Another submission question: how much info to include if you've met the agent in person?

daisyb · Jan 26, 2011

I'm about to send my pages and synopsis to an agent I met at a conference. Is it necessary to write out a full query letter if you've met someone in person? I was planning to send this:

Dear Ms. Agent:

It was very nice to meet you last weekend at the Writer's Digest conference. Thank you for taking the time to discuss my 81,000 word women's fiction novel, TITLE. Per your request, I am sending the first 20 pages and a two-page synopsis. I'd be happy to send the full manuscript if you are interested. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Is that enough info, or should I send a full query letter with something like that as the starting para? I'm afraid of being repetitive as most of what I'd say in a query is in my synopsis. Also should the pages come first or the synopsis in the body of the email?

Thank you!

JamieB · Jan 26, 2011

When I met agents at conferences, they always wanted the query letter with a note that we'd met at XYZ conference, just to jog their memory.

Anne Lyle · Jan 26, 2011

I think what you've got is fine, if it's to accompany a requested partial - that's basically what I sent to a publisher I met at a convention.

daisyb said:
Dear Ms. Agent:

It was very nice to meet you last weekend at the Writer's Digest conference. Thank you for taking the time to discuss my 81,000 word women's fiction novel, TITLE. Per your request, I am sending the first 20 pages and a two-page synopsis. ~~I'd be happy to send the full manuscript if you are interested.~~ Thank you for your time and consideration.

I would cut that fourth sentence, because of course you'd be happy to send the full ms!

daisyb · Jan 26, 2011

thanks!

Anne Lyle · Jan 26, 2011

BTW, my cover letter must have been OK, 'cos I got an R&R for the full ms out of it

Jamesaritchie · Jan 27, 2011

daisyb said:
I'm about to send my pages and synopsis to an agent I met at a conference. Is it necessary to write out a full query letter if you've met someone in person? I was planning to send this:

Dear Ms. Agent:

It was very nice to meet you last weekend at the Writer's Digest conference. Thank you for taking the time to discuss my 81,000 word women's fiction novel, TITLE. Per your request, I am sending the first 20 pages and a two-page synopsis. I'd be happy to send the full manuscript if you are interested. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Is that enough info, or should I send a full query letter with something like that as the starting para? I'm afraid of being repetitive as most of what I'd say in a query is in my synopsis. Also should the pages come first or the synopsis in the body of the email?

Thank you!

You need to get rid of the phrase "fiction novel". All novels are fiction, and that particular phrase sends chills down the back.

Corinne Duyvis · Jan 27, 2011

I think in this case it's women's-fiction novel, not women's fiction-novel. (Hyphens for clarity, not correctness.) Kinda like you can have a science fiction novel.

I agree that rephrasing it might work better to avoid this misinterpretation, but I'm not quite what this could be rephrased to without making it sound clunky.

Anne Lyle · Jan 27, 2011

How about:

Thank you for taking time to discuss my novel TITLE (women's fiction, completed length 81,00 words).

?

Moonbase · Jan 27, 2011

I’d send a full query letter and refer to the meeting. It’ll prod the agent’s memory. Giving thanks for her most valuable asset—time!—is always a good move.

Good luck!

Jamesaritchie · Jan 27, 2011

Corinne Duyvis said:
I think in this case it's women's-fiction novel, not women's fiction-novel. (Hyphens for clarity, not correctness.) Kinda like you can have a science fiction novel.

I agree that rephrasing it might work better to avoid this misinterpretation, but I'm not quite what this could be rephrased to without making it sound clunky.

The trouble with "women's fiction" is that it can mean anything, or nothing. There's almost always a better classification or description.

daisyb · Jan 28, 2011

Thanks, all. I sent the letter that I posted, along with an additional description paragraph about the novel (not lifted from the synopsis) so we will see.

Btw, the agents at the conference all referred to the genre as such (women's fiction) when mentioning what they represent. Yes, it's broad, but my novel doesn't fall into any other category. It's not a thriller, romance, literary, historical, chick lit, sci fi... you get the drift

Anne Lyle · Jan 29, 2011

daisyb said:
Btw, the agents at the conference all referred to the genre as such (women's fiction) when mentioning what they represent. Yes, it's broad, but my novel doesn't fall into any other category. It's not a thriller, romance, literary, historical, chick lit, sci fi... you get the drift

That was my feeling too - I've seen it on a lot of agents' listings*. Basically it means "non-genre, mainstream fiction with a distinctly female market slant". Not something I would read, or write, in a million years, but (to quote Slartibartfast) I believe it's very popular nowadays

* "represents women's fiction" regularly appears alongside "no fantasy or SF" - so these are not agents I am likely to have any dealings with

Moonbase · Jan 29, 2011

<offtopic>
Since in submission travel, all numbers are awful and near the Infinite Improbability, dealing with agents is often like Bistro Maths. I prefer the fjords. And don’t forget to bring your towel.
</offtopic>

Sorry, couldn’t resist when reading »Slartibartfast« above …

Another submission question: how much info to include if you've met the agent in person?

daisyb

JamieB

Anne Lyle

Fantastic historian

daisyb

Anne Lyle

Fantastic historian

Jamesaritchie

Corinne Duyvis

My New Cat Is Too Big for Shoulders

Anne Lyle

Fantastic historian

Moonbase

Jamesaritchie

daisyb

Anne Lyle

Fantastic historian

Moonbase