[Agency] Donadio & Olson, Inc.

[Becca C.]

Yay!!!

 

[Cel_Fleur]

Congrats, Smiley! Sounds like you did pretty awesomely on the agent front there.

 

[J.B.Kantt]

Bumping this thread way up

I did a Twitter pitch contest called #pitmad and got a request from Carrie Howland for the first 50 pages. It turned into a full, then an offer. I ultimately ended up with 4 offers but went back to Carrie, who I cannot talk more highly of. She is prompt in her responses, whether phone or email, and knows the industry. Though some of her sales aren't on PM, she's made good ones (most recently - a YA Greek mythology to R@nd0m H0use for 2015 and one of her adult sales releases in July ). She is very editorial (seriously my edit letter is 5 pages), but she knows what she's doing.

Here's the official stats w/Carrie:
3/28 - #Pitmad req for YA contemp, first 50 pgs.
5/2 - Req for full ms
5/9 - Offer of representation
5/19 Offer accepted.

That's awesome! Congrats, Smiley!!!!!

 

[IdrisG]

Congrats, Smiley!

 

[Smiley0501]

Thanks, everyone. Now onto lots of revisions and hopefully eventually sub

 

[Cel_Fleur]

Does anyone know if Carrie responds to partials or if no-response = no and if nudging is necessary (I've never nudged before, so I am hesitant)? It's definitely been over the three-month mark since I sent fifty pages.

 

[Thedrellum]

I checked a few comments on QueryTracker and it seems like she responds to partials. I would consider nudging.

Also, if you have the $25 to spare, I suggest getting the upgraded membership to QueryTracker while in the querying process. The date they provide on submissions to individual agents was really helpful for me in determining how long to wait before nudging and whether or not the agents ever responded, among other things.

 

[quianaa2001]

I queried her on 1/19, followed up and still never got a reply. Is nothing a no? Or does she reply?
Should I resend or not?

 

[quianaa2001]

BUMP

ANYONE?

 

[Smiley0501]

I queried her on 1/19, followed up and still never got a reply. Is nothing a no? Or does she reply?
Should I resend or not?

Definitely resend. I believe Carrie & her assistant reply to all queries . Good luck!!

 

[WriteStarfish]

Has anyone experienced being recommended a free lance editor by this agency? I know that it's sketchy for agencies to do so, but this is a very reputable place. I was wondering how it would work. Would the author be expected to pay for the editing of a recommended free lance editor or would this be something deducted from the author's check?

 

[Maddie]

In this case I would hope the agency is paying for the editing service. Otherwise it's a conflict of interest. WriteStarfish, have you signed with this agency?

 

[WriteStarfish]

I have not. This is why I was wondering- if your ideas are liked but you've not yet signed and they recommend a particular editor, then I was uncertain of who would pay.

 

[Maddie]

This editorial referral still seems like a conflict to me. Have you posed the question to the agency about who is expected to pay? Asked them about conflict of interest? Asked if this is their norm of business behavior? Have they given you any actual language they'd be interested in signing you if the manuscript was edited? In that case, you'd be wise to shop around for an editor, especially if the agency isn't investing, and it's your dime.

Anyone else had a particular experience like this with this agency?

 

[WriteStarfish]

There's nothing too specific yet. I haven't been given a name or anything, so not like they're trying to push someone. I was told that they know of someone who is particularly good if I'm interested. They're reviewing a second piece currently though and so perhaps no editor will even be required if they go for that one instead. I know that recommending editors is a major conflict, but because of the AAR status of their agents and their reputable nature I was wanting to inquire further if anyone else had this experience. Thanks for your help too!

 

[smithrebeccaj]

pitmad request from Elisabet Paredes, Donadio and Olson, Inc.

Hi all! I received a pitmad partial request from D&O and it was just changed to a full. Yay! But it came from someone who is not listed as an agent on their website. Has anyone worked with Elisabet? I could not find her, or the agency, on Querytracker either. It makes it hard to do research!

Thanks,
Rebecca

 

[Thedrellum]

She might be an agent's assistant who is making the transition into agenting herself.

Just Googled, and according to linked in she's an Editorial Intern at D&O. She has experience at Bloomsbury and some magazines. That's all I got.

Also: congratulations!

