Do agents/editors accept unfinished manuscripts?

kearoh · Jan 14, 2017

I reached out to some alumni of my grad school a few months ago. I wanted to network to stay on their radar once the book was finished. I sent each agent who got back to me chapter one and we spoke about the manuscript. Agent A was excited about the premise and gave a lot of useful tips.

Fast forward to now. I had a question for agent A and emailed her. I told her I was almost half finished with the manuscript and looked forward to submitting a full it to her. I was always told agents don’t look at unfinished manuscripts, but she requested a partial! I am super excited, but was wondering if anyone has heard of an agent or editor accepting an unfinished manuscript from a debut author.

ETA: I have a 12 page outline of the novel also.

Aggy B. · Jan 14, 2017

Well, at this point, she's asking to see what you've got (or part of it). If she likes it, she'll most likely ask you to send the completed MS once you finish.

I'm sure some agent at some point in time has made an offer of rep to a debut author based on something less than a full MS, but those chances are so slim, I would not think it ever likely to happen to you. (The statistics of it happening for any author are just so tiny.)

But, the good news is, she does seem interested in it. So send what she's asked for, finish your manuscript. (Don't rush. You want the rest of it to be as good as the beginning, right?) And once you're done you can send her the whole thing if she still wants to see it or continuing querying other agents with your now completed MS.

Best of luck.

kearoh · Jan 14, 2017

Thanks, Aggy B. I did send her the partial and I am waiting for her response. I am still writing, but with a bit more urgency now. I realize she could say she wants to see the manuscript when finished, but why ask for a partial?

Filigree · Jan 14, 2017

It's so she can get an idea of your writing style and plot, probably. Not an offer - you have to have a finished and polished book, for that - but she's already had some input into the story. She remembers it and is interested. This is good thing! Double down on your writing and make it shine.

I had this happen to me recently, when an editor saw the first 17K of a 40K novella related to a book she already has. She loved it, so it will probably have a home when I finish it.

Good luck!

Aggy B. · Jan 15, 2017

kearoh said:
Thanks, Aggy B. I did send her the partial and I am waiting for her response. I am still writing, but with a bit more urgency now. I realize she could say she wants to see the manuscript when finished, but why ask for a partial?

I had an agent ask for a partial after reading the query. And then ask for the full.

As Filigree said it gives the agent a chance to check out a little more of your writing style and see how you connect events and chapters. But since offering on partials is, again, so very rare as to be almost nonexistent, it also tempers your expectations. (When an agent asks for a full there are certain expectations - true or not - that authors tend to have.) Partials also give agents a chance to see if the rest of the MS seems to be of the same quality as the first chapter - since first chapters are frequently revised and polished more than any other part of the book, sometimes they are quite good while the rest of the book is not as well-written.

And, sometimes an agent will notice particular issues - with craft or pacing - while reading the partial and ask the author to do some more work on the MS before they ask to see the full. (Remember, an agent is hoping to stumble across something they love. If they really like your story they will try to give you the opportunity to present your best work to them.)

Getting a partial request is a totally normal thing. Just work on the rest of the MS and be patient. The agent will get back to you when she is finished with the pages that she has now.

Cyia · Jan 15, 2017

Most likely she wanted the partial AFTER the MS was done and polished. You don't know what that final book will look like or if your current opening will still be part of the story.

WriterDude · Jan 15, 2017

Not an agent, but if I ask myself if I would accept an unfinished manuscript, I can't think of any good reason why I would.

kearoh · Jan 16, 2017

Filigree said:
It's so she can get an idea of your writing style and plot, probably. Not an offer - you have to have a finished and polished book, for that - but she's already had some input into the story. She remembers it and is interested. This is good thing! Double down on your writing and make it shine.

I had this happen to me recently, when an editor saw the first 17K of a 40K novella related to a book she already has. She loved it, so it will probably have a home when I finish it.

Good luck!

Thanks. I sent her chapter one when I first established contact and she read it so she did have an idea of my writing style and plot. We spoke extensively on the phone about the manuscript. That's how I know she likes the premise.

I did speak with an acquaintance who's an agent's assistant and she said getting an offer in this circumstance is rare but it does happen. That's pretty cool. I wonder what kind of books were fortunate enough to snag an agent/editor unfinished.

That's great about the novella! My book is a novella also. I'm a bit worried it's not long enough, but the agent said the word count isn't the most important thing.

kearoh · Jan 16, 2017

Cyia said:
Most likely she wanted the partial AFTER the MS was done and polished. You don't know what that final book will look like or if your current opening will still be part of the story.

She said she wanted to see three chapters and she could always request more.

Cyia · Jan 16, 2017

kearoh said:
She said she wanted to see three chapters and she could always request more.

That didn't mean she wanted them right then. She may have, but from experience with agents who see writing they like before it's finished, the offer to submit a partial/full on the spot is generally meant to mean a submission when the MS is finished. There's no reason to look at it early. The MS might never get finished, or it might undergo major changes that render those pages irrelevant.

