Contacting an author, anybody ever try it?

Nope, but I have thanked an author via email for info on their site, which was helpful to me and opened up a dialog about whether I should attend a conference or not. They DO NOT like it when you ask them to HELP you get published.

Dpsi4 said:

Has anybody here ever tried submitting a sample of their writing to a published author in hopes of getting a referral to an agent, editor, or at least an endorsement they can put in their next query letter? What happened? A form reply? A restraining order? A phone call?

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Please, no, not ever, don't do this, I beg you.

Authors are deluged with chumps doing this, and it's completely inappropriate, it's socially awkward for the author, and it makes you look like a lout.

If an author asks to see something of yours, sure, but don't suggest it, or hint or anything else.

No. Not. Never.

This is the worst thing you can do. No, sorry, see the talking back to agents thread for that. LOL.

Seriously, never ever EVER do this. You can write and say how much their work inspires you, or how much you liked their lastest novel. Once you get a contract, you can ask them to read it and blurb it for the cover.

And most authors won't read uncontracted stuff anyway, for legal reason. I know of at least one who doesn't want to take a chance on stealing your idea by accident, thinking it was her own. Her lawyer has advised her never to read others stuff.

So, no.

One way to do this might be to attend a writing workshop run by a professional author or two. They'll read and comment on your stuff, and it gives you a chance to strike up a bit of a dialogue with them.

I've run a few workshops, and never had anyone ask me. (Of course, I'm far from a big name.) But I'd be more willing to consider helping one of my former students than I would a complete stranger...

I had a really great relationship with an author and then I jokingly said in an email--know any good agents? I never heard back from this person.

Sorry but I disagree

Medievalist said:

Please, no, not ever, don't do this, I beg you.

Authors are deluged with chumps doing this, and it's completely inappropriate, it's socially awkward for the author, and it makes you look like a lout.

If an author asks to see something of yours, sure, but don't suggest it, or hint or anything else.

No. Not. Never.

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I will have to disagree on this point.--I would not ask an author for their professional contacts like "who's your agent or can you send this to your editor?"

But I queried several authors for a review of my book and I recieved some polite "I am flattered, but too busy with my own writing right now" --but I also recieved a few "Yes I would be happy to read your book."

I've gotten several to review it and at least one more is on the way. They were happy to do it and at least one of those reviews has led to the books publication.

I had even asked one quite well known author for a review of my book, but he respectfully declined because of his busy schedule right now...but he has continued to correspond with me as a writer and has been very encouraging to me--asking for updates and checking out the new cover now that its being published with Breakneck Books and so forth. I thanked him one time for being willing to keep corresponding with me as a newbie author and he quickly let me know that he thought it was very important and not a waste of his time to do so.

One of the authors that reviewed my book and a fellow breakneck author, had self published his first book and got James Rollins to review his work and provided a blurb and so forth which greatly helped his sales. Now Mr. Rollins reviews all of this person's books and has provided a review of his upcoming Breakneck title as well.

It's a matter of asking and being willing to be polite and accept rejection. But there are authors out there who still are willing to help new authors out with a review.
Please keep in mind that I already had a cover and so forth and sent them a complete trade paperback copy to read; not a manuscript.

Many authors are still flattered that you would ask.

I know this goes against the grain here among A.W. members and their advice...but the proof is in the pudding--I have several nice reviews because I was willing to at least ask--I don't really think you have much to lose by trying, even if no one says yes. A good review can go along way, especially from a published author.

--James (chump I guess--but a chump with reviews!)

I agree that soliciting published authors to read an uncontracted manuscript (contracted ones are a little different, and many authors will only consider requests for a cover blurb that go through their agent) is bad.

If anyone's interested in getting his/her manuscript in front of a published author, for feedback as well as possible referrals (although referrals are HIGHLY unlikely, but feedback and advice and possibly the promise of a future cover blurb are valuable), some writers' groups have been holding ebay auctions to raise money for assorted charitable endeavors, usually writers in a medical or financial crisis (cancer or Hurricane Katrina). Among other writer-related services and autographed books, they offer critiques by published authors, ranging from obscure to bestselling, and ranging in price from a few bucks to a few hundred. I don't know of any that are on ebay right now, but a search, using "critique" would find them when they show up.