 

[smithrebeccaj]

Thedrellum,

Thanks! I did see the see the position on linked in, but since that's self-reported, I was hoping for something on the D&O website. But I'm overthinking. I found D&O on agent query and somehow Carrie Howland comes up on query tracker even though the agency doesn't??????

But I'm working away at a last read-through/revision so I can send it off with every finger and toe crossed!
Rebecca

 

[ObeysGravity]

Unusual Question

I have an unusual question.

This agency strikes me as an attractive place to submit, however, when I go to their site my anti-virus software immediately gives me a danger warning.

I've tried calling the D&O office, but there was no answer, only the opportunity to leave a message, which I did not do.

Anyone have any insight about this?

 

[Davy The First]

I have an unusual question.

This agency strikes me as an attractive place to submit, however, when I go to their site my anti-virus software immediately gives me a danger warning.

I've tried calling the D&O office, but there was no answer, only the opportunity to leave a message, which I did not do.

Anyone have any insight about this?

Well, don't call their office. They have a submissions form. If this link don't work, the issue is likely with your browser, making it a tech question.

https://www.donadio.com/submissions-1

 

[L.C. Blackwell]

I have some reason to suspect that Submittable (which powers D.O.s query form) has started selling email addresses for marketing purposes. You might want to create a free email account for this submission only (and don't forget to keep checking it!).

 

[novicewriter]

This doesn't sound good. Apparently, an accountant who worked there embezzled millions of dollars from authors' royalties and advances for several years.

https://nypost.com/2018/05/26/accountant-embezzled-3-4m-from-famed-literary-agency/

 

[R.A. Lundberg]

Notice that the money that was stolen was not from the agency itself; it's from the authors. The fact it took seven years for ONE author to notice that something was wrong speaks volumes about the way authors are paid. The incredibly complex way royalties are figured practically guarantees that many authors have no idea if they are being cheated or not. Many are and have no way of knowing. Add to this the idea that there is exactly no oversight over literary agents in New York. No licensing, no standards, nothing. It's the Wild West. Any yahoo with the bucks for a business license can hang out a literary agent shingle. It's harder to be a hairdresser! Some agents don't even supply their clients with copies of the contracts they sign!
This whole incident is a huge black eye for not just D&O but all agencies, and really the entire industry. This calls the entire way that agencies handle their author's money into question. I guarantee that every author with D&O are currently auditing those royalty statements, and probably not a few with other agencies as well. Want to bet a few with other agencies are going to be sitting there going "Hey, wait a minute, this seems wrong..." as well?
And is D&O going to be able to make up the money that was stolen? I doubt it. Those authors are probably just screwed.

 

[novicewriter]

...And is D&O going to be able to make up the money that was stolen? I doubt it. Those authors are probably just screwed.

Yes. I agree with what you wrote; it's scary that this agency is an AAR member, yet their accountant was able to get away with something like that for several years.

To be fair, this article says that the agency is trying to fix this problem for their authors and work towards paying them the money they're owed.

https://www.mhpbooks.com/an-iconic-literary-agency-is-fleeced-by-its-accountant/

The agency now has a forensic accountant investigating nearly twenty years of financial records to determine the full extent of the theft, and to begin re-paying the authors unfortunately caught up in the con.

 

[Aggy B.]

Notice that the money that was stolen was not from the agency itself; it's from the authors. The fact it took seven years for ONE author to notice that something was wrong speaks volumes about the way authors are paid. The incredibly complex way royalties are figured practically guarantees that many authors have no idea if they are being cheated or not. Many are and have no way of knowing. Add to this the idea that there is exactly no oversight over literary agents in New York. No licensing, no standards, nothing. It's the Wild West. Any yahoo with the bucks for a business license can hang out a literary agent shingle. It's harder to be a hairdresser! Some agents don't even supply their clients with copies of the contracts they sign!
This whole incident is a huge black eye for not just D&O but all agencies, and really the entire industry. This calls the entire way that agencies handle their author's money into question. I guarantee that every author with D&O are currently auditing those royalty statements, and probably not a few with other agencies as well. Want to bet a few with other agencies are going to be sitting there going "Hey, wait a minute, this seems wrong..." as well?
And is D&O going to be able to make up the money that was stolen? I doubt it. Those authors are probably just screwed.

Hmmm. Yanno, you sound like you don't understand how contracts, agents or publishing works.