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/lit/ - Literature

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4740333 No.4740333 [Reply] [Original]

I got a job at a literary acency in new york. I had an internship there so i could meet connections to get my own stuff published, but they offered me the job, and so i'm doing that now, and i'm liking it a good deal.

I'll be given the go ahead by my boss in a couple months to start taking on my own clients. All of the other assistants in my office are struggling to find people they want to represent, because, for the most part, they are super-educated young women who havent had much life experience and don't know what they're about yet. Thats the one benefit to being a bum in your twenties, at least you get a chance to figure out what you're about.

So, when i get called up to the big leagues, i want to have all my ducks in a row. I figure, since i cant take my own queries yet at work, i can do it on the side here. That way, if i do find something i want to rep, i dont have to kiss anyones ass before trying to take it on. So, i figure this is a low-risk win-win type of deal where you guys can practice submitting queries and i get to look for writers without having to suffer the work-place bureaucracy.

So submit a query here: litdropbox@gmail.com

Looking mostly for straight fiction and non-fiction, but im a little interested in graphic novel proposals if you got em. If your stuff is good i'll be in touch and we can talk about being agent/client bros forlyfe. probably wont spend too much time with rejection letters, sorry to say, but i will let you know when i've looked at your proposal.

In order to keep this thread bumpin i can take general behind the scenes of the publishing world and how do i get an agent - type questions.

Like, for example.
Gettting an agent Rule #1: get their email address, somehow, someway. queries that arrive in the mail get chucked by an intern.

>> No.4740401

This is cool. It's a shame I'm a hack.

>> No.4740409

Rule #2: Don't write a cancer memoir. Probably saw at least a dozen this week.

>> No.4740433

>Looking mostly for straight fiction and non-fiction

You're going to have to be a little more specific.

>> No.4740444

>>4740333
do you have any proof of this?

also, would you consider publishing a book of philosophy if it's written in an engaging way?

>> No.4740445

>>4740409
So depressing to think about. I bet people are like "Surely just this once I'll be able to feel achievement in life, people will care because I about to die". Funny too though

>> No.4740468

>>4740444
check his pics exif data, its taken from the location of his agency

>> No.4740486

>>4740333

>Thats the one benefit to being a bum in your twenties, at least you get a chance to figure out what you're about.


So what are you about then?

>> No.4740493

>>4740468
No it's not.

>> No.4740522

>>4740433
Yeah, basically anything that isnt YA. I don't want to name names of the people i like, trying to keep it broad, not color anyones thinkin based on my taste.

>> No.4740529

>>4740486
Books, man. The good kind, the one's i like.

>> No.4740533

Do you do poetry?

>> No.4740535

>>4740522
Like one of the above posters said, is there any way you can prove the truth of what you say while still keeping relatively anonymous? I've had shit luck with queries, so I'd LIKE to believe you.

>> No.4740557

>>4740444
I can't really think of a good way to prove it without giving up the goods. Might have to chalk it up to faith.

>> No.4740561

>>4740444
Oh, and yes, send it on!

>> No.4740570

>>4740557
Well, I'm already an outrageous Christfag. Faith is my business. I'll give it a go.

Looking for any fantasy? Specifically historical fantasy with some of the spirit of heroic fantasy, and a few of the writing motifs of sword and sorcery?

>> No.4740582

>>4740570
For sure, let it rip.

>> No.4740592

>>4740570
you can just set up a dummy email if you're worried about spam

>> No.4740598

>>4740529
I'm probably not the best guy for poetry, sorry to say.

>> No.4740603
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4740603

>trusting this shit
enjoy your terrible ideas beign stolen

>> No.4740606

>>4740603
joke's on you, i don't have any original ideas, just writing ability.

>> No.4740610

>>4740333
>super-educated young women who havent had much life experience

Hmmm pretty much the worst type of people thur.

>> No.4740618

>>4740333
this would make for a good opening of a hardboiled-detective-esque story

>> No.4740623

>>4740333
Only the trips are to be trusted in OP's post. This smells like someone stealing your work and posting it as his own.

>> No.4740635

>>4740623
So just send him a query letter and nothing else. If he has to resort to stealing work, he won't be able to replicate the particular skill with which you write, and his efforts will be for naught. I'll take a chance.

>> No.4740638
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4740638

What's your experience with first timers trying to get representation for long novels (say, 140 to 200k words)? Is it true that agents just go "LUL, TOO LONG" or does the content actually factor in to it?