JD

And most authors won't read uncontracted stuff anyway, for legal reason. I know of at least one who doesn't want to take a chance on stealing your idea by accident, thinking it was her own. Her lawyer has advised her never to read others stuff.

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The legal stuff works both ways, too. Not because they fear accidentally stealing your story idea, but for fear of being sued because an unpublished author thought they did. God forbid the author happen to be working on a similiar book or idea at the time--someone's going to cry wolf.

No, no, no. Please don't do this. I've had people I've never even heard of track down me down and send samples of their work, asking for comments, suggestions, references, etc. Someone even sent me an entire book-length manuscript one time. I delete everything without even reading it. Most of the time I never even reply.

Know what else? I don't even want to see stuff from people I do know unless I mention it first (and trust me, that rarely happens). Not trying to be nasty; I just don't have the time or inclination.

And agents will NOT be impressed by you stating who liked your book before it's sold. Miss Snark has said this repeatedly... it smacks of amateur. Now a referral from an author to an agent is different.

But it's generally considered bad form to mention any sort of endorsement in your query letters.

Dpsi4 said:

Has anybody here ever tried submitting a sample of their writing to a published author in hopes of getting a referral to an agent, editor, or at least an endorsement they can put in their next query letter? What happened? A form reply? A restraining order? A phone call?

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Many published writers aren't even allowed to read unpublished writers except under controlled circumstances such as workshops and conferences.

There are simply too many morons out there who ask you to read something, then take you to court for plagiarism.

You don't need teh endorsment of a famous writer, you just need to write someting an agent or editor falls in love with.

Dpsi4 said:

Has anybody here ever tried submitting a sample of their writing to a published author in hopes of getting a referral to an agent, editor, or at least an endorsement they can put in their next query letter? What happened? A form reply? A restraining order? A phone call?

Click to expand...

I made contact with a nationally prominent historian and author, asking if he would look at a manuscript that had come to my attention and about which I was enthusiastic. He gave the ok, the author sent it, he gave a rave comment and sent it to his own agent. However: I knew the historian/author well (professional/employment connection), and knew the subject of the manuscript (a memoir of historical and social significance) would be of interest. (His agent declined to represent the manuscript, but the endorsement was a real shot in the arm.)

Likewise, I contacted a nationally prominent journalist/author, and asked if he would look at the manuscript with a view to a blurb. He gave the ok. I sent a copy. He gave a very positive comment, and will be available for a formal jacket blurb when the manuscript is in galleys (that is still an aspiration -- it is not easy, and at this point an agent has become a major stumbling block). However: I went to high school with that journalist/author -- casual acquaintance long ago, but enough that he welcomed my email and followed up.

Take the anecdotes for what they might be worth.

--Ken

Hi Everyone!
I have to disagree. Holding back from asking for help if you think it might enhance your project and you truly believe that the Author might be gracious enough to assist you by contacting their Agent or anyone else that might be able to assist you is what networking, blogs, the internet, and all of these sites have in common- Assistance in getting published! Only until we reach out and ask for help can this field of writing improve from it's present day God-like status and become down to earth and realistic. We are only human. I have been in several fields as a 55 y/o female and I have no reservations asking for help from anyone I can in the writing world. I hope people feel that they can approach me for advice and comments anytime they see fit. The only time I will not help them is if I can't and do not know the answer. Some people really think they are big-shots. Being an elder of sorts in this arena, I find that to be a turn-off. True professionals teach their trade to anyone who is interested in learning it and true human beings always acknowledge a question from someone. Only a jerk turns their back on those people who are merely trying to make a living.

