Contact publisher before agent?

If you submit to a publisher and get a rejection, and then you get an agent, your agent won't be able to resubmit to that publisher.

As you've said that the editor you have "been given a contact" for works in a genre which isn't the one you write in, I don't see the advantage in you submitting your book to her. You'd probably be better off working at getting an agent, and letting your agent submit your book appropriately once you have one.

Also, it seems to me that you might just have an email address for this editor. If that's the case, then your submitting a ms to her which is in a genre she doesn't work in is unlikely to result in anything other than a form rejection. Email addresses are easy to find. If, however, you've talked to her, and have established some kind of friendship or relationship with her, it might be worthwhile.

Have you been given this contact info by someone with whom the editor works (and whose opinion will be valued) who has read your manuscript and recommended the contact based on that reading? Do you have permission to use that person's name in your query? If the answer to either of these is no, don't query the editor.

Do NOT do this. If you secure representation, give the contact info to your agent.

(First: Total Amatuer here.)

It probably depends on how good your contact is. It doesn't seem like it's very good. If you were chatting with her/him at a confrence or something, I'm curious as to why you didn't mention it then.

I'd reccomend against submitting it - but if you really DO have a contact where you can just ask her a question without sounding rude, but maybe you can ask her if she knows anyone who she thinks you should submit it to. If she needs more information to answer your question, then you can give her the elevator pitch, and either she'll have an answer, want it it submitted to her, or just admit she can't help you.

That's how i'd play it, anyways.

Amanuensis said:

My situation is this: I have been given a contact at a major publishing house, but they handle a different genre than what I write. However, this editor has something in common with me (and relates to the book), that makes me think she will take notice, and possibly pass my novel on to someone who can help.

However, I do not have an agent at this time--would it be worthwhile to have someone at Big House interested as I query? Or would that annoy a prospective agent with contacts of her own?

Thanks...

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It's a contact not in your genre? The contact has not even seen your book and expressed interest? In my opinion, why even bother?

If you are querying agents, I'd continue. If you get an agent, you can tell him/her about the contact.

That's just my opinion.