I'm about to begin querying agents to represent my latest manuscript (I'll call it MS #2.)
A little backstory before I get to my specific question:
A couple of years ago I met a number of agents at a conference, many of whom expressed interest in and requested partials for my last manuscript (MS #1). I quickly found and signed with an agent I met at that conference, and sent word to the agents who already had fulls and partials to not bother reading them, as I'd found representation.
MS #1 did not sell. The agent for MS #1 read MS #2, which is in a completely different genre, and indicated that she is not interested in representing it.
I'd like to query a few of the agents I met at the conference with MS #2. However, it will probably look bad to remind them that I'd queried them with a different ms that did not ultimately sell. However, if I just query them and don't mention it, they may remember me and wonder what happened and think it's a little strange.
Do I refer to the situation? I'd like to remind them that we met and they once requested material from me, because it might get me out of the slush pile faster, but not if it'll land me a big, fat "LOSER" stamp on my SASE. I had lengthy semi-chatty e-mail conversations with a few who were kind and wished me luck, and I'd like to use those contacts if I still can. I feel it might put me ahead of random queries if they recall. I'm fully aware that these agents may not remember a thing from two years ago, so I'm not even sure if it's an issue, but if I can remind them and use it to my advantage, I'd like to try. (I had a catchy title and live in an exotic place, so that alone may jar some memories.)
Again, this is a different and entirely new ms that I am querying, so it's not as if it's made any rounds to publishers that they must know of.
Basically, it sucks being back to square one, especially after having an agent and having been SO CLOSE, and I'd like to feel that experience gave me at least a teensy leg up? Or am I right back in the kiddie pool with the rest of the newbies?
A little backstory before I get to my specific question:
A couple of years ago I met a number of agents at a conference, many of whom expressed interest in and requested partials for my last manuscript (MS #1). I quickly found and signed with an agent I met at that conference, and sent word to the agents who already had fulls and partials to not bother reading them, as I'd found representation.
MS #1 did not sell. The agent for MS #1 read MS #2, which is in a completely different genre, and indicated that she is not interested in representing it.
I'd like to query a few of the agents I met at the conference with MS #2. However, it will probably look bad to remind them that I'd queried them with a different ms that did not ultimately sell. However, if I just query them and don't mention it, they may remember me and wonder what happened and think it's a little strange.
Do I refer to the situation? I'd like to remind them that we met and they once requested material from me, because it might get me out of the slush pile faster, but not if it'll land me a big, fat "LOSER" stamp on my SASE. I had lengthy semi-chatty e-mail conversations with a few who were kind and wished me luck, and I'd like to use those contacts if I still can. I feel it might put me ahead of random queries if they recall. I'm fully aware that these agents may not remember a thing from two years ago, so I'm not even sure if it's an issue, but if I can remind them and use it to my advantage, I'd like to try. (I had a catchy title and live in an exotic place, so that alone may jar some memories.)
Again, this is a different and entirely new ms that I am querying, so it's not as if it's made any rounds to publishers that they must know of.
Basically, it sucks being back to square one, especially after having an agent and having been SO CLOSE, and I'd like to feel that experience gave me at least a teensy leg up? Or am I right back in the kiddie pool with the rest of the newbies?