I was contacted in this manner once, politely declined, and felt no animosity toward the requestor. I do not consider myself so important as to be unapproachable, and the requestor left me alone afterwards, so what harm was done? None whatsoever. It will have no impact on his career.
There is not so great a divide between published authors and unpublished authors as people may imagine.
My advice is that if you choose to contact, allow the author a graceful exit from your approach, and then honor their wishes if they decline further contact.
And a published author cannot secure you a contract with a pub house. You have to do that one yourself.
Good luck.

excellent cree

cree said:

I was contacted in this manner once, politely declined, and felt no animosity toward the requestor. I do not consider myself so important as to be unapproachable, and the requestor left me alone afterwards, so what harm was done? None whatsoever. It will have no impact on his career.
There is not so great a divide between published authors and unpublished authors as people may imagine.
My advice is that if you choose to contact, allow the author a graceful exit from your approach, and then honor their wishes if they decline further contact.
And a published author cannot secure you a contract with a pub house. You have to do that one yourself.
Good luck.

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I'm so glad you posted that cree...there is this image that once you get published you are set upon a pedestal and become unapproachable by the unpublished peons.

That's ludicrous...authors published or unpublished have one main difference--a contract!
I would say talent; but many unpublished authors are quite talented and some published ones may not be.

It never hurts to aks. All they can say is no and that shouldn't hurt anyone...but if you ask be polite if you get a refusal. Keep it professional at all times and respectful, not of the god-like published author, but respectful of them as a person.

--James

Mattie123 said:

Hi Everyone!
I have to disagree. Holding back from asking for help if you think it might enhance your project and you truly believe that the Author might be gracious enough to assist you by contacting their Agent or anyone else that might be able to assist you is what networking, blogs, the internet, and all of these sites have in common- Assistance in getting published! Only until we reach out and ask for help can this field of writing improve from it's present day God-like status and become down to earth and realistic. We are only human. I have been in several fields as a 55 y/o female and I have no reservations asking for help from anyone I can in the writing world. I hope people feel that they can approach me for advice and comments anytime they see fit. The only time I will not help them is if I can't and do not know the answer. Some people really think they are big-shots. Being an elder of sorts in this arena, I find that to be a turn-off. True professionals teach their trade to anyone who is interested in learning it and true human beings always acknowledge a question from someone. Only a jerk turns their back on those people who are merely trying to make a living.

Click to expand...

It does no harm to ask, particularly if you actually know the writer. But it can be a serious risk for a pro writer to say yes. There are many, many new writers out there who will sue you the moment you write something even remotely similar to whatever it is they had you read.

And it's just silly to think only a jerk turns his back on those people who are merely trying to make a living. There are at least fourteen million wannabe writers out there. Are you saying a professional writer has to say yes to every last one who asks for help? If he did he'd never have time to write anything of his own for the rest of his life.

It isn't just one wannabe who asks. It isn't just ten or twenty or fifty.

You want down to earth and realistic? Down to earth and relaistic is that professional writers are also human, and often have very little spare time, can get sued by anyone at anytime, and often do. And for every hundred writers who ask for help, at least ninety can't be helped. This means you have to pick and choose carefully. And darned few of the pros out there got where they are by asking other pros they didn't know for help. Having a pro offer help is something else. Put yourself in a position of having the pro ask, and you'll probably get more help than you need. But this usually means getting to know teh pro well first, and treating him like a friend, rather than as a ladder.

And you don't really have to ask. Pros offer advice all over the internet, generally answer questions, write how-to books, etc. I don't know any pro who won't answer questions, unless the numbers are simply overwhelming. Pros help on sites such a sthis one, and by advice given and questions answered on their own websites. But if you're counting on a pro reading your manuscript or referring you to his agent because you contacted him and asked him to, well, it probably ain't gonna happen, and it shouldn't.

If you take the time to really get to know a pro writer and let him ask, that's one thing. If you go to places where he's supposed to help and is allowed to help, such as conferences and workshops, that's one thing. But contacting a writer you don't know out of the blue and expecting him to read your manuscript with an eye toward recommending his agent is something else altogether. It's presumptous, shows no regard for the pro writer's time or potential problems, and is really being the jerk.

It isn't at all difficult to get help from pro writers. Most are extremely helpful. But there's a right way and a wrong way to go about it, and a right time and a right place.

And an agent's time is just as important as a writer's time, and my last agent had a clause in my contract that said I couldn't read manuscripts from anyone except under controlled circumstances and conditions. And I had to be extremely careful about referring anyone to her even then.

