Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency

Julie Worth · Mar 28, 2005

I received form cards from both agencies today. Axelrod said they wouldn't read my submission because of "commitments to our present clients," while Naggar was delighted to say she has "a very full client list."

Alphabeter · Mar 29, 2005

Julie

Thanks for the update.

Did you let Dave K know so he could update the P&E pages?

macandal · Apr 14, 2005

Does anyone know these two agents?

I was referred to either Charlotte Sheedy (of Sterling Lord Literary) or Alice Tasman (of Jean V Naggar Lit Agency). Are these reputable agents working for reputable agencies? Thank you.

AthruZ · Apr 14, 2005

Sheedy and Nagar

Yeah, these are good agents......that much you can count on regarding
Jean Naggar -- or anyone that works for her. Sheedy, I heard is okay, but if
you want great, then Jene Naggar is the one....good luck. Count your blessing if you get in with either one. I'm surprised that you don't know about the
Naggar agency. You must be new to the game. Super good luck then.....

macandal · Apr 14, 2005

Well, I've been writing for a while but I've never been published. This happened on a fluke and I was referred to call them by a friend who knows them. We'll see.

Billy B · Apr 14, 2005

Alice Tasman is on maternity leave 'til July, I believe.

Billy B · Apr 14, 2005

I'd suggest taking this as a simple form rejection, not a genuine statement about whether or not the agency is reading outside submissions. (Axelrod very recently requested a full from a friend of mine.) This sort of rejection is rather like declining a date by saying that you're not interested in dating right now. Let the right person ask and voila.

Remember, form rejections are something you just leave behind, not badger yourself about. Keep going.

macandal · Jul 7, 2005

Is Alice Tasman back from maternity leave? Also, I got another referral but I could not find anything on her. Neeti Madan from Sterling Lord. Thanks.

Maprilynne · Aug 24, 2006

Awww crap!

So an agent with Jean V. Naggar asked for my partial just now and, in case you all are not familiar with their letter wording, she says, "I do not charge a reading fee, but do require temporary exclusivity for as long as the material is in our office for evaluation purposes."

This book has been getting a ton of attention (compared to my last book, ha!) and is currently out to eight other agents. I can't offer any kind of eclusive--full or partial. So there are a couple of questions here. I want to let her know that the reason I can't offer and exclusive is because it a hot piece of property at the moment (that's good, right?) But I'm thinking I should send that in a cover letter with the pages rather than in an e-mail? That way maybe she'll shrug and say, "well, I have the pages anyway; may as well look at them." Am I totally wrong? Any suggestions?

Maprilynne

Julie Worth · Aug 24, 2006

Maprilynne said:
she says, "I do not charge a reading fee, but do require temporary exclusivity for as long as the material is in our office for evaluation purposes."

If it's out to eight other agents, why don't you wait? The wording of that letter suggests that the exclusivity is for as long as they want it, which sucks. If I were you and I didn't have so many others interested in it, I'd send it to her with "limited exclusivity," which means nothing at all.

Popeyesays · Aug 24, 2006

You might try wording it like this: "I will certainly send nothing to any further agents for a reasonable period of time."

Then you avoid saying anything about other agents already looking, and allow you to decide what a reasonable length of time to evaluate the book might be.

When all else fails EQUIVOCATE.

Regards,
Scott

Kristen King · Aug 24, 2006

I really don't like the "exclusivity for as long as the material is in our office for evaluation purposes" thing. They could sit on it for months! Honestly, I would probably say, "The manuscript is currently being evaluated by a few other folks as well, so I can't offer exclusivity. However, I'd be happy to put a hold on sending it to anyone new for four weeks so you have a chance to look it over without throwing others into the mix. Would that work for you?"

You can't offer them exclusivity, so either they'll compromise, or they won't. I feel that it's best to be honest about why you won't give them an exclusive lest you simply appear difficult.

Hope that helps.

Kristen

Andrew Zack · Aug 28, 2006

I would simply send in the manuscript and note in the cover letter, "Though I understand your desire for exclusivity, others have already requested and been sent the material and I am unable to provide such exclusivity. I will certainly notify you immediately should another agent offer me representation prior to my hearing from you."

Andy

Maprilynne · Aug 29, 2006

Thank you Andy . . . uh, Mr. Zack . . .

popmuze · Aug 30, 2006

This is pretty spooky. I just got the same email from one of their agents yesterday, asking for exclusivity on a partial.

