I forwarded a work to Blake Friedmann in January last year (2003). I received a note from Carole Blake in April confirming receipt and telling me that the book had recived a favourable reader's report and asking me to give them exclusive access to the work whilst they considered it. I then received another email in June informing me that Carole Blake was imminently due into hospital and would be at home convalescing for 8 weeks. I received another email in October asking for a few more weeks. Is this usual? It's now one year and three weeks. Is this a record? Any comments anyone? Any suggestions how I can politely request a response without seeming too pushy?

Why don't you send a polite email to the agency. That will come through directly to reception and they can forward it to either Carol or her P.A. Perhaps it just got lost in the system, as they say, but you've every right to find out what happened to your manuscript.

Best of luck

I would personally let them know that their appallingly lacklustre efforts clearly display an unmentioned lack of interest in your work, then chastise them for their poor communication skills, and bad management, and finally let them know that you will now be sending the work out for the consideration of others, as you have not received it from them.

I would also enlcose a colour photocopy of my backside, post bowel emptying, but prior to any attempt at cleaning it, and would not expect a response.

D Bird

at the risk of staing the blindingly obvious we seem to treat agents as some God's who should not be approached under normal circumstances and then only with great reverance and sevility, seems to me they are just people trying to do a job.

May I suggest you phone them, explain your problem and ask to speak to the person concerned and if they aren't available find out when they may be and phone them back. It may well be of course that Carole Blake is still off sick and the place has gone to pot who knows until you ask.

sorry if this sounds abit trite but it does seem the obvious solution to me.


good luck

david

D. Bird, take IB’s post with the pinch of salt I HOPE he meant!

Blake Freidmann are one of the largest, most well respected and successful agencies in the country – which is no excuse for the treatment you’ve had at their hands.

Email the agency as Jubbly suggests and ask that your message be directed either to Carole Blake or whoever is handling her work. Be polite but don’t grovel about it. Your submission has probably gone down the back of someone’s desk or it’s been accidentally shredded. Whatever they’ve done with it there is no justification – it’s damned bad practice. Point out to them that you are (I’m guessing here) planning to become a professional writer and this blunder has delayed your new career by twelve months – but be more subtle than that!

If they asked for exclusive use they must have really liked it – this is GOOD so beware of jeopardising that. You’ve got them on the back foot. Use it to your own advantage.

Good luck.

Dee.

D.Bird,

I think David is right - phone the Agency. If you feel that you are not receiving satisfactory answers then certainly follow this up with email. Be firm but certainly not offensive; even if you do receive a positive answer after speaking to them still follow up with confirmation email

Best of Luck.

Len

Well this certainly makes me feel better about my response times - I feel positively angelic with my two-three month back log!

CALL THEM! Shocking behaviour to demand exclusive access and then to keep you waiting so long. Don't let big companies make you feel like you owe them something or that they're allowed to do this sort of thing. I'm sure it's an honest mistake/over sight and I agree that there's no need to be offensive to them (not that you would be). But it's rude and unreasonable to expect you to hang about like this.

I suggest a direct approach; call and find out where it is and what's going on - I'm sure they won't bite!

Katie

Of course, I was joking, but only about the colour photocopy of an unclean hide.

It's obvious even to me that colour photocopiers are expensive.

But my point is, I would never have allowed anyone to put me off for an entire year in the first place. My patience can be legendary when justified, but is also notoriously brittle, thin and often misplaced.

I often find that a sternly worded e-mail gets the job done, and also gives you a little satisfaction. Anyone who's looked at my recently started complaints library will know what I mean by this.