• Guest please check The Index before starting a thread.

[Agency] A.M. Heath & Co. Ltd.

aruna

On a wing and a prayer
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 14, 2005
Messages
12,862
Reaction score
2,846
Location
A Small Town in Germany
Website
www.sharonmaas.co.uk
I noticed that this agency did not yet have a thread, so this is it. They are a first class agency, one of the oldest in London, highly recommended. Sarah was my agent from 1998 - 2004. She is wonderful, but has since switched to children's lit only. All of her clients have moved to other agents within the agency as a result. They are very personal and take great care of their clients, as you can see from this thread.

When I was with them they had this wonderful quirky office in St Martin's Lane, lots of up-and-down slanting staircases over several floors. Then they moved to what I suppose are really nice modern offices; I never got to see the new place.
 
Last edited:

aruna

On a wing and a prayer
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 14, 2005
Messages
12,862
Reaction score
2,846
Location
A Small Town in Germany
Website
www.sharonmaas.co.uk
Sarah Molloy used to be my agent. She is wonderful, but as we are around the same age... yes, that's retirement age in the UK. In Germany, I still have a few more years to go.
 

Tromboli

Hopelessly Hopeful
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 17, 2010
Messages
1,073
Reaction score
81
Location
Ohio
Website
www.staceytrombley.com
Julia Churchill runs #askagent on twitter pretty often and she seems fantastic. Had trouble finding this thread though. Guess there is nothing bad to be found?

Edit to add a question. I plan on querying her but was looking at the website form. They want a query, synopsis and there is a place to attach a doc for the "submission"... does this mean the full manuscript? http://www.amheath.com/submissions
 
Last edited:

waylander

Who's going for a beer?
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 24, 2005
Messages
8,279
Reaction score
1,567
Age
65
Location
London, UK
They no longer take paper subs, there's a submission form on the website
 

EMaree

a demon for tea
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 7, 2009
Messages
4,655
Reaction score
839
Location
Scotland
Website
www.emmamaree.com
Edit to add a question. I plan on querying her but was looking at the website form. They want a query, synopsis and there is a place to attach a doc for the "submission"... does this mean the full manuscript? http://www.amheath.com/submissions

The submission is your first few chapters up to 10,000 words. It's defined at the bottom of the page along with formatting info.
 

K.L Hallam

New kid, be gentle!
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 14, 2011
Messages
122
Reaction score
7
Location
New York City
Website
karenleehallamwrites.blogspot.com
Julia Churchill seems great on twitter. Helps authors, very personable. Sent an attachment of my MS, just under 10,000 word of it, along with a synopsis, and cover letter/query.

we'll see . . .
 

Old Hack

Such a nasty woman
Super Moderator
Absolute Sage
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 12, 2005
Messages
22,454
Reaction score
4,956
Location
In chaos
Julia is a delight. A good agent, too.
 

Pisco Sour

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 7, 2013
Messages
902
Reaction score
87
Location
Mad woman in the attic
I have a question about their query submission instructions. I did a Twitter Pitch contest they put on last week and have had a request, but I find their instructions, below, confusing. A synopsis that doesn't tell you how the book ends? Or much at all, it seems. I don't have much experience querying British agencies, but do they want a blurb-type thing? They state they only want '2 to 3' lines about the book in the actual query letter.:

What to put in a synopsis

We don’t need (or really want) to know every twist and turn of your plot before we actually read it – a synopsis should simply expand on the few lines from your covering letter to give us a better sense of plot and characters, and an idea of where the story is going. Definitely don’t feel as though you have to use up all of the 1,500 word maximum.




 

EMaree

a demon for tea
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 7, 2009
Messages
4,655
Reaction score
839
Location
Scotland
Website
www.emmamaree.com
Augh, yeah, those guidelines would send me into a tizzy. Don't think they have an adult sci-fi/fantasy agent (according to their bios, anyway, though the form has a section) so I skipped them this time in the trenches.