I have a finished novel that I'm currently editing that is well over 170k words (it isn't sci-fi or fantasy). Should I just shelf it until I publish something shorter, or is it possible that some agent will show pity and still read some of it?

>> No.4740646

You guys, nobody steals books. Unpublished manuscripts have to rank high among the least valuable things a person could steal.

>> No.4740651

>>4740603
everyone has a book/movie/videogame idea. it's the execution that matters

>> No.4740663

>>4740638
I will say this, the agent shouldnt be a problem, but it is decidedly more difficult for the agent to sell a longer manuscript to a publisher for a variety of reasons (chiefly cost of production and shelf space).
But if its good its good. this guy just made bank:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/11/business/media/city-on-fire-a-debut-novel-fetches-nearly-2-million.html?_r=0

>> No.4740679

>>4740663
>signaled the resurgence of long fiction

ASS HOLE SHIT CUNT

>> No.4740735

>>4740663
That's a little encouraging, thanks anon.

>> No.4740742

Thanks to all who have sent stuff along. I'm starting to get quite a few now so I apologize in advance for what will likely be a slow turnaround in responding to these.

>> No.4740781

Will you keep checking this particular email? I have an unfinished project and can't write a query letter just yet.

>> No.4740797

>>4740781
Yeah I'll be checking that one. I'll try to keep this thread up as long as I can. And yeah, don't worry about the timing, It'll be a few months before i'll even have the green light to move on these.

>> No.4741107

Gotta leave the house, just wanted to bump before I left.

litdropbox@gmail.com

fill er up

>> No.4741286

Bed now, but I'll clean and submit part of a short story/novella thing I've got going tomorrow if you're still there OP

>> No.4741360

>doubtful
but i guess /lit/ can't be that much different from the usual slushpile crap

>> No.4742453

>>4741286
OP is still here, keepin the flame alive.

>> No.4743422

Bump. So far, i've got lots of fantasy/horror. Still holding out hope for some non-fiction proposals.

>> No.4743462

>>4743422
Speaking of which, here's is an interesting shared belief among agents:
They generally agree that fiction authors are able to write non-fiction and that the skills translate well, but that writers who have built a career on non-fiction should never be encouraged to write fiction. In my personally experience, there've been more than a few examples to support that line of thinking.

>> No.4743507

>>4743462
That's pretty interesting. Did you ever take any sort of creative writing courses?

Mine is >>4741286
hope you can deal with British spelling

>> No.4745184

Bump

>> No.4745205

>>4743507
Never took formal classes. Would love to find time for one of those writers retreats though.

>> No.4746144

Thanks again to all who have forwarded their work on. An interesting development at the office I'd like to share. I took a chance and forwarded on something from the slush pile at work that looks like it's going to get representation by one of my bosses. Middle-aged guy, never been published in his life, there may be hope for us all yet.

Keep em coming: litdropbox@gmail.com

>> No.4746155

>>4746144
Is your agency based in NYC?

>> No.4746200

>>4746155
yessir

>> No.4746216

>>4746200
I have this idea for a short story that I might write this or next month, never submited anything what do I need to send when its ready?

Are you taking works in spanish?

>> No.4746215

Ahh... stress. My 2nd draft is only 1/3 done and I feel like it's way too early to send a query. So when should one start crafting a query letter? After the manuscript is done and I'm shopping around?

>> No.4746236

>>4746215
No worries, it'll be 3 - 8 months before I'll be given the nod to start pitching projects to editors. So take your time.

For those sending me short stories - I want to encourage everyone to make them into a collection, not a one off. I will say, it's very difficult to sell a short story collection, but there is nothing more fruitless than selling one-off shorts to magazines/etc. They truly pay shit.

>> No.4746241

>>4746216
English only for me, I'm afraid.

>> No.4746250

How do you feel about theatre? Do you guys publish dramatic literature and if so, are they only interested in work that's been produced?

>> No.4746267

>>4746250
There is often language in our contracts that can sometimes grant us dramatic reproduction rights. but we don't accept scripts/screenplays in the form of proposals, unfortunately.

>> No.4746270

>>4746267
Oh well, thanks. You're doing anon's work anon.

>> No.4746272

>>4740333
Is all you're looking for a proposal?

>> No.4746273

Going to bed now, if anyone sees this thread drifting too far wanna do me a favor and bump? I'd just rather keep this one going if possible than be continuously making new ones.

