Maria Carvainis Agency

[Ducky]

Beware of Maria Carvainis Agency. My friend, J Lester, worked there in 2005. They are crazy and do not sell half the projects they submit to editors.

For romance, you're much better off with Deidre Knight Agency.

A Penguin Editor.

Is that Jacqueline Lester? If so, that's who's information I just took down from AAR.org and I won't send it out.
Thanks in advance!

 

[Heather3]

Got my rejection letter today, which was very nice. It gave some feedback and I emailed Chelsea's assistant to ask if I rewrote the ending, would she consider letting me resubmit it. I sent out the MS on 1/31 and the letter came in today's mail, so about 6 weeks total.

 

[EgyptianGoddess]

I can't find a website for this agency...has anyone found one? Are they actually any good? I don't see a heck of a lot current info on them

 

[James D. Macdonald]

I don't see a heck of a lot current info on them

You might want to read the not-an-FAQ, particularly Post 1.

 

[Jamiekswriter]

Maria is going to speak at our RWA meeting in October. Here's what the advertising blurb said about her:

http://ctrwa.org/
"October 8th: Legendary Agent Maria Carvainis:
What It Takes to Succeed—and Last—in Publishing.
Sandra Brown, Cindy Gerard, Mary Balogh, Laura Wright,PJParrish.
Kristan Higgins. Maria’s clients regularly land on the New York Times
and USA TODAY lists, and she has a reputation for plucking writers
from obscurity and making them into stars. Many of her clients have
never had another agent. Learn what Maria thinks it takes to make
a lasting mark in publishing, and how the right agent can transform
and nurture a career."

I know Maria reps Kristan Higgins (2 time RITA winner, 9 books and counting ):

http://www.kristanhiggins.com/

I think this is Maria's website:
http://www.freewebs.com/alabamaworley/AGENT_MARIA%20CARVAINIS.htm

 

[richcapo]

Got request for a full from Chelsea Gilmore (ever seen her picture? Good lord, is she a looker!) of Maria Carvainis Agency. Was able to find some interviews and profiles on both, but compared to other agents/agencies not much sales info. Anyone have experience with her or or her firm? Are they reputable?

Ms. Gilmore got back to me in less than a day after I sent my query to her -- her email was quite enthusiastic; made me feel great!

What's the word?

Thanks, guys.

 

[TheCakeNovelist]

Has anyone had any recent dealings with the Maria Carvainis Agency? I sent a snail mail query to Chelsea Gilmore and got a request for a full four days later. She's only had it for about two weeks so I'm not expecting any news for a while, but her response on the query was lightning quick!

 

[Jamiekswriter]

Chelsea Gilmore

She took pitches at our writer's conference last month. She was super nice and really interested in writers. Young Adult is a huge passion for her, from what I remember.

Unfortunately, I don't know what her turnaround time is. Maybe query tracker would have some info?

Here are a couple of interviews she did:

http://divinesecretsofthewritingsisterhood.blogspot.com/2011/01/interview-with-agent-chelsea-gilmore.html

http://petitfoursandhottamales.com/2010/04/chelsea-gilmore-literary-agent-with-maria-carvainis-agency-inc/

 

[TheCakeNovelist]

R&R!!!

Today I received a very detailed critique letter from Chelsea Gilmore on my full, with great feedback on what she liked and specific notes on what didn't work for her. She had some excellent ideas, and invited me to resubmit after making the revisions.

I liked the critique, you can tell that she that she is a very thorough reader, and she made a lot of fair points. The suggested changes are definitely doable, so I'll be buckling down for a while and then giving the resubmit a shot!

This was my first ever full request, and I was expecting it to be a much more painful experience; even though it wasn't an offer, I am over the moon about this

(Lit. fiction, and the turnaround on the full was twelve weeks to the day )

 

[Undercover]

Chelsea rejected my first 50 pages. But I received a very detailed critique letter via the postal mail, which I never got before. It was very nice and professional.

 

[Luprec]

Received a request for 50 pages from Chelsea's assistant on behalf of the agency 3 days after sending a snail query.

Just got a request for a full. She wants a hard copy, so now I have to figure out how to print the whole thing without anyone in the office knowing that's what I'm doing!

 

[Guinea]

Got a request for the first 50 pages from Chelsea Gilmore, after a snail mail query sent ten days ago. She has asked me to email the partial and has said they will respond in 4/6 weeks (in response to someone's query earlier in the thread - can't remember who). Good luck to everyone with stuff out to Chelsea at the moment! G & T for me tonight!

 

[CaoPaux]

Domain is active now: http://mariacarvainisagency.com/

 

[Eddie A.]

I sent a e-mail of inquiry for a YA novel 3/8/2013 and received a very polite rejection 3/12/2013.

 

[NoblinGoblin]

Queried Maria Caravainis on 6/3
Got a request for the first 50 pages from Janet Oshiro (assistant) on 6/10

Wanted to know if the ms will be exclusive to them.

This makes me nervous because the last time I told an agency I couldn't grant them an exclusive I was rejected less than an hour later. :-/

 

[Thedrellum]

Well, first off, good job and good luck!

Second, you shouldn't lie to them. In my general experience, an agent will either be okay without the exclusive (though it might push the urgency back for them) or will ask you to get back in contact with them when you can offer an exclusive (I had that experience with Liza Fleissig).

Granted, that may not happen here. Maybe they will reject you if they can't get an exclusive but 1) there's nothing you can do about that and 2) I'm not sure I'd want to work with such an agent.

Best of luck, whatever you choose to do.

 

[NoblinGoblin]

Thanks, Thedrellum!

Oh, I couldn't lie to them. I would feel guilty and worry that they'd find out! But I do hope they don't reject me right off!

 

[diana86]

Does anyone have any experience working with Elizabeth Copps at this agency?

Also, the few forums/interviews I've found say this is a highly reputable agency, and yet I can find so little about them online. Why would an agency not want to boast their successes?

 

[CosmicLibrary]

I'm struggling to find info about them too, diana86. I just sent them my full and am trying to do some research on the agency, but there is very little info available. Everything I hear is good, but the available information mostly seems outdated.

Can anyone offer some insight or point us in the right direction to learn more about the agency?

 

[CosmicLibrary]

After some more digging, I found this interview with Elizabeth Copps: http://litfactor.com/author-resources/author-resource-articles/176-5-questions-elizabeth-copps

 

[aus10phile]

Don't know anything about them, but I just read a Kristan Higgins book that came out in October and thanks her agent, Maria Carvainis, in the acknowledgements page.

 

[CryingKatie]

Really quick response time. Is the Maria Carvainis literary agency legit?

just curious, I checked out the website and it doesn't show the names of any clients they have or any published titles they rep. Also, the copyright at the end of the site is from 2012.

http://www.mariacarvainisagency.com/welcome/

 

[Southpaw]

No longer relevant, the awesome Calla Lily attached it to the thread.

 

[DanielaTorre]

Refer to Publisher's Marketplace for sales information (and this agency has sales btw). Keep in mind that not all agents post their sales to PM.

 

[Calla Lily]

Hang on, folks. Moving this to the agency thread in BR&BC.

ETA: And we've landed.