Get help from pros, yes, but go about it the right way, and remember you aren't the only writer out there. You're one of fourteen million. So get help in the right way, at the right time, and in the right place. Make friends with a writer, and he'll do the asking.

And, honestly, assuming you have any talent, the only assitance you need to get published is the kind you're already getting from pro writers, if you're paying attention.

For the few published writers out there who get 50 requests a day for help from unpublished writers, there are hundreds and hundreds of published writers who get ...one a year . So it's not as invasive to the second group. But here are the main reasons I didn't help:
1. There was nothing more I could tell this person they couldn't learn elsewhere - like on a site like this. (as James said above)
2. I didn't want to dedicate the time to the project (It's very time-consuming to do a crit and engage in a relationship of this manner).
3. I didn't want to be the subject of 'name-dropping'. As in, guy writes 100 query letters and sentence one says "So-and-so Author says that my writing is fabulous!"
4. Um, the first four paragraphs weren't good.

It's funny, I have never heard the reason of "I might plagiarize it" used in this situation. I guess it's legit, but published writers partake in crit groups, read everything they can get their hands on, and have as many opportunities to plagiarize or concept-steal as anyone else. In my opinion, the above reasons are more likely to discourage the relationship, not the potential of subconsciously (or intentionally) grabbing someone else's story.

Writing notes to authors telling them they appreciated is good karma. (Check out Carolyn See's "Making a Literary Life.") But knocking on their door and asking for help is not, in my opinion, a good idea.

Do nice things and help may be offered. I believe that Buddhists say that the right way to do things is to perform acts "without lust of result." So, you're on the right track now--fan mail, not dropping in and asking for something.

I once read a post (not here) about a woman who was going to submit her self-published book to Oprah. She posted the Dear Oprah letter she 'd written, which to me sounded like whiney begging Oprah to.... read her book and make her famous??

I've written email to authors telling them I've enjoyed their work, but I don't think I'd be comfortable asking for favors.

I sent a note to an author once, the only time I've ever done this, and he responded with a warm and gracious letter. During our correspondence, I felt comfortable enough to mention I was writing stories that might be of interest to him. I was afraid he would think this was the only reason I contacted him in the first place, and it wasn't, of course, but how was I to know what he would think?

As it turned out, he was very encouraging and recommended this site. It's been life-altering, and I'm in my middle-ages (hopefully, and not closer to the ending part), and I'll admit to anyone who would listen that he has been the most influential presence in my life thus far.

It can't hurt to let a writer know you appreciate their work. You might develop a friendship, or you might not. It's best not to expect anything in return, though you may be surprised by the results.

I am not an editor...or a professional writer, but from a sheer marketing standpoint, it is ridiculous that an agent would exclude ANY tool they might recieve in a query letter.

I mean seriously, IF a well known author gave a script a rave review...then why wouldn't a professional want to know that? If a legit website reviewed it prior to publication...and the review stood out...why NOT listen? Do agents feel they are so special...and all knowing that they cannot take advice? It really, REALLY irks me to know that an agent would refuse a query if an author was willing to seek a published author's review...and said pub'd author was willing to give it.

The review may not make the work good, but it doesn't reduce the chances either. I mean, isn't it a known fact here on these boards, that agents refuse 98% of all requested manuscripts? This means their gut reactions are wrong 98% of the time. How can listening to what little tools an author may give, HURT those chances anymore?

Saying that, I have sought out many authors for reviews. I have been replied to by each and every one. Some refuse...some accept, but the constant is...I never beg their indulgence. I let them know tha I am a fan, first and foremost, which is why I am contacting them. Then I conclude with the theory of, "when my work is published, would they be willing to review my work. If not, I appreciate their time. Breaking into the business is a bear these days, and any time they could allocate me would be much appreciated."

I know an author that

I know an author who queried a very very well known author and he agreed to see this particular author's work. Now he reviews all of his novels and provides blurbs.
this brought the famous authors fanbase to the newer author and he gained many sales because of the good review.


It doesn't hurt to ask...

--James