It doesn't really matter at this point.

kearoh · Jan 16, 2017

Cyia said:
That didn't mean she wanted them right then. She may have, but from experience with agents who see writing they like before it's finished, the offer to submit a partial/full on the spot is generally meant to mean a submission when the MS is finished. There's no reason to look at it early. The MS might never get finished, or it might undergo major changes that render those pages irrelevant.

It doesn't really matter at this point.

I've sent her my unfinished writing before so I think she would have clarified if she didn't want the chapters right now. Either way, I am excited an agent has my work!

Old Hack · Jan 16, 2017

kearoh said:
I've sent her my unfinished writing before so I think she would have clarified if she didn't want the chapters right now. Either way, I am excited an agent has my work!

That's really great, and I hope it works out for you. But it is very unorthodox for an agent to request unfinished fiction from a new writer, so tread carefully. Check into this agent, if you haven't already done so, and make sure you're not going to get scammed.

Cyia · Jan 16, 2017

kearoh said:
I've sent her my unfinished writing before so I think she would have clarified if she didn't want the chapters right now. Either way, I am excited an agent has my work!

I know it probably sounds like I'm picking on you, but I'm not. Please understand that this situation is unusual enough that it's sending up red flags like crazy. It's VERY unusual for an agent to accept unfinished work from a new author - especially when you've sent her unfinished writing before. A LOT of writers do this to agents and 99.9999999% of the time, said agents will tell you that it's a nuisance / time consuming / something never to do unless you're taking part in a contest or some such.

Please, please, please listen to Old Hack's suggestions. Vet this agent carefully. Check to see who they rep and what they've sold. If you can't find information readily, then message Victoria Strauss here on the site and give her the agent's name to make sure they're not on the "avoid" list.

Old Hack said:
That's really great, and I hope it works out for you. But it is very unorthodox for an agent to request unfinished fiction from a new writer, so tread carefully. Check into this agent, if you haven't already done so, and make sure you're not going to get scammed.

And yes, good luck with it if this person turns out to be legit. There are always exceptions to the rule / norm, and if you happen to be one, then good on you. Just cover your assets, okay? We've seen too many excited writers come here to crow about scam agents and scam publishers. We don't want to see you get burned, and we don't want to see your best efforts wasted on a dead end.

Aggy B. · Jan 16, 2017

Yes. Seconding (thirding) the vote to vet this agent carefully. I'm a little concerned that she told you that length is not the most important thing. Novellas are difficult to find homes for and generally don't receive enough attention to be worth an agent's time. (Although if you have an agent who is repping all your work, they might agree to help you submit to the handful of places that take novellas - but I can only think of one offhand that requires an agent to submit.)

It's totally true that a really good book can be exceptionally shorter or longer than the standard and still find a home, but there are limits in that regard. (My agent is prepping to submit a novel of mine that's 134k words, but it's a specific genre where longer books are not completely unheard of. And, it's not the first novel he's seen from me. I don't know if he would have been nearly as keen if that were the project I'd queried him with.) And shorter is definitely more difficult than longer.

blacbird · Jan 16, 2017

First priority: Finish the thing.

Second priority: Finish the thing.

Third priority: Finish the thing.

. . .

You have cart way ahead of horse right now. Any reputable agent will want to know, right up front, that you can produce a finished (and polished) manuscript, and the only way to know that is that you have produced a finished (and polished) manuscript. Querying before you have done that is nearly always a bad idea, for all kinds of reasons.

caw

kearoh · Jan 16, 2017

Old Hack said:
That's really great, and I hope it works out for you. But it is very unorthodox for an agent to request unfinished fiction from a new writer, so tread carefully. Check into this agent, if you haven't already done so, and make sure you're not going to get scammed.

Thank you, Old Hack. She's been in the biz for over 20 years and is an alum of my grad school.

kearoh · Jan 16, 2017

blacbird said:
First priority: Finish the thing.

Second priority: Finish the thing.

Third priority: Finish the thing.

. . .

You have cart way ahead of horse right now. Any reputable agent will want to know, right up front, that you can produce a finished (and polished) manuscript, and the only way to know that is that you have produced a finished (and polished) manuscript. Querying before you have done that is nearly always a bad idea, for all kinds of reasons.

caw

I didn't query her. I sent a networking email and made it clear I was still writing the manuscript.

kearoh · Jan 16, 2017

Cyia said:
I know it probably sounds like I'm picking on you, but I'm not. Please understand that this situation is unusual enough that it's sending up red flags like crazy. It's VERY unusual for an agent to accept unfinished work from a new author - especially when you've sent her unfinished writing before. A LOT of writers do this to agents and 99.9999999% of the time, said agents will tell you that it's a nuisance / time consuming / something never to do unless you're taking part in a contest or some such.

Please, please, please listen to Old Hack's suggestions. Vet this agent carefully. Check to see who they rep and what they've sold. If you can't find information readily, then message Victoria Strauss here on the site and give her the agent's name to make sure they're not on the "avoid" list.

