake Alibi business, to Glenn Yeffeth at BenBella Books, in a nice deal, by Uwe Stender at TriadaUS Literary Agency (World).

Top referee in the National Basketball Association Bob Delaney's COVERT: The Undercover Life of Bob Delaney, NBA Official, written with Dave Scheiber, award winning journalist, about a long-secret life as an undercover agent for the New Jersey State Police infiltrating the Mafia, wearing a wire for more than three years to gather evidence that led to the conviction of more than thirty members of the Genovese and Bruno crime families, with a foreword from NBA great Bill Walton, to Philip Turner at Union Square Press/Sterling, for publication in February 2008, by Uwe Stender at TriadaUS Literary Agency (world).



Amy Hendel's FAT FAMILIES, THIN FAMILIES: How to Save Your Family from the Obesity Trap & Become a �Healthy Family for Life�, the first and only book to provide a broad-scale, thorough, practical and proven family solution for fighting the obesity crisis, to Glenn Yeffeth at BenBella Books in a nice deal, to be released in 2008.



Lynnette Porter, David Lavery and Hillary Robson's Heroes Unmasked: An Unofficial Look, a timely analysis of the TV phenomenon HEROES, to Jennifer Hale at ECW Press in a nice deal, will be released in October 2007.


In Parenting Beyond Belief, Dale McGowan celebrates the freedom that comes with raising kids without formal indoctrination and advises parents on the most effective way to raise freethinking children. With advice from educators, doctors, psychologists, and philosophers as well as wisdom from everyday parents, the book offers tips and insights on a variety of topics, from "mixed marriages" to coping with death and loss, and from morality and ethics to dealing with holidays. Sensitive and timely, Parenting Beyond Belief features reflections from such freethinkers as Mark Twain, Richard Dawkins, Bertrand Russell, and wellness guru Dr. Don Ardell that will empower every parent to raise both caring and independent children without constraints. The book will be released in April 2007.
John Holt's CHASING FISH TALES reprint rights to Tom Swanson at Bison Books in a nice deal, will be released in early 2008.
John Holt's GUIDE WARS reprint rights to Tom Swanson at Bison Books in a nice deal, will be released in late 2008.


Michael Litos' nonfiction book CINDERELLA, a timely look at the triumphs and tribulations of Mid Major College Basketball to Peter Lynch at Sourcebooks in a nice deal, will be released in early 2007.



Rocky Lang's and Dr. Erick Montero's CONFESSIONS OF EMERGENCY ROOM DOCTORS about the humorous and bizarre happenings in ER's, to Katie Anderson at Andrews McMeel in a nice deal, for publication in September 2007.


Lynnette Porter, David Lavery and Hillary Robson's new LOST-related project with topic TBD, again to Peter Lynch at Sourcebooks in a nice deal, for publication in 2007.
Portuguese Rights to UNLOCKING THE MEANING OF LOST sold to Editora Novo S�culo Ltda. in a nice deal.


DK Publishing/Penguin Publishing Group announces the September 2006 publication of Dr. Ron Weiers's 365 WAYS TO SAVE GAS ($9.99; trade paper; 382 pages), a book of helpful tips to help consumers conserve gas and save money. Written in accessible language by an expert in the field of fuel efficiency, 365 WAYS TO SAVE GAS offers readers practical solutions to combat the nation's skyrocketing gas prices. Editor Brian Saliba acquired the title from Dr. Uwe Stender of TriadaUS Literary Agency.



Dale McGowan's (with Richard Dawkins, Julia Sweeney, Penn Jillette, Michael Shermer, Don Ardell and other contributors), SECULAR PARENTING, about raising children without religion � and the many issues that relate directly to it to Christina Parisi at Amacom, in a nice deal.



David Lavery's WONDER BOY, a comprehensive critical biography of Buffy the Vampire Slayer's creator and Wonder Woman director, Joss Whedon, to Phillipa Brewster at Tauris (United Kingdom). In the USA, the book will be distributed by St.Martin's/Palgrave.

