One of the most common reasons for a rejection is that the agency doesn’t represent the subject or genre of the book. If the agency doesn’t represent what you’ve got to sell, then it’s a guaranteed rejection.
Agencies state on their website what they represent, so make sure you check the their submissions guidelines. Sometimes they also specify what they don’t represent as well. Some agencies give a broad statement that applies to the entire agency. Often, however, the individual agents will represent different subjects and genres. You may need to check each agent’s individual page on the agency’s website.
Suzanne Hartmann - 2010
http://suzanne-hartmann2.blogspot.com/
5 comments:
My best piece of advice: if any agents you may want to submit to Tweet, follow them on twitter. Follow their blogs. Frequently, they'll tell you if they're on the prowl for a certain type of book. Just yesterday, Rachelle Gardner with Wordserve tweeted she was actively looking for an Amish romance.
Excellent advice, Liberty! Thank you for sharing.
Since I recently did some research for a query, I had a question. Probably a silly question, but one nonetheless. This is for all of us who write Christian fiction. Many agents state on their websites that they represent Christian fiction but mostly those are agents who almost exclusively represent Christian fiction. There aren't a huge amount that do so. I've come across agents that are open to inspirational fiction but many don't say they are or aren't. If they're open to (for example) mainstream fiction and you write contemporary inspirational fiction, does it fall into that category?
I've submitted to both categories before but I was just curious about your opinion.
Some will, some won't. Your best bet is to go with the ones who specifically say they accept Christian fiction. Beyond that, there are a few things you can do:
1)Check Sally Stuart's Christian Writers' Market. She has questioned most literary agencies out there and only lists those that accept inspirational work. Be careful though, not everyone uses the same definition for "inspirational."
2) Check