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[Agency] Scovil Galen Ghosh (formerly Scovil Chichak Galen)

sellthepharm

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I e-queried Russell Galen a couple months ago and received a response (rejection) within two hours. I must have caught him sitting at his desk.
While I was disappointed with the rejection, I appreciated his quick reply
Don't give up!
 

dragonjax

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Luck with RG

My friend queried Russ Galen, and she not only got a reply quickly -- she got a request for her to e-mail (yes, e-mail) the first hundred pages or so. She did. In a matter of days, RG asked her for the entire MS, again via e-mail. My friend sent it. Within about a week, RG sent her a detailed rejection, highlighting where he thought her story went stray. My friend disagreed with him, and for the next few days, they exchanged about four e-mails back and forth, trying to find a common ground. That didn't happen, and RG wished her luck -- and said that if she didn't find an agent, he would be very happy to look at her full MS, if she made the revisions he recommended. Well, a few weeks later, my friend signed with Don Maass, who didn't ask for any revisions. RG got in touch with my friend to ask how the agent hunt was going, and she told him that she signed with Don.

All in all, he was very responsive...to an author whose work he was very interested in.

Me, I'm still waiting for my rejection from him, after... (counts) a few months for the latest query, nearly a year from my previous query.
 

po1s

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I send Galen an e-mail yesterday, and he replied today asking for a complete MSS. Of course, I had to come here and check him out--sounds like I should be excited!

Perkins sent me a card saying that they are no longer reading new MSS.
 

HapiSofi

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I don't know about Scovil or Chichak, but as of the last couple of days I can vouch for Russ Galen answering letters and phone calls.

Russ Galen is as real as an agent can be: smart, insightful, canny as all get-out, and quick to learn new things. I've seen him answer professional correspondence via email from his hospital bed while he was recuperating from surgery. I've also seen him go to considerable effort on behalf of a grass-green author with no prior history of publication, just because he liked the manuscript. If I had to get myself a new agent, Russ would be my first or second choice.

I have no idea what's going on with Amy Stout, and I'm not brave enough to ask.

I wouldn't push Lori Perkins out the airlock, but neither would I go out of my way to have dealings with her.

Jerkitude is not a fatal flaw in an agent. In that respect they're like hiring a lawyer: "Yes, he's an @ssh0le, but he's your @ssh0le." Some agents are charming. Some are jerks, or egomaniacs, or quiet alcoholics. Some have the social acumen of a naked mole rat. Doesn't matter, as long as whatever-they-are doesn't keep them from being a good agent.

If it comes down to a choice between a polite agent and an effective agent, choose the latter.
 

Tia Nevitt

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I've queried Russell Galen twice, and both times he's gotten back to me the next day.

I wonder what he does with his snail mail queries, then? I sent him two query packages, (the second after assuming the first was lost in the Christmas mail), and didn't receive a reply to either. Maybe I have a bad address or something.
 

KAP

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I wonder what he does with his snail mail queries, then? I sent him two query packages, (the second after assuming the first was lost in the Christmas mail), and didn't receive a reply to either. Maybe I have a bad address or something.

He didn't respond to my e-query. My tracking spreadsheet notes "responds only if interested."

I say it's his loss, Tia. Losses. Once for me and once for you.

Onward!
 

LBW66

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[Agency] Scovil Chichak Galen

I couldn't find any threads on this agency. From my google search they look extremely reputable, but I couldn't find anything on the woman who requested my ms - Ann Behar. I got an email from her stating that Russell Galen had forwarded my query to her and she wanted to read my novel,(Yeah!). Anyone know if she's an assistant or new agent? I'd love any feedback on the agency too.
Thanks!
-Laura
 

DeadlyAccurate

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They represent some of the biggest names in fantasy, like Terry Goodkind, Juliet Marillier, and Marion Zimmer Bradley.

No info on the agent in question, but I wish you the best of luck!
 

CaoPaux

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Adding link: http://www.scglit.com/

Ann has been an assistant with SCG since at least 2005. No mention whether she's a (junior) agent yet. Congrats, regardless!
 

gerrydodge

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If you are trying to sell a debut novel, it is best to have an agent who is trying to build a stable of clients. Great news for you and good luck! Very good agency by the way.
 

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I recently got a delayed query response (nearly 7 months) from Jenny Rappaport's intern- request for partial. Not expecting anything soon though with their backlog.
As for Russell Galen, he forwarded my query to Ann Behar and i got a response in about 4 hours requesting full (middle grade manuscript)
Fingers crossed.
 

LBW66

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I recently got a delayed query response (nearly 7 months) from Jenny Rappaport's intern- request for partial. Not expecting anything soon though with their backlog.
As for Russell Galen, he forwarded my query to Ann Behar and i got a response in about 4 hours requesting full (middle grade manuscript)
Fingers crossed.

I have a snail mail query out to Jenny Rappaport - was her request by mail, email or phone?

Also, I had the same situation with Galen - Ann Behar requested a full same day and passed with a form email a week later. Hope you have better luck!!
-Laura
 

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I sent to Galen about two weeks ago, he never got back. Does he usually send out rejection letters or should I assume the silence means he already passed? Just wondering. (I know two weeks isn't long, but he seems to be getting back to people within hours or a couple of days, so I figured I'd ask about it.)
 

waylander

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Took me 3 queries to get a reply out of Mr Galen, then he rejected my e-mail query with a personal response 15 minutes after I sent it - still the record
 

NiennaC

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Took me 3 queries to get a reply out of Mr Galen, then he rejected my e-mail query with a personal response 15 minutes after I sent it - still the record

Did you send him the same query each time, or another one (or were the second two just follow-ups asking if he'd gotten your work)? Just wondering. Because if he hasn't actually gotten my first e-mail, I might send him a revised query letter.
 

waylander

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Same query, six months after the previous sending
 

Montage

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Me too

I also had the same situation where mr. galen passed on my ms to ann, who requested it. I was dredging for information on the SCBWI site and here's the link to the post from one of her current clients...

http://scbwi.evecommunity.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/2452924211/m/2321012963

You have to be a member to access the boards. in case you're not, here was her response:

>>I can speak to Ann Behar. I recently signed with SCG via Ann and I'm really excited to work with her.

SCG was my first choice agency because of the reputation of Russell Galen and the SF/Fantasy authors he represents (and read his bio on the website; it will definitely energize you about the search for an agent). Mr. Galen forwarded my query to Ann (imagine this happened to you, as well). Evidently SCG decided to expand its juvenile list, and Mr. Galen offered the task to Ann.

She's given me great feedback, and although I did a lot of rewriting, it was all adding of text, not cutting. She really enjoys working with writers, and if she's requested your ms, you may very well get good feedback whether or not she offers representation. <<

Hope this helps!
 

RTH

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Is the only way to submit to her with a referral from another agent at the agency? I don't see submissions info for her anywhere; I assume a snail mail would get to her, but it'd be nice to know what she's interested in.