Since the book is already out elsewhere, I wrote her back telling her exactly why I couldn't grant it. I closed my note with the suggestion that if I sent her the partial in a word document (she'd asked for a hard copy), she could probably read it in an hour and thus be ahead of or at least in line with everyone else.

A few hours later, she said okay, send the document.

An hour after that she rejected it with a couple of nice comments.

I was up and down so fast I didn't even have time to get depressed. But if every agent was so quick (did she read five pages or all fifty) I'd be out of agents by tomorrow.

Kristen King · Aug 30, 2006

Popmuze, that's pretty exciting. :]

Kristen

popmuze · Aug 30, 2006

Kristen King said:
Popmuze, that's pretty exciting. :]

Kristen

What--to be rejected in an hour?
To be rejected with a nice comment?
To turn around an exclusive?
To defy an agent's agenda and replace it with my own?
Yeah, I guess it was pretty exciting...for about an hour.
Maybe she was annoyed at my tactics all along and just looking to swat me away like a gnat.

Kristen King · Aug 30, 2006

I think it's pretty exciting that
(a) she requested more materials in the first place.
(b) she requested an exclusive.
(c) when she couldn't get the exclusive, she accepted your alternative and requested the materials immediately.
(d) she looked at them right away.
(e) she got back to you pretty much immediately.
(f) she offered comments.

My sense is that if she had been eager to get rid of you or thought you were forcing an agenda, she wouldn't have told you to go ahead and send the stuff, and she wouldn't have offered any comments, much less nice ones when she responded. It's a bummer that it didn't work out the way you had hoped, but I think it's a good sign nonetheless.

Kristen

popmuze · Aug 30, 2006

When you put it that way, even I'm impressed.

Kristen King · Aug 30, 2006

As you should be. This is a good thing, kiddo. A really good thing.

dantem42 · Aug 30, 2006

popmuze said:
Maybe she was annoyed at my tactics all along and just looking to swat me away like a gnat.

Most good agents have no time for gnat-swatting unless it's a Stephen King horror novel-sized gnat.

It's also exciting that you're getting the attention you are from your manuscript. My aunt used to be "first reader" (under the Editor-In-Chief) of The Mystery Guild. She told me that ninety-five percent of the manuscripts she received never should have even been written, never mind submitted to someone else. Obviously you're in the other five percent.

popmuze · Aug 31, 2006

dantem42 said:
Most good agents have no time for gnat-swatting unless it's a Stephen King horror novel-sized gnat.

It's also exciting that you're getting the attention you are from your manuscript. My aunt used to be "first reader" (under the Editor-In-Chief) of The Mystery Guild. She told me that ninety-five percent of the manuscripts she received never should have even been written, never mind submitted to someone else. Obviously you're in the other five percent.

But according to James A, I've got to be in the top 2%. So I'm still climbing.

On the other hand, I've always sort of thought of myself as a Stephen King horror novel size gnat.

Brenda Hill · Oct 10, 2006

Since I'd like to query this agency, Maprilynne, I'd love to know what happened. Did you send a note like A Zack or the others suggested? Do they still have your partial?

And, I've checked their site and can't find any information other than their address and catalog. Where did you find a listing of the different agents in the Naggar agency?

Most of all, good luck.

ORION · Oct 10, 2006

Go on Agentquery.com and type in Naggar agency. It should come up with a list of names, emails and addresses and what they have represented.

Elektra · Oct 10, 2006

I also got a request from this agent, but, like you, the MS was elsewhere. I E-mailed her back, said that another agent had it, would she like to read it anyway? She said that would be fine, just to keep her updated if someone offered representation, and then to give her a week to respond. All sounded pretty fair to me.

Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency

Julie Worth

What? I have a title?

Alphabeter

Player of the Letters

macandal

AthruZ

macandal

Billy B

Billy B

macandal

Maprilynne

Author Waiting in the Wings

Julie Worth

What? I have a title?

Popeyesays

Now departed. Rest in peace, Scott, from all of us

Kristen King

Andrew Zack

Maprilynne

Author Waiting in the Wings

popmuze

Last of a Dying Breed

Kristen King

popmuze

Last of a Dying Breed

Kristen King

popmuze

Last of a Dying Breed

Kristen King

dantem42

popmuze

Last of a Dying Breed

Brenda Hill

Diva in Training

ORION

Sailed away years ago

Elektra

Don't Call Me Sweetheart