On mentioning a self-pubbed book in a query

I would vote yes, that you should mention that you should 3000 copies and had rights sold in six countries. Considering most self-published books sell less than 20 copies (not sure if that's correct, someone please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong ), selling 3000 shows that your work is good and that you've got a lot of drive, and having an agent backs that up.

A few things--you mention you got an agent after the book came out. Do you still have him? What are you querying?

Also, when you do query, that your book sold 3,000 is good, but it's still self-pubbed. If you have other credits, like being pubbed in a known lit mag, put those first.

Just my 2 cents.

I would almost always say no, but due to a post I saw on an agent's blog, since you sold so well it might be a different story.

I'd suggest maybe don't mention it was self-pubbed, because that word makes agents grimmace. Since you were repped for it, (despite it being later) it still had to go through the process. You might be able to get away with it.

What was the genre of the self pubbed book? Fiction or nonfiction.
Was the book ever available in the U.S? Even through Amazon?
Are you quering for the same book or a different book?
Are you currently agented?

Do these questions matter? Perhaps.

If this was non-fiction, and you are querying for fiction, I don't think it will matter one way or another that you self-pubbed. It's all about the current work now. While you did a press run of 2000 and sold out, for commercial publishing, a lot of press runs are about 30,000. Chris Paloni sold over 5000 before someone paid attention to him from what I read.

If you are currently agented, what does your agent think of the idea of listing the self pubbed work? His opinion will be the one that matters.

If you are hawking the same book, and it was available in the U.S. previously, then why would a publisher want to pick up a book that more than likely has run its cycle? If it has never been listed in the U.S, then mentioning the agent and the six countries it has been published in might make someone sit up and take notice? (Unless we are talking Bali or some other small nation).

Tough call because most agents and editors really have a thing against self pubblished writers. Things are changing though, but not that quickly yet.

Yes. That's one you mention. You had solid sales on your own and then agented sales abroad.

Why did things break up with the old agent? Was there was a reason why you didn't renew the contract?

The fact the book was later sold by an agent in six countries takes it out of the purely self-published realm. It's a real credit. But agents might wonder what happened to your agent and whether you're unagented.

Fredster said:

- sold almost 3000 copies (this was true self-pubbing, not POD, and I did a run of 3000 and sold out, except for the ones I kept for myself)

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If the book is the same genre as the one you're trying to sell, then mention it. Those are good numbers for a self-pub.

If it is non-fiction and your book is fiction, then don't bother.

- peaked at #121 on Amazon's bestseller list

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Amazon's bestseller list doesn't mean anything. One of my books peaked in the top 30 on their list, an hour later it had dropped into the 500s. Don't bother to mention it, that's strictly amateur night.

- got agented by a fairly top-tier agent after the fact, and had rights sold in six countries, but not in the USA

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Technically, I don't still have the agent, because our agreement expired, but he did immediately request a full when I told him about this.

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Then send him a full. You have to wait until he gets back to you before querying another agent.

If it's been more than two months, then it's okay to ask after its status with him.

Gillhoughly said it all. If I were you I'd follow his advice.

Instead of starting a new thread, I'll plop my question here.

I have a POD novella that didn't sell at all. I've seen advice elsewhere saying that it's okay to mention it, just don't call it a publication credit. How does this work?

I listed my published short stories, and then said: "In addition to these credits, I have a POD novella and about 50 scientific articles in scholarly, trade and popular journals."

How does that sound? This was in a cover letter for short fiction, but if this works I'll use it in my novel queries as well.