Right then, I'm taking on the challenge of pitching without an agent (primarily in the UK), initially for non-fiction work, then for fiction.

This week I have pitched/queried 11 non-fiction imprints/publishers/editors. I have talked to/researched around 40 likely suspects and come up with a top11 hit list. This has included approaching editors of the largest publishers via phone or email first to find out if they will accept short professional pitches from an author who won't get arsey with rejection.

These are the publishers who categorically state agented queries only. Two thirds of those queried have said yes happy to receive professional pitches.

I'll post here on how it goes and I hope it will be useful, encouraging, or educational for those embarking on a similar path. Regardless of the outcome of each individual pitch.

One non-fiction pitch down.
Three more non-fiction ideas and one fiction to go.

Would love to hear how you get on.
Good luck!


- NaomiM

Consider it done Naomi. I am, of course, giving it 2-4 months for responses. It can take that long.

Very best of luck with this.
After some very hit and miss dealings with agents (no names, I promise but really: some of the answers I received, like 'do send me your book, historical fiction is hot at the moment' and then get back 'sorry, I don't do historical fiction' is enough to make you bang your head against the nearest wall!) so going it alone seems highly sensible. A good publisher will do all the promotion an agent would, without you losing the money to an agent, as it were.
In the end, I went direct to a publisher with my historical fiction and sold not only the book but the entire series I have planned. It can be done!
Keep posting your results, it will be encouraging to others. I am sure you are going to make it!!!!

Dorothy!

What a fantastically inspiring message and story of your own triumphs. Thank you so much.

thank you! good to know I could offer something to this somewhat vexed conundrum.
One day - if you don't get too bored with me going on and on and on (my fingers talk too much!) I will write out the seemingly endless saga of how I got the duke's book into print. Eventually.

Update: 15/09/11

Non-fiction: Had my first "we’re very interested in discussing further" response from a v.large publisher today. Have some TV interest too.

Fiction: Have four requested partials with some bigwigs in crime publishing and one full.

V.pleased so far. Still a bit like throwing jammy dodgers into a void. But so far editors are quicker, more responsive, and nicer to do business with than you would imagine.

Will write all this up as an article in about six months. But hopefully, more news before then!!

that's SOOO good! and yes, they are, on the whole, very easy to get along with, they need writers to keep their business afloat!

Well done,Shooter! Keep us posted.

Congratulations! That's fantastic. All the best of luck for a deal sometime soon.

Fingers, legs and eyes crossed for that deal! Or two! Will defo keep you all posted.

But so far editors are quicker, more responsive, and nicer to do business with than you would imagine.

I've always had the same experience. I suspect it's been in agents' interest, over the past 20 years or so, to spread it about that editors are going to bite off your head and tell all their other editor friends to do the same forever, if you try going to them direct. Editors haven't really discouraged this because of their (understandable) fear of the slush pile returning to their in-trays. But of course they're going to be open to exciting, professional and refreshingly unagented submissions, such as the sort I know you produce, sir.

Terry

Och Terry, I'm blushing at the flattery!

When I was at Harrogate recently and met with one interested editor, she made a point of introducing me to sales and marketing over the weekend which kind of shows you who they have to get on-side internally if they want to get the green light from up the ladder.

Fantastic news. Look forward to hearing more!

yes, it's such an encouraging story. And good to know that you didn't toss your jammy dogers in vain