I would do a covering letter with a super-short pitch paragraph and lengthened bio, and then put the full query in the synopsis box. But I would do all of these things while pulling my hair out, probably.
 

Pisco Sour

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 7, 2013
Messages
902
Reaction score
87
Location
Mad woman in the attic
Augh, yeah, those guidelines would send me into a tizzy. Don't think they have an adult sci-fi/fantasy agent (according to their bios, anyway, though the form has a section) so I skipped them this time in the trenches.

I would do a covering letter with a super-short pitch paragraph and lengthened bio, and then put the full query in the synopsis box. But I would do all of these things while pulling my hair out, probably.

Ugh! Thanks EMaree.
 

CameronJohnston

Great Old One
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 7, 2017
Messages
1,201
Reaction score
119
Location
Glasgow, Scotland
Website
www.cameronjohnston.net
Augh, yeah, those guidelines would send me into a tizzy. Don't think they have an adult sci-fi/fantasy agent (according to their bios, anyway, though the form has a section) so I skipped them this time in the trenches.

I would do a covering letter with a super-short pitch paragraph and lengthened bio, and then put the full query in the synopsis box. But I would do all of these things while pulling my hair out, probably.

Yup, exactly this. A brief 'elevator' pitch in a query letter, and then all they are looking for with the synopsis is, if they like the partial enough, a brief overview of where the story goes and how it ends.
 

TMeuretBooks

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 15, 2015
Messages
61
Reaction score
4
I got a like from one of their agents, but I had already submitted to a different one in the agency. I sent them a quick message explaining as such and they responded very quickly and were so lovely, even in just a brief exchange. They seem like great people so far
 

Pisco Sour

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 7, 2013
Messages
902
Reaction score
87
Location
Mad woman in the attic
I got a like from one of their agents, but I had already submitted to a different one in the agency. I sent them a quick message explaining as such and they responded very quickly and were so lovely, even in just a brief exchange. They seem like great people so far

Yay! Good luck! I had a like from one of their agents, but when I looked at his profile he didn't seem to rep the type of book I'm flogging. I e-mailed his assistant to ask if I should still send, and she was lovely. She said to send it to this other agent, who'd be expecting my query. (If I ever managed to work out their submission synopsis conundrum). I think I may have botched this sub, as I ended up not sending then a synopsis spelling out the ending. It was more like an expansion on the elevator pitch query letter, a blurb-type...thing. Ack.
 

TMeuretBooks

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 15, 2015
Messages
61
Reaction score
4
Yay! Good luck! I had a like from one of their agents, but when I looked at his profile he didn't seem to rep the type of book I'm flogging. I e-mailed his assistant to ask if I should still send, and she was lovely. She said to send it to this other agent, who'd be expecting my query. (If I ever managed to work out their submission synopsis conundrum). I think I may have botched this sub, as I ended up not sending then a synopsis spelling out the ending. It was more like an expansion on the elevator pitch query letter, a blurb-type...thing. Ack.

I'm sure whatever you sent was fine. As long as they have a basic idea, I think they're satisfied. They even said to keep it brief and not bother using all of the allotted character space. Don't fret! You're (obviously) doing great!
 

TMeuretBooks

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 15, 2015
Messages
61
Reaction score
4
Yay! Good luck! I had a like from one of their agents, but when I looked at his profile he didn't seem to rep the type of book I'm flogging. I e-mailed his assistant to ask if I should still send, and she was lovely. She said to send it to this other agent, who'd be expecting my query. (If I ever managed to work out their submission synopsis conundrum). I think I may have botched this sub, as I ended up not sending then a synopsis spelling out the ending. It was more like an expansion on the elevator pitch query letter, a blurb-type...thing. Ack.

Also, if it helps you feel better I recently sent a query where I spelled the title of my book wrong in the subject line, soooooo
 

Old Hack

Such a nasty woman
Super Moderator
Absolute Sage
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 12, 2005
Messages
22,454
Reaction score
4,956
Location
In chaos
Synopses always give away the ending.