Aaron Clark writing as Jonathan Price's MULTIPLE JOB OFFERS IN TEN DAYS!,a guide to beating the current job market through guerilla self-marketing tactics, whether your goal is to move laterally, climb the ladder, or shift gears altogether into a dream job, to Michael Pye at Career Press, working jointly with Gina Panettieri at Talcott Notch Literary Services, (world English).


Tony Moss's nonfiction book OUT OF THE POCKET, an inside account of a football program (Villanova)in the maelstrom of the cruel class system that exists in college football in the 21st century, to Rob Taylor at University of Nebraska Press in a nice deal, for publication in 2007.



Lynnette Porter's and David Lavery's nonfiction book LOST WORLD, a timely look at the significance of the series LOST within television programming, as well as the many themes that resonate within our culture, to Peter Lynch at Sourcebooks in a nice deal, for publication in 2006.
 

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Uwe is definitely a superstar in the non-fiction department.

I believe he has made fiction sales for triceretops and deathwizard here on AW, however, I do not know the details, and I could be wrong.

My experience with him was not the best, but that might just be an individual case.

However, if you want super-fast communication, Uwe is the guy. I would not be surprised if he contacts seeker4 within the week about the snail-mailed full (with whichever response). He called me on the Saturday after the Tuesday I put my full in the mail.
 

seeker4

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Uwe is definitely a superstar in the non-fiction department.

I believe he has made fiction sales for triceretops and deathwizard here on AW, however, I do not know the details, and I could be wrong.

My experience with him was not the best, but that might just be an individual case.

However, if you want super-fast communication, Uwe is the guy. I would not be surprised if he contacts seeker4 within the week about the snail-mailed full (with whichever response). He called me on the Saturday after the Tuesday I put my full in the mail.


Thanks for the heads up, Sage. I'm actually doing cuts right now per another agent's suggestions so I'm going to finish those this weekend and send her the revision before printing and sending to Uwe.
 

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He's also a super-fast responder. Of course, I thought it would take longer than one minute to receive, read, and respond with a reject to an email query. I guess he's taken the Evelyn Wood speed-reading course. You know the one. Read Dear..., hit reply, paste form reject, hit send. Very efficient.
 

eqb

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Fiction

Mark SaFranko's "Hating Olivia" was released on April 1, 2009 in France as "Putain d'Olivia" to great fanfare.

New Deal Announcement (July 23, 2008):
Dan Fante's novels to Harper Perennial:

Jill Elaine Hughes', writing as Jamaica Layne, "Market For Love,"

Shawn Thorgersen's YA novel "Bizenghast" based on characters and situations created by M. Alice LeGrow, to Jenna Winterberg at TokyoPop by Uwe Stender at TriadaUS Literary Agency (World).

Thanks, LookingforAdvice. His nonfiction record is outstanding, I agree. Still, only four fiction sales over several years seems to imply that fiction isn't his focus. Unless there are more that he hasn't listed.
 

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Dear eqb, dear Seeker 4 etc.:

I just wanted to join the conversation for a minute to clarify. First of, I am an AAR member and adhere to their guidelines.

Yesterday, I sold my eighth novel. That deal is not yet on the website. I only announce deals once the contracts have been signed and mailed. Fiction is becoming more and more a focus of mine and current and future deals will make that clear. I am always looking for strong fiction and nonfiction.

The best way to see what sales I have is to go to my website (just know that sales will only be announced once the contracts have been signed and mailed):
http://www.triadaus.com

Under the fiction tab you can find the fiction sales and under the nonfiction tab you can find the nonfiction sales.

Under "Company News" you can see sales and other activities.

Best wishes,
Uwe
 

seeker4

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Dear eqb, dear Seeker 4 etc.:

I just wanted to join the conversation for a minute to clarify. First of, I am an AAR member and adhere to their guidelines.