And yes, good luck with it if this person turns out to be legit. There are always exceptions to the rule / norm, and if you happen to be one, then good on you. Just cover your assets, okay? We've seen too many excited writers come here to crow about scam agents and scam publishers. We don't want to see you get burned, and we don't want to see your best efforts wasted on a dead end.

I realize your concerns and I thank you. The first time I sent her work was to get feedback about the manuscript and to network with her. I wasn't planning on submitting to her until the manuscript was ready, but she asked for chapters so I sent them.

kearoh · Jan 16, 2017

Aggy B. said:
Yes. Seconding (thirding) the vote to vet this agent carefully. I'm a little concerned that she told you that length is not the most important thing. Novellas are difficult to find homes for and generally don't receive enough attention to be worth an agent's time. (Although if you have an agent who is repping all your work, they might agree to help you submit to the handful of places that take novellas - but I can only think of one offhand that requires an agent to submit.)

It's totally true that a really good book can be exceptionally shorter or longer than the standard and still find a home, but there are limits in that regard. (My agent is prepping to submit a novel of mine that's 134k words, but it's a specific genre where longer books are not completely unheard of. And, it's not the first novel he's seen from me. I don't know if he would have been nearly as keen if that were the project I'd queried him with.) And shorter is definitely more difficult than longer.

I know my situation isn't the norm and I'm thankful for the opportunity!

mayqueen · Jan 16, 2017

kearoh said:
She's been in the biz for over 20 years and is an alum of my grad school.

Definitely vet her, though, as Old Hack and Cyia said. Agents can have been around a long time and still have a bad reputation.

I'm wondering if you're in an MFA program maybe? That's a situation that I can imagine an agent would be interested in the unfinished manuscript of an unknown writer: the writer is enrolled in a highly prestigious MFA program and has a fantastic track record of short story placements and/or fellowships. That's the only time I can think of that this kind of scenario wouldn't raise a ton of red flags. (But obviously no need to out yourself, OP! Just curious.)

Either way, just proceed cautiously, and best of luck. Do finish your manuscript on your own timeline and make it the best you possibly can. Nothing moves quickly in publishing, and you'll want to have a polished manuscript in the (very likely) event you'll need to query.

kearoh · Jan 16, 2017

mayqueen said:
Definitely vet her, though, as Old Hack and Cyia said. Agents can have been around a long time and still have a bad reputation.

I'm wondering if you're in an MFA program maybe? That's a situation that I can imagine an agent would be interested in the unfinished manuscript of an unknown writer: the writer is enrolled in a highly prestigious MFA program and has a fantastic track record of short story placements and/or fellowships. That's the only time I can think of that this kind of scenario wouldn't raise a ton of red flags. (But obviously no need to out yourself, OP! Just curious.)

Either way, just proceed cautiously, and best of luck. Do finish your manuscript on your own timeline and make it the best you possibly can. Nothing moves quickly in publishing, and you'll want to have a polished manuscript in the (very likely) event you'll need to query.

You're actually not too far off, and thank you!

Old Hack · Jan 16, 2017

kearoh said:
Thank you, Old Hack. She's been in the biz for over 20 years and is an alum of my grad school.

With all due respect to her, that means nothing.

You're welcome to let me know her name, privately, and of course in confidence, if you like. I know a few people in publishing and might be able to let you know if there are problems. At the very least, I'll be able to vouch for you and the agent here.

kearoh · Jan 16, 2017

Old Hack said:
With all due respect to her, that means nothing.

You're welcome to let me know her name, privately, and of course in confidence, if you like. I know a few people in publishing and might be able to let you know if there are problems. At the very least, I'll be able to vouch for you and the agent here.

Thanks, Old Hack. I'm very confident she's legitimate.

blacbird · Jan 19, 2017

kearoh said:
I didn't query her. I sent a networking email and made it clear I was still writing the manuscript.

What's the difference? You still wanted her to look at your manuscript. In my dictionary, that amounts to a query.

caw

kearoh · Jan 20, 2017

blacbird said:
What's the difference? You still wanted her to look at your manuscript. In my dictionary, that amounts to a query.

caw

We spoke about a lot of different topics ranging from the publishing industry to our alma mater so it wasn't just for her to look at my manuscript. At any rate, she was happy to speak with an alum and I suspect that's the only reason she gave me the time or day.

Do agents/editors accept unfinished manuscripts?

kearoh

Aggy B.

Not as sweet as you think

kearoh

Filigree

Mildly Disturbing

Aggy B.

Not as sweet as you think

Cyia

Rewriting My Destiny

WriterDude

Writer?

kearoh

kearoh

Cyia

Rewriting My Destiny

kearoh

Old Hack

Such a nasty woman

Cyia

Rewriting My Destiny

Aggy B.

Not as sweet as you think

blacbird

kearoh

kearoh

kearoh

kearoh

mayqueen

practical experience, FTW

kearoh

Old Hack

Such a nasty woman

kearoh

blacbird

kearoh