How closely should I follow that model?
What procedure do you use when you have to send queries for your latest fantasy novel?

I e-mailed you.

I'm curious as well as to how valid OSC's advice still is. Everywhere I look seems to indicate that even for SciFi/Fantasy writing you would be much better served to have an agent. Can you either post your answer here or email me as well?

I have heard the easiest way to get an agent is to have a pending offer from a publisher--certainly this would be easy. Just call and say I have an offer--an agent would be a fol not to take you on at that point, you've done their work for them already.

But the process of finding a publisher--getting out of the slush pile, is no easier, and I think more difficult than finding an agent.

With my first book, several years ago, I sent to publishers. Most stated no simultaneous submissions, so it was a one at a time process. Most still state no simultaneous submissions. At that time very few said no unagented submission--most now say that.

Anyway, I sent to one or two at a time and spent 3 years trying to find a publisher--no dice. How many publishers did I go through--I think 10 or 15 IN 3 YEARS!! Ouch.

I spent 4 months looking for an agent for my latest book. Once I sent the initial query to Zack it took 90 days from first letter to contract.

We spent several months doing intense editing.

NOW that he is pitching the book--well it has gone something like this, he sent out queries--a large number of them. Simultaneous submissions is not the same as simultaneous queries. With a a few days he received a large number of requests for the complete ms. WOW--OK no one at a time, no send sample chapters, simply yeah, send me the whole thing.

We've gotten rejections on the ms, BUT and note the big BUT, they took days not months and in some cases a year or more.

A good agent can do wonders, a bad agent can tag a sticky on your back that will follow you forever.

Your agent should be a member of the AAR, and the golden rule is money flows to the writer not to the agent or publisher. There will be fees for postage etc., but this you would have if you were doing it on your own. Very few publishers accept ms via e-mail, yet from an agent many do--a great savings.

Working with an agent can be difficult--they understand commercial fiction. I have heard from others working with agents that they got 10 page or longer editorial letters. I got a one page letter, I was lucky. These are not like critiques in a crit group--they give you an idea of the changes needed, but unlike a crit group, you have to seriously consider these changes, every one of them. And if you decide you don't like one of them, be prepared for a long phone conversation which will in all likely hood end up in the suggested changes happening.

And editor at a publisher is going to be even harder to deal with in the form of changes--make these changes instead of you may want to make these changes.

Do you need an agent--no you don't. Not if you have a lot of time to devote to sending and waiting, and you don't care that you can't send to more than half the publishing houses, and if you don't care that your sub will go to a general admissions editor instead of land on the desk of that one editor "who loves this kinda stuff." Slush piles take time. A good agent skips the slush pile.

IMHO and experience,

My agent takes 20% on a first book.

20 percent sounds very steep, but I'm no expert. I guess you can always renegotiate for your second book. If not, it should be easier getting another agent once you have a published book.

OSC seems to think that you shouldn't pay an agent more than 10%, but it's been a long time since he was unpublished.

quote:

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a bad agent can tag a sticky on your back that will follow you forever.

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Glad you liked the funny.

(Incidentally, I should be working on the novel right now... darn procrastination. [Should the "..." be a "....?"])

TRUMPETS BLARE!

A spotlight focuses on a stage--but no one is there. It slowly moves around until--

glogpro is revealed!

Let's all give a hand to the winner of the Choose a Title Contest! (I wonder if you could sue me for using it... God, I hate overzealous suers.)

Back on topic:

So here's what I should do?:

a) Get a list of publishers in my genre
b) Send to tons of them queries.
c) Continue until MS request. --Only one MS sent out a time.

You can send many many many query letters, the one or two page that asks if they are interested in seeing it.

You can also send out sample material (requested) to several. When you get to the full MS then make sure they allow such a thing. Most will tell you if they want an exclusive. (I have learned that this does not apply to agents) (so wonder why it does to writers?)

Make your letter as perfect as you can. Give only the relevant info--they don't care if grandma loved it, they don't care if you are dyslexic and have only one finger on each hand--only the important stuff--period. No fluff.

And --always remember the SASE, and all the contact info you have, cell phone, home phone, e-mail, alt e-mail, fax and address.

If later you discover you made a spelling error--don't sweat it. I spelled my agents name wrong in the very first letter I sent to him. If your query blows them away they won't care--BUT this is not an excuse to be sloppy.

And GOOD LUCK!

Shawn