Yesterday, I sold my eighth novel. That deal is not yet on the website. I only announce deals once the contracts have been signed and mailed. Fiction is becoming more and more a focus of mine and current and future deals will make that clear. I am always looking for strong fiction and nonfiction.

The best way to see what sales I have is to go to my website (just know that sales will only be announced once the contracts have been signed and mailed):
http://www.triadaus.com

Under the fiction tab you can find the fiction sales and under the nonfiction tab you can find the nonfiction sales.

Under "Company News" you can see sales and other activities.

Best wishes,
Uwe

Hi Uwe,

Thanks so much for answering questions. I will be sending my requested full to you this weekend (you requested it on 6/19). Look forward to hearing your feedback regarding my novel.
 

JoshPatton

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My experience:

I realize that Dr. Stender has some very vociferous supporters (in a textual sense) and I am not posting this to disparage him, but merely share my experience. I wrote for awhile, went away from it, and now I am coming back into the field. I am from Pittsburgh and this guy's office is about ten minutes away from my house, so I thought I would e-mail him. Not as a potential client looking for an agent, but on a "human" level, if you will.

Now, allow me to add that I understand that perhaps he is far too busy to be bothered with replying to a strange dude asking about the business of writing. I know this. I understand this. What I am writing to report is that in the e-mail reply he sent, it was a rejection. I am not sure if he read my e-mail at all. I included links of some of the recent work I had been doing, but not as part of any pitch. This thread really helped me in my decision to contact him in the first place, so I just thought I would share.

I know, I am probably being an ass.
 

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Hey, Josh. A lot of agents will take any e-mail that they receive that is not clearly one novel being queried and reject it. Agents get a lot of e-mail that *is* meant to be a query but is not in anything resembling a query. Authors talking about themselves mostly, or ones asking if it's okay to query the agent, or ones that mention every novel they ever wrote, or ones that send pictures of themselves. There have been lots of agent blogs that have mentioned authors querying them with links to their work and saying that they absolutely will not click on the link and if that's all the info the author has, they'll reject it. My guess would be that he skimmed your e-mail just enough to know that you weren't giving him enough of a description of a book to get a sense of whether he'd want to see more or not, assumed it was a query where you expected him to click the links, and then rejected it.
 

Irysangel

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My experience:

I realize that Dr. Stender has some very vociferous supporters (in a textual sense) and I am not posting this to disparage him, but merely share my experience. I wrote for awhile, went away from it, and now I am coming back into the field. I am from Pittsburgh and this guy's office is about ten minutes away from my house, so I thought I would e-mail him. Not as a potential client looking for an agent, but on a "human" level, if you will.

Now, allow me to add that I understand that perhaps he is far too busy to be bothered with replying to a strange dude asking about the business of writing. I know this. I understand this. What I am writing to report is that in the e-mail reply he sent, it was a rejection. I am not sure if he read my e-mail at all. I included links of some of the recent work I had been doing, but not as part of any pitch. This thread really helped me in my decision to contact him in the first place, so I just thought I would share.

I know, I am probably being an ass.

I don't work with Dr. Stender, but I've highlighted the parts of your message that I find confusing. So you emailed him, asked for advice on writing, and included links to your work?

Sorry, but that's still a query. No matter how couched you have it in niceties (and I'm puzzled about the whole 10 minutes from my house thing), you're still asking him to look at your stuff to see if it has potential.

You wouldn't do this to a lawyer or a psychologist or someone else who offers a service that you pay for. An agent is no different.

Sorry. We are free with the advice here on AW, and we promise to respond. ;) But an agent's job is basically to treat his job like a business, and that means not giving away free advice or help.
 

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Confusing to me, too.

An agent, any agent for that matter, has limitations on their time to get through a regular workload as it is. Most agents that I know of are very relunctant to chase links down and review writing samples from blogs or personal websites. This is common knowledge. If you wanted to befriend this man on a personal level then it should have been a hardmail letter containing content that was appropriet for such an introduction. Perhaps you met him at a conference or writing groups--fine, you could express that in your letter.

