Hi folks,
After almost two years of writing it, and months of editing it and days and days of prevaricating over it, I've just printed out my first submission. And now I'm having a wobble. I'm sending it to Carole Blake of Blake Friedmann. On the website they ask for the first three chapters and a 1-3 page synopsis. But in her book 'From Pitch to Publication, she says the ideal package for her consists of character biogs for the major characters, three chapters and a 4-10 page synopsis.
To add to my wobble, my first three chapters are short: they amount to less than 7,000 words in total. If you were me, what would you send?
Thanks,
Susiex

If it were me I'd stick to the website. I've long cherished a theory - unsupported by any evidence except that no one else asks for that - that CB's personal 'package' is much more what she wants from her own authors, i.e., what she wants so she can go about selling the (unfinished) book immediately. In what other circumstances would anyone want a synopsis that long?

I don't think 7,000 words is too short (unless, possibly, it cuts it off just before some major even you'd die to include. In which case you could always fiddle the chapter divisions for now...) Either they'll like it by that time, or they won't.

Very best of luck with it, and congrats for taking the plunge!

I agree with Emma, and I would add – don’t just offer it to one agent. Send it out in batches. Then, when the rejections start coming through – as they inevitably will – you'll always have something out there to pin your hopes on, rather than investing all your emotional capital in one individual.

Best of luck!

Dee

Thanks so much, Emma and Dee
So glad you think that, Emma - it would feel weird to be sending so much as a partial. That does make sense.
And Dee, yes, I'm going to send out several at a time - I need to keep my hopes alive for the next 18 months, by which time I should have almost finished the next one...and if I string it out by not sending out too large batches, it might just work.
Susiex

Best of luck with Blake Friedmann. I sent a few submissions their way years back. All I ever got back, despite following the guidelines in From Pitch to Publication, was a flyer, suggesting I try their book, From Pitch to Publication.

Talk about salt in the wound.

Colin M

Ouch. Yes, I'm not expecting anything other than a rejection from them. But CB says she's interested in women's fiction, so she's on my list.
Susiex

Talk about salt in the wound.

Indeed. I have rather a problem with them promoting that book alongside rejections: given what a lot of rejections are because of really basic things wrong with the book, it makes one kind of sense, but not for people who've done it all as they want it done, as you did Colin, and either way it smells too much of 'spend some money with us and we'll think again...' for my taste.

Emma

I didn't even get that much from Blake Friedmann, Colin. I still haven't heard back from them after almost a year. In my vindictive fantasies, they unearth my book, request the full, and I direct them to their nearest bookshop where they can buy a copy.

Very best of luck with the submissions, Susie! And well done for getting to this stage.

C x

Thanks, Clodagh
And well done yourself - you must be very excited.
I'm beginning to think that BF will be a waste of postage, but hey, it's practice.
Susiex

I got that standard rejection from Blake Friedmann too, pretty much saying 'your book sucks, but buy mine.' It's in poor taste, but to be fair it was audacious enough to make me laugh - and that genuinely took the sting out of the rejection.

This was, however, after quite a few rejections - if it had been the first, it would have been more hurtful. It must be even worse for people who mention in their submission that they have read 'From Pitch to Publication' only to get the same damned standard letter.

Sorry to sound cynical - the very best of luck, Susie, but if they do reject, you are not alone!

Thanks, Caro It's a comfort. And it's so good to know that WW is here - the great thing is that there are plenty of people in the same (life)boat, and also plenty who are in the big cruise-liner on the horizon, giving us hope!
Susiex

I should have mentioned, BF didn't reply without being poked. All other agencies replied within a decent span, but I kept waiting and waiting for a reply from BF. Eventually, I had to send them a polite enquiry and had my manuscript rejected by return of post.

That happened twice, about 18 months apart.

I guess they're just so popular that they get inundated.

Hmm. I've just realised that this thread can be seen on the internet - not that BF is likely to be trawling WW for potential talent. But still...
Thanks folks. I'm rethinking this one!
Susiex

There's nothing to lose from bunging it in the post anyway! It might be just what they're looking for at the moment, and they do take on new talent sometimes. The response time is long though, so it's worth sending out to others simultaneously.

Thanks, Caro I'm gonna send some today - I can't string this out any longer...
Sunrise - you're on first draft, so you're allowed to do ANYTHING! Hope it's going well.
Susiex