In the few short weeks since my column appeared, I received a tremendous number of interesting and important questions. In this, my first q and a column, I will try to answer the most urgent, basic and repeated questions. I am especially eager to address your concerns about fees, exclusivity and other protocol, and I am taking the liberty of editing your questions for conciseness, privacy, and clarity. Keep sending your ASK THE AGENT questions to me here via E-mail (ShereeBee@aol.com).
Thank you also for querying me via "snail mail" with SASEs about representation of your proposals and manuscripts. Note that after June 1st, my address will be Sheree Bykofsky Associates, Inc., 16 West 36th St., New York, NY 10018. This month, we're busy moving the office and selling the books under contract. I appreciate your patience. Sheree Bykofsky
Dear ShereeBee,
[Agency name deleted] in New York has shown interest in a fiction novel after receiving the first three chapters. They want a $95.00 reading fee with the entire manuscript. Have you heard of them? Are they legit or do they make their money collecting reading fees instead of representing authors? I'm hesitant about reading fees. What do you suggest? Thanks.
Dear DeVitis,
I have never heard of the agency you mentioned. That does not mean they are not legitimate. And the fact that they charge a fee does not automatically make them crooks or preclude them from being effective agents. I would, however, make an effort to find a non-fee charging agent before considering one who charges fees. I think you will be surprised that my answer to you and Gradunc (following) is not exactly the same.
Dear ShereeBee,
I have received a letter of interest to see a manuscript in response to some sample chapters I sent to an agent in Manhattan. It is a nonfiction book, one which would be controversial in the sports world if it is published. He has asked for a handling fee of $95. Is this a standard practice?
My money is very, very tight, and I may have to send it without the requested handling fee. Also, my friends insisted I check with the New York Better Business Bureau, and he has two unsettled claims against him in the past two years. They rate him as unsatisfactory. Should I pay attention to this?
I really want to give him a chance, he is the only agent who has shown interest in helping me. But I need those questions answered first.
Dear Gradunc94,
It is interesting that, while the amount of the fee is the same, the agent you mentioned and the one DeVitis mentioned are not the same. It is my opinion that you should not send this agent your manuscript. It is time-consuming to read whole manuscripts, and so I understand why some agents charge fees, but the AAR (Association of Author's Representatives) thinks that the practice of charging fees can lead to unethical practices (such as the one that DeVitis is suspicious of) and severely restricts or prohibits its member agents (which I am) from this practice.
Most literary agents do not charge fees, nor do they provide readers reports. They will simply tell you if your manuscript is suited to the agency or not. If it is not suited to them, they are therefore not qualified to give you proper feedback. And if it does suit them, they will represent you.
I hate to say that if so many non-fee charging agents have responded negatively to your proposal, it is very unlikely you will find a major publisher to feel otherwise. Therefore, your $95 would be better spent on an independent editor or a writing class or book doctor. In other words, you are wise to seek feedback--just don't seek it from agents. There are many more qualified and objective sources. If you do decide to pay a fee, be sure you get something for it, such as a detailed report. You should not get representation in exchange for a fee. And, yes, I would be concerned about the BBB report.
You can get a list of non-fee charging member agents from the AAR. Send an SASE to the Association of Authors' Representatives, Inc., Ten Astor Place, Third Floor, New York, NY 10003.
I wish you the best and hope my answer helps you.
Dear ShereeBee,
I've sent queries to four agents I've qualified. Two have responded wanting to see a book proposal. I've sent a proposal to the first. Having just received the second request, I want to be sure that I follow an appropriate protocol on this.
Would you suggest I send out the second proposal?
[While waiting for my response, IM Tuthill again wrote:] Before hearing your response, I sent the proposal to the second agent, as well. In the cover letter, I mentioned that another agent was looking at it.
This is new for me and I'm not interested in doing something inappropriate that may jeopardize my chances for success. Everything I've read to date stresses being honest with an agent up front.
Dear Im,
I agree with your information about being honest with agents, and on behalf of agents, I thank you for having that attitude and for asking this question. The answer, however, is not simple. The second agent knows that the first agent has it, but did you inform the first agent that you have sent it to others? Presumably, the first agent wouldn't care or he or she would have requested an exclusive look at the manuscript. On the other hand, the first agent may have been neglectful in not asking for an exclusive look or may have gotten the false impression from you that the submission would be exclusive. In any case, not all agents feel the same about this issue. I will tell you how my agency deals with the issue of "exclusivity."
When I get a query, I appreciate when the author tells me that other agents are being queried as well. It is perfectly acceptable to send short multiple submission letters with SASEs to several agents that you have determined would be acceptable to you should they be interested. When I get a query that makes me want to see a long proposal or whole manuscript, I immediately call the author on the phone to determine if there is chemistry, to answer questions about my agency, and to request the material. I always ask for a three or four-week exclusive period from the time I receive the manuscript to make my decision about representation, and I usually can respond much sooner than that. I also request that the author confirm in the cover letter that the submission is exclusive and that no publishers have seen the manuscript in any incarnation. And I request postage and a mailer to return the manuscript if it turns out not to be for me. That is the ideal situation for me. If there are variables, I learn them on the phone. For example, an author may tell me that they have already sent the manuscript to one agent but that agent has held the manuscript for six months and has not returned phone calls. I would then say that instead of exclusivity, I want "first dibs" on the manuscript. In other words, if after reading the whole manuscript, I determine it is something I wish to represent and feel I can sell to a major publisher, I do not then want the author to tell me she is using another agent or that every publisher in town has already rejected the manuscript.
I think the fact that I respond in a reasonable period of time makes it a fair deal for agent and author and hope you will agree.
Dear ShereeBee,
I am a young poet living in Albany, N.Y. I am the proud father of one unpublished chap book and three unpublished collections of poetry (one of which is poems dedicated solely to the self-portraits of VanGogh). How can I get an editor, or otherwise break into print? Any advice or feedback you could give would be greatly appreciated.
Dear Brow,
Although there are exceptions, most agents will not represent poetry--especially by unpublished authors. Most publishers who publish poetry expect to hear from authors directly. I would recommend you seek out published poets and find out how they did it. For the most part, agents tend to represent books that they feel they can sell to large publishing houses. The reason is that large publishing houses tend to pay higher advances than small presses and the agent's commission, at least theoretically, has to seem worthwhile. Many agents, however, will place books with smaller publishers when they've exhausted other possibilities or when the small publisher is best suited for the project. Some agents specialize in a certain kind of book, like sports books, or cookbooks, and some are eclectic like me, but most independent agents have to draw the line somewhere, and, sorry to say, poetry usually falls in the category of somewhere. This is in no way a reflection of your talent which, in my unqualified judgment, you have.
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