But take in mind that 99% of everything agents receive through the mail is directly related to his/her business, and is treated as such. Either you're looking for official representation or you're not. There's nothing in between here. There's no "maybe" or "perhaps" questions of representation--you make that sub in a business-like manner and take the lumps like the rest of us.
 

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Josh, it's not unusual to be inundated with people wanting help. The truth of the matter is that this kind of contact can be quite intrusive. It's rare that we have the time to blow off a few minutes to read an email asking for advice and such. The old adage of "what's in it for me?" is true. If you're not querying - even though you included links to your work - then why would Uwe or anyone else read your email? We don't have signs that say, "hey, stop on over for a cuppa." We're honestly busy. Sorry, but it's a matter of perspective.
 

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You wouldn't do this to a lawyer or a psychologist or someone else who offers a service that you pay for.

Well maybe that is something one SHOULDN'T do, but it sounds exactly like something I would do.
 

JoshPatton

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Josh, it's not unusual to be inundated with people wanting help. The truth of the matter is that this kind of contact can be quite intrusive. It's rare that we have the time to blow off a few minutes to read an email asking for advice and such. The old adage of "what's in it for me?" is true. If you're not querying - even though you included links to your work - then why would Uwe or anyone else read your email? We don't have signs that say, "hey, stop on over for a cuppa." We're honestly busy. Sorry, but it's a matter of perspective.

Again, I am new, this may not be the appropriate place, and please understand I am not trying to get into a pissing match with you all. That being said, Priceless1, I certainly hope that no one else in these forums thinks this way or I have found the WRONG place. I have worked in sales and the corporate slut-factory that is big business and that sort of attitude towards others is what really, really sucks about the world today and why no one except brown-nosing d-bags seem to make it. (No offense to anyone that may have made it and not be a d-bag)

I know business is tough and we all have better things to do, but why the hell not take a few seconds to read something sent directly to you and then reply in a human way. In one of the crappy sales jobs I have had, I recall receiving about 150 e-mails a day from prospective college students, each with a very specific problem that I did my best to answer. Now, my corporate overlords had your attitude and unless I was certain they were going to apply to the school, I was to pay them no mind. I asked, "How will I know if they are going to apply or not, if I don't answer their questions?"

"That's just not how it works." I was fired about a year and a half later, and I hadn't signed up many students. But all of my students were still in school a year and half later. What was in that for me? The knowledge that I was in a position able to help and I did.

You ask why Uwe or anyone else WOULD read my e-mail? I ask you, why not? First off, it was sent to him. Do you only respond to strangers' questions if they are posted on some large anonymous forum? You say "we are honestly busy." Who isn't? I am a single dad, unemployed, no degree, mother in bankruptcy and failing health, and I am still selfish enough to try and make a go of this writing thing. I see a guy in the business a one zone bus ride away from me and I read this forum and think, wow he had a tough start, I am sure he could at least relate. So yeah, a few words of encouragement from other "busy" people might be welcome.

Your time, your "business" is in no way superior to mine or anyone else's. You call it intrusive? Why? You post your e-mail address for people to find and when someone does do you delete it unless it comes with an attachment of dollar signs? Finally, correct me if I am wrong, but agents are salespeople who make money off others' products (Kind of like another local boy, Bill Mays) and who knows I may be brilliant and could have been a cash cow.

Yeah maybe you guys are right and I should pay $150 to go to see some hack at a writer's conference tell me to write queries of "things I'd want to read," so I can meet other people in the business without being given the brush off. No thanks, I'd rather become a postal clerk for 12 years, of course in this economy that isn't the bad job it once was.

Look if anyone is still reading, this isn't the place for this. Where is the Shallow & Self-Serving Thread so I can continue this discussion?

Also is there any sort of record for how many posts it takes someone to get banned from the forums, cause I have a feeling I may be in the running for that soon.

Joshua M. Patton
 

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Yeah maybe you guys are right and I should pay $150 to go to see some hack at a writer's conference tell me to write queries of "things I'd want to read," so I can meet other people in the business without being given the brush off.
No one said to pay any money to anyone. As in any business, you have to start out by following the rules.

