Literary Agent
L M Coker @Lola81701535
#AskAgent Importance of genre: do you have to adhere to the rules of particuar genres or can they be bent (ever so slightly)? For example, an element of Fantasy in an otherwise absolutely normal world. Thank you.I would say it's easier to pitch and sell a book which is mainly X, but elements of Y, than a true mash-up of X and Y #AskAgent
Literary Agent
Literary Agent
Alex Thornber @nucosi
A few years ago I received positive feedback from a few agents about my short story collection but they ultimately passed due to publishers not really buying collections, has that changed much recently? As a bookseller I see more and more collections being published. #askagentI love short stories but their sales in the UK are always modest - even collections by established authors tend to see lower sales than their novels. In the US there's a much bigger market #AskAgent
Literary Agent
Tony Frame @ThatTonyFrame
Afternoon Agents!Q: If you liked a writer's initial manuscript (first 3 chapters etc.) and you asked to read the rest - if you loved that as well, but did not like the ending of their novel, would you still take on their work & ask them to review the ending?
Thx š#AskAgent
It really depends on how much I love the book and how big the change is - and if I think the author would be willing to make that change #AskAgent
Literary Agent
Emma Williams @Williamstweet
How long after a manuscript request should we assume itās a no and begin a new round of approaching other agents? #askagentI'd send a polite chaser after a couple of months and then move on #AskAgent
Literary Agent
Wei Ting @intewig
@mushenska If dream agent requested your (early draft) manuscript and passed gently, and you do a major rewrite the next round, is it okay to ask if dream agent would like to take another look? #AskAgentI tend to say no unless they specifically asked to see a revise - but no harm in asking I guess #AskAgent
Literary Agent
Meanwhile, my #AskAgent Tumblr today is full of Thought Experiments. What if Stephen King called me up and demanded I be his agent? What if Jo Rowling asked me to sell HP books 8-14, but I couldn't tell anyone? What if I went back in time? WHAT IF...
literaticat.tumblr.com
Literary Agent
Does a Book Need an Action-Packed Opening to grab an agent's attention? #askagent bookendsliterary.com/2020/05/05/doeā¦
Literary Agency
THE WRITER'S STRUGGLE IS REAL Here is the link to our video that answers your questions. Thank you for participating! #WritingCommunity #askagent #Writers youtube.com/watch?v=kliZltā¦
Literary Agent
Tracy Fells @theliterarypig
Hi, what can be the reasons for an agent not responding after calling in a full, even after the writer sends a polite follow-up email? I'd hoped for some feedback once a full was requested but am feeling pretty demotivated after experiencing this sometimes. Thank you #askagentSometimes I am really swamped and sometimes I lose things. It is hard because agents have to prioritise work for existing clients and I often fail to have the time I hoped to read subs. #AskAgent
Literary Agent
Shona Kinsella @shona_kinsella
@mushenska If an author has already been offered a contract direct from a publisher, would you be willing to help them in negotiating said contract? #askagentYes. Never feel pressured into signing anything before you've had the chance to do your due diligence which includes, if you are unagented, speaking to possible agents and @Soc_of_Authors #AskAgent
Literary Agent
Beatrice Anobah @anobah_beatrice
#askagent hullo there! When would you ask a writer to revise and resubmit rather than offering them representation or giving a straight out rejection?If I think there is promise there but the editorial work is BIG - sometimes the author might not want to do it/be able to do it #askagent
Literary Agent
Ben Ross @flyraccoonfly
@mushenska Thanks! I'm curious if you ever wish you hadn't read the spoilers before reading a full manuscript? #askagentI rarely read synopses that come in on submission for precisely this reason. Takes the fun out of the reading the mss. #AskAgent
Literary Agent
Literary Agent
Jessica Masterson @jlmasterson
@julietpickering @MichelleMMcGr @mushenska If you're not in love with the opening, does that pretty much rule someone out, even if you like the writing?There's so much pressure to get the first page right.
#askagent
No I donāt think you need a āperfectā first page - just an interesting one which keeps me reading #askagent
Literary Agent
staringattheblankpage @nickarmitage
@julietpickering Why would I send a mss to an agent and not straight to a publisher ? #Askagent?An agent might be able to get you a better deal than you could yourself. #AskAgent
Literary Agent
Michelle Nangle @Shellymackbooks
@mushenska @julietpickering Thank you. I have 14 children's books written and several edited. I have previously sent some to agents but had several rejections. This was before I had them edited. Can you apply to an agent you have already applied to previously with a different book? #AskagentYes you can certainly send someone who passed on a book a different book #askagent
Literary Agent
Shona Kinsella @shona_kinsella
@mushenska If an author has already been offered a contract direct from a publisher, would you be willing to help them in negotiating said contract? #askagentIt depends on the project but I have done so in the past #askagent
Literary Agent
Jade-Olivia @Jade_Olivia2753
@mushenska How do I ensure I retain the rights to my own work when I send it out to them?You always retain the copyright in your work, an agent doesnāt have a claim on that #askagent
Literary Agent
Ben Ross @flyraccoonfly
@mushenska Thanks! I'm curious if you ever wish you hadn't read the spoilers before reading a full manuscript? #askagentI tend to only read the synopsis if on the fence about something #askagent