I love your blog, and I would love to query you, but unfortunately I don't write mysteries. I do have a question, and I am hopeful that you will be able to answer me in your usual straightforward, no-nonsense manner. I'm not good at making up hypotheticals, so I'll just use my own example.
I have an urban fantasy novel for which I'm trying to find an agent. Of course I'm querying the normal run of agents who rep fantasy, but what about branching out from there? I know urban fantasy isn't a new genre, but it is one that seems to be gaining popularity. Could I target agents who rep commercial fiction? Or what about agents who want action with a strong female protagonist? Am I shooting myself in the foot by querying those agents too? Or what about Stephany Evans, of your own agency, who is interested in women's sports. My female protagonist is a marathoner. Would I be stupid to query someone who might want to read about someone who shares their same interests, even though it's outside their wheel house? I mean, look at Jeff Somers, who even said he thought his book was sci fi. He won you over with great writing, I'm sure, but did he pitch it as a thriller? If I'm querying someone where my work isn't usually what they rep, should I pitch it as something they might rep, and slide the whole paranormal angle in there later?
Am I wasting time I could be spending sending query letters by just asking you this question?
Thank you for your time.
First, Stephany Evans represents a lot more than women's sports books. She discovered and launched Emily Giffin just for starters. She recently sold, at auction, Single Undead Female, a book I'm salivating to read. You'd do well to query her.
I think you should query everyone who represents fiction. Your job is not to keep an agent's slush pile manageable. Your job is to write such an enticing query letter that someone who hasn't liked urban fantasy before will want to read your work.
I've actually done that myself. I took on a debut YA author recently cause her book was so marvelous I just had to have it. I had a lot of fun calling up new editors and introducing myself and the book.
Obviously you don't query agents who only handle non-fiction, but everyone else is fair game. If they get annoyed cause they don't handle urban fantasy so what. They weren't going to take it anyway. (Notice that very few if any of the posts marked "annoy me" are about people querying me for something I don't represent)
Your job is to write well and query widely.
8 comments:
This was a great post, and a question I have wondered myself. Since I read your blog faithfully, I've wanted to query, but held off because I haven't seen anything you represent that is really close to mine (which is really just straight commercial fiction).
Of course, getting a rejection from someone I feel like I "know" from a blog seems more personal than receiving one from a name on a website. I wonder if they'll say, "Does she read my blog at all, because if she did she'd know I don't rep this stuff!" I'll have to mull this one over...
Thank you so much for answering my question on your blog! I'll add Stephany to my list...if the guy in your agency who really does rep fantasy says no to the query I recently sent. :-)
Janet said, "I think you should query everyone who represents fiction. Your job is not to keep an agent's slush pile manageable. Your job is to write such an enticing query letter that someone who hasn't liked urban fantasy before will want to read your work.
"
To which I say, "I have now heard everything that agents could possibly say."
This was the most fun post I have read on any agent blog in six months. I have to stop now. But I do not know if I will be able to.
Huh, I never thought about it that way. Thanks for that.
Turning it around a bit, I'm wondering if Brigid gets a good deal if she entices an agent who doesn't normally rep that genre. You said you had fun making new contacts for the YA work and, of course, everyone has to start somewhere. But if the agent doesn't know the houses and the editors and their tastes, is Brigid getting the best agent for her work? And if an agent isn't in tune with the genre trends, could an agent be loving something in an author's work that's been done so to death there isn't hope of it being sold? Just musing here...
Phoenix: one of the many benefits of being associated with FinePrint (rather than as a sole prop) is that my colleagues give me second reads (as I do for them) and info on what editors to contact.
I didn't know the editors I called for my recent YA book, but other people here did.
Huh! I was always afraid of annoying you with something you don't normally represent, but if you feel this way about it ... I'm moving you to the head of my list. I hope to be represented by someone I actually like, not just anyone who will take me.
This is a really encouraging post. I've been wondering whether to query you for my fantasy novel - I know you're not a big fan of SF&F, but The Electric Church proves that our definitions of SF&F are not necessarily the same - so it's good to hear it might be worth a try. (But now Colleen Lindsay has signed on, I'll obviously try her!)
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