Look if anyone is still reading, this isn't the place for this. Where is the Shallow & Self-Serving Thread so I can continue this discussion?
You can go over to Take It Outside boards.

Also is there any sort of record for how many posts it takes someone to get banned from the forums, cause I have a feeling I may be in the running for that soon.
It's pretty hard to get banned from AW. You're just stating your opinions--pretty strongly--but so far it seems okay. Then again, I'm not a mod.
 

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You ask why Uwe or anyone else WOULD read my e-mail? I ask you, why not? First off, it was sent to him. Do you only respond to strangers' questions if they are posted on some large anonymous forum? You say "we are honestly busy." Who isn't? I am a single dad, unemployed, no degree, mother in bankruptcy and failing health, and I am still selfish enough to try and make a go of this writing thing. I see a guy in the business a one zone bus ride away from me and I read this forum and think, wow he had a tough start, I am sure he could at least relate. So yeah, a few words of encouragement from other "busy" people might be welcome.

Your time, your "business" is in no way superior to mine or anyone else's. You call it intrusive? Why? You post your e-mail address for people to find and when someone does do you delete it unless it comes with an attachment of dollar signs? Finally, correct me if I am wrong, but agents are salespeople who make money off others' products (Kind of like another local boy, Bill Mays) and who knows I may be brilliant and could have been a cash cow.


The main reason? It's not their job. Agents can only devote a small part of their day to answering queries. They have clients that they're already representing that they have to take care of. That means contracts and dealing with editors, etc. Querying isn't their primary occupation and every email they're sent that isn't the most polished effort possible takes time away from the people who are actually trying to find representation and time away from those to whom they are already contractually obligated.

Better than 95% of what an agent sees on a daily basis is slush, and from reading here as well as agent blogs, etc. it's clear that said slush can be spotted from the first few lines. That's the reason for the form letters - and you should be happy you got that much of a response. Most agents have had to implement the "no response = no" policy because so much of that 95+% thinks they're owed detailed responses and notes and explanations as to why their work isn't right. Giving even small personalized response leads to being cursed and belittled. If you're not even attempting to use the contact information for the purpose it was intended - as in submitting for consideration - then you shouldn't be too put out when the agent doesn't consider it worthwhile.

You have to multiply that "few seconds" by a few hundred - which is a few hours worth, and those are hours they aren't being paid for. If someone dropped a pile of work on your desk through lunch, breaks, and after hours and shrugged it off as "why not look at my stuff for free?" you wouldn't be too happy with them.


<snips>

Also is there any sort of record for how many posts it takes someone to get banned from the forums, cause I have a feeling I may be in the running for that soon.

(and I'm pretty sure the record is one - though it's usually for spammers.)
 

Unimportant

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Josh, I don't know anything about this agent in particular, but many agents have an intern slush reader or an email filter or both. Anything sent to the email address they reserve for queries has to pass an intern's or computer system's basic check. Spam goes into the bin. Queries that are incorrectly formatted or that include attachments or that are just links to the person's work online or are in the wrong genre (or whatever specifications the agent has in place) get an automatic form rejection. Queries that pass the initial test go to the agent him/herself. So it's quite possible that this agent never even saw your email, and that the computer filters slotted it into the auto-reject folder.

It doesn't sound like your email to him was very clear with regards to what you were requesting, and that's probably a large part of the problem. I have contacted people in the publishing industry for reasons other than submitting/querying, and I've had pretty good success at having them respond positively, but I've always been very very clear what I want, whether that be clarification of their submission guidelines, or permission to quote them, or a request for an interview. As in any other industry, publishing people are busy professionals and it's best to approach them as such, especially when they are total strangers and you asking them for a favour.
 

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Well thanks all, and I don't really disparage Dr. Stender or his employees for not answering the question, I am sure he is a good agent.

Waste deep in slush,
Joshua Patton