I am working my way through the Literary Agents in the Writer's Handbook submitting sample chapters of one of my novels.

This morning one such submission returned with a thud back onto my doormat.

The accompanying letter said, and I quote

'I'm afraid this agency is so overwhelmed with submissions that we cannot undertake to consider any unsolicited material for the time being.'

(I might add, that I'm fairly certain that the 70 plus pages I sent haven't been read!)

Now, I had folowed the submission guidelines in the aforementioned Handbook, so my question is, what do they mean by unsolicited material, and how do you submit an Mss which is not unsolicited?

Does this mean making an initial contact by phone, email or letter before sending anything like a synopsis or any chapters?

Thay don't make easy, do they!!

Any thoughts

jumbo

Hi John,

Often they’ll say in WAYB, ‘no unsolicited submissions, send first three chapters and synopsis.’ This means they don’t want the full ms unless they ask for it. If they don’t mention the chapters/synopsis sub, then what they want is a query letter only. Personally I wouldn’t send a synopsis with the letter unless they ask for it. I'd prefer them to read a sample of my work before they see the synopsis.

The problem with WAYB is that it’s out of date before it hits the shops. The 2006 edition is published already – I've just ordered it from Amazon – so, if you’re working from the 2005 volume, it’s well over a year since it was compiled.

I would think it’s better to make a brief phone call asking if they’re considering new authors. If they say no, it saves you and them the postage and the time. If they say yes, get a name, address the covering letter to that person, and be sure to mention that they’ve told you they are open to new submissions.

Good luck.

Dee

John, you have to become a master of the query letter. Write a brief one-sided letter that sets up the premise of your novel in a compelling way. Start with the hook - one or possibly two sentences that lets the reader know what's at stake, as well as indicating the genre of the novel and its length. Then you can expand it in a further one or two paragraphs. You could also say why you werre compelled to write it and why you think readers will be compelled to buy it. Some writers like to show that they know a bit about the agency they're submitting to - something like as you represent 'X' and 'Y' I thought you would be the perfect fit for my book too. That not only helps them to place your book in their heads, but also shows them that you know your stuff. In a final paragraph you could include any writing credentials you have.

Make it clear, keep it positive, don't be diffident. Make it sound like you believe in your book. I'm sure you do.

Good luck,
Roger.

Dee and Roger

Thanks for your thoughts on this.

Phone calls and letters it shall be.

And, Dee, I'll also order the 2006 Handbook.

Thanks again

jumbo

I just want to say that that's an excellent summing up of what makes a good query letter, Roger.

Most writers have a natural aversion to selling themselves in one page, but the reality is that you have to these days. It's not a million miles away from the X Factor: protest as much as one may, but the fact is that professional music producers can tell from the first few notes you sing whether you're going to make it or not. Well, actually, they can probably tell by the way you enter the room. Similarly, agents can tell a lot by the way you put together a query letter, e.g. whether you can write convincingly, if you understand the core of your book to the point of being able to convince someone to read it in a sentence or two, if you understand the market, if you're going to be easy or difficult to work with and, perhaps most importantly, if you have the psychology to succeed in what is a very competitive business.

This doesn't mean you can't write a book that's original, exciting, unique and meaningful. It just shows that you understand that there's two sides to publication: the content of the story and how it's sold.

Terry

Thanks, Terry.

As always, your advice is very valuable.

I'm off to polish my letter writing skills.

Much obliged.

John

Agents' websites often have a more up-to-date version of whether they're accepting submissions, and in what form they like them.

Emma

Thanks, Emma.

More good advice!!

jumbo

Tell them you are a serial killer in cognito, have just won over 25 million in The Lottery, you are changing your sex simply through eating liquorice allsorts, you are Jordan's secret lover or you've been selected for Big Brother! They will fall over themselves to publish anything from you.
Len

Len

Have you been rading my mail?

jumbo

<Added>

Not sure if that should have been 'reading' or 'raiding'!!

Both seem to work.

Hi Jumbo,

Just wanted to add to this that recently I've had luck getting through to a couple of agents who were claiming 'no unsolicited anything' by emailing the general email of the agency and mentioning the agent I was after plus a couple of lines about the works and a couple about me and hey presto an invite to submit came from both of them a day later - (ha, now they'll have to think of a different reason to reject me...). I had to do it this way in case I choked on the phone.

Myrtle

Congratulations, Myrtle. Well done. It just shows that you shouldn't take the 'no unsolicited' at face value. I suspect agents love email approaches like that - they don't like being put on the spot any more than we do, but are happy to ask for a look if they think over your two sentences and fancy them. On the other hand, they won't take submissions by email ever.

Emma

Myrtle and Emma

Thanks for your additional comments on this.

I'm adding them to me list of 50 things to try in order to get the attention of an agent!!

Emma, one small point. There is a small group of agents who do seem happy to accept submissions by email, but they seem a very rare breed!!

Once again, thanks for your help

Regards

jumbo

Yes, you're right, there are a few - I suspect the ones that still cherish the illusion that they then won't be drowning in paper, and that all attachments can be opened and then printed without so much as a swearword passing their lips.

<Added>

I also suspect that the real reason for not accepting email is that it's too easy for people to submit everywhere, undiscriminatingly, with a few clicks. If you have to have the cost and bother of printing out your work, doing the SAE, posting and so on, it must filter out a few no-hopers.

Belatedly picking up Dee's point that 'The problem with WAYB is that it’s out of date before it hits the shops' - this is one of the reasons why WW has a Directory. Apart from the benefit that the WW version is easily searchable there is the important point that we can alter entries as and when new information becomes available. I'm currently working my way through it, checking our data against that on publishers' and agents' web sites, but if anyone has any useful information please send it to us via the 'admin@WW'e-mail. The more people contribute the more useful the resource will be.

And...to revert to Jumbo's original posting on this topic. Wherever you get your information from it will always be worth having a look at the WW Directory just in case there is some recent information on a particular company. If there isn't, and you unearth something useful, please let us know so that others can benefit.

Richard (Directory Editor!)