HO HUM...

Dust it off Terri, don't leave it to languish, loved only by you. Least they read enough to know the title. Chin up.

-chris

Hi Writerterri,

Yep, that is the same attitude I've pretty much taken. Eliminate the middle man and go straight to the publisher. I was planning to query Janet Grant myself but I think I'll just skip it now that I know she has more than enough clients.

I don't understand this agent thing. You'd think they would want more money. It's as if they are paying US instead of US paying THEM. So frustrating.

Okay my new years plan for 2006 is marketing, marketing, marketing my own writing. If I'm successful then that means more money for me and none for the agent that wasn't interested. (I'm blowing raspberries at all the agents that have turned us down. How do you spell that raspberry sound? "Ptttthhhhbbbb"?)

I don't understand this agent thing. You'd think they would want more money.

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I think you'll find time and attention are the kickers. You can certainly find agents who fit that bill of wanting more money and not caring how many clients they have but...well...

DenimSoul said:

Hi Writerterri,



I don't understand this agent thing. You'd think they would want more money. It's as if they are paying US instead of US paying THEM. So frustrating.

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Agents do want more money. That's why they reject 99% of the novels they see. Only about 1% of what comes to an agent stands any chance at all of earning a dime. The other 99% will lose an agent money each and everytime.

And if you can't land a good agent, landing a good publisher without one is ten times as hard. Most large publishers won't even look at manuscripts from writers withut agents, and most of those who do look still won't buy. Most publishers no longer even hire anyone to look at unsolicited manuscripts or slush.

Landing a good agent always means money. If you send any good agent something that agent believes will sell, you're in. If you send an agent something that agent doesn't believe will sell, you're out. It's the same with publishers, only more so.

I'd write back and thank her for her reply. Say that as a favour to her you've let your community of 70,000 writers know that she is currently not seeking new clients.

Say that as a favour to her you've let your community of 70,000 writers know that she is currently not seeking new clients.

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Gun, foot, aim, fire.

Just let it go. Anything you do now will just look catty.

Alphabet said:

I'd write back and thank her for her reply. Say that as a favour to her you've let your community of 70,000 writers know that she is currently not seeking new clients.

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She would be extremely grateful to anyone who could do this. When an agent says no new clients, she really means it.

writerterri said:

She must be making too much money to take on more clients.


I'm going to a publisher. The heck with an agent.

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This is exactly how I feel now, writerterri. I absolutely have the feeling I'd have a much easier time getting taken on by an editor. As my French editor said the other day: an agent, when reading your ms, is thinking about editors, and what THEY would like. Whereas an editor is thinking about readers, and what THEY would like. An editor is more likely to personally fall in love with a book. Agents just want to make a sale. They have the question mark in their heads: salability?

But as James said - most publishing hosues don't accept unagented mss nowadays, and that's the only reason I hesitate. Because once one editor in a particular house rejects you, you've more or less blown it for that entire house, and you don't get a second chance, and there aren't that many houses. My problem is not knowning which editors to query; for me they are all just names.
If I knew which editor likes my sort of book I'd be shooting straight at them, and not even bother with an agent any more.
Anyway, one editor still has my ms. She likes the partial an drequested it, so who knows.

I'm going to a publisher. The heck with an agent.

I'm afraid I'm going to be adopting this one too in a while. I'm getting 30% non-responders from agents that say they contact, rejection or not. From 125 rejections on three different manuscripts, the one's who've read them concure that I write very well and my concepts are excellent. But no room in the full house.
This means a stable glut. My luck with editors has been better, more replies, and suggestions.

Tri