Thanks ya'll.

>> No.4749472

Annnnnd bump

>> No.4749499

>>4746144
So some middle aged c/lit/ might get an agent. This makes me happy, you're doing a good thing OP.

>> No.4749641

>>4749499
Sounds like he's not a /lit/ tho

>> No.4750212

>>4749499
This also makes me happy.

>> No.4750439

>>4749641
>>4749499
Nevermind, just reread. Slightly less happy. Still good, though.

>> No.4750506

How bad is it if I just submit a single short story anyway?

>> No.4750690

What does a query letter look like?

>> No.4752920

>>4750690
>>4750506
I want to know this too

>> No.4752929

i'm austrian so i mostly write in german, can't partake in this but i just want to say it's p cool of OP to do this.

>> No.4753008

>>4750690
'Cmon, dude, Google it.

http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/successful-queries

>> No.4753013

>>4740333
>Gettting an agent Rule #1: get their email address, somehow, someway. queries that arrive in the mail get chucked by an intern.

I like how this backs up my speculations from a different thread 100%. Suck it, people who disagreed with me.

>> No.4753027

>>4750690
>>4752920
Also, take a look at Evil Editor at the b log spot. He's been doing query letters for years.

>> No.4753072

Bumping, because my imagination reels at the possibility of the things I've not started writing being shopped around one day.

>> No.4753854

>>4746236
>They truly pay shit.
How much is shit?

>> No.4753949

>>4746236

Thank you for randomly adding more evidence to Adorno's argument about how the market massages art production.

>> No.4754331

Will you at some point be asking us for samples of our writing?

>> No.4754425
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4754425

>>4746236
Suppose it's a short story collection where all the other stories are tied to an overarching narrative/theme, like with Canterbury Tales or The Illustrated Man? Cause that's one of the things I'm working on right now

>> No.4754583

5 bucks says this turns out to be a 10/10 troll

I sent a query

>> No.4754678

>>4754583
Me too. But what are we going to do? I'm at the point where I'd kill a man if it meant I could get representation.

>> No.4754904

>>4754583
The way I figure, if it's someone who's just trolling for fun we have nothing to lose. If it's some dude who's stealing our ideas and he actually manages to get published, chances are whoever he steals from is going to be keeping their ears to ground ready to call him/her out on their shit. The only way we'll know for sure is to send a query

>> No.4754921

>>4754904
Except if he's really what he says he is, you won't hear back until 3-8 months from now, when he can start representing people.

>> No.4755146

>>4754921
I was under the impression that he wanted to get us all submitting now, then prune us over the next couple of months, so that by the time he's ready to he has a list of what he thinks are solid writers. So I assumed we'd be hearing from him sooner than when he's on board.

>> No.4757125

Bump

>> No.4757602

>>4740333
what's your cut?

>> No.4757663

>>4740638
they read the first two and the last two chapters skimming the stuff inbetween.

>> No.4757680

>>4757602
his cut are tons of yet unpublished novels and comic books that you, fools, will send him for absolutely free.

>> No.4757698

>>4740333
>acency
There are so many spelling errors in your post that it defies all logic that you got such a job. Fuck off.

>> No.4757969

>>4757680
holy soaring tits, that's, a terrible sentences
>also not an answer from OP

>> No.4758685

>>4757680
you're crazy if you think anything sent to him will be any good

>> No.4758749

>>4754425
By collection, i don't mean thematically, I literally just mean just stick enough of your shorts together to tally around the 60k word mark (that's kind of the vague industry standard for hardcover)

>> No.4758776

>>4750690
Your standard unsolicited query will have a cover letter, a synopsis, and at least 3 sample chapters. A lot of people will raise a big stink if a query is missing any of those things, but I don't worry about it, and pretty much go straight for the sample chapters.

>> No.4758780

>>4757602
15% is industry standard, nowadays.

>> No.4758815

>>4757663
If I read something and I know I don't like and am going to pass on it, then i'll go 40 pages max. If I do like something and intend to green light it, you'd better believe I'm going to read that whole thing. No matter the word count. Because, in the event bossman has questions - there's nothing worse than getting caught not having the answers.

>> No.4758875

>>4757680
Like I said before, nobody steals unpublished manuscripts, they are truly, fundamentally, without value unless given value by a trusted champion and endorser. That's the whole game, man.

>> No.4759035

>>4758749
I know what you meant, I was just asking if adding a theme would help improve the marketability