Agents won't reject a book just because the synopsis doesn't give away the ending. They'll reject because they don't think they can sell the book, or they don't like it, but not because of a slightly wrong synopsis. Don't worry.
 

Pisco Sour

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 7, 2013
Messages
902
Reaction score
87
Location
Mad woman in the attic
Also, if it helps you feel better I recently sent a query where I spelled the title of my book wrong in the subject line, soooooo

Oh man, I feel you pain! I think the worst mishap I've had was when I was preparing a sub and went to get a cuppa. My cat decided to stroll across my keyboard and send the e-mail for me. I'd already attached the ms, but the letter was in awful shape, and no subject in the subject line. I still cannot understand why I never heard back from that publisher. ;)

I'm not holding my breath on my UK agent subs (not many so far). My books have never hit the mark with British agents and I don't expect this one will either.
 
Last edited:

Old Hack

Such a nasty woman
Super Moderator
Absolute Sage
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 12, 2005
Messages
22,454
Reaction score
4,956
Location
In chaos
I have a question about their query submission instructions. I did a Twitter Pitch contest they put on last week and have had a request, but I find their instructions, below, confusing. A synopsis that doesn't tell you how the book ends? Or much at all, it seems. I don't have much experience querying British agencies, but do they want a blurb-type thing? They state they only want '2 to 3' lines about the book in the actual query letter.:

What to put in a synopsis

We don’t need (or really want) to know every twist and turn of your plot before we actually read it – a synopsis should simply expand on the few lines from your covering letter to give us a better sense of plot and characters, and an idea of where the story is going. Definitely don’t feel as though you have to use up all of the 1,500 word maximum.

Just to clarify: in this quoted text, it doesn't say anywhere that they don't want to know the ending of the book. They do say they don't need to know "every twist and turn of your plot", but that's a different thing: if you tried to put everything into a synopsis, it would end up as long as your novel.
 

Pisco Sour

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 7, 2013
Messages
902
Reaction score
87
Location
Mad woman in the attic
Just to clarify: in this quoted text, it doesn't say anywhere that they don't want to know the ending of the book. They do say they don't need to know "every twist and turn of your plot", but that's a different thing: if you tried to put everything into a synopsis, it would end up as long as your novel.

Yes, it's totally open to interpretation. Mine was that getting only a 'sense' of plot and characters, and 'an idea' of where the story is going is utterly confounding. lol
 

TMeuretBooks

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 15, 2015
Messages
61
Reaction score
4
Oh man, I feel you pain! I think the worst mishap I've had was when I was preparing a sub and went to get a cuppa. My cat decided to stroll across my keyboard and send the e-mail for me. I'd already attached the ms, but the letter was in awful shape, and no subject in the subject line. I still cannot understand why I never heard back from that publisher. ;)

I'm not holding my breath on my UK agent subs (not many so far). My books have never hit the mark with British agents and I don't expect this one will either.

Oh boy, darn cat!!!!

Well good luck, and don't stress! (Says the pot to the kettle)
 

Aiwendil

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 27, 2021
Messages
161
Reaction score
180
I'm considering querying two different agents at this agency - does anyone know if they have a 'rejection from one is a rejection from all' policy? I don't see anything about this in their submission guidelines, but the way the guidelines and the form are worded, it kind of sounds like you're querying the agency as a whole rather than just the specific agent you select . . .
 

waylander

Who's going for a beer?
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 24, 2005
Messages
8,279
Reaction score
1,567
Age
65
Location
London, UK
I'm considering querying two different agents at this agency - does anyone know if they have a 'rejection from one is a rejection from all' policy? I don't see anything about this in their submission guidelines, but the way the guidelines and the form are worded, it kind of sounds like you're querying the agency as a whole rather than just the specific agent you select . . .
Two options - phone/email them and ask, or just do it. What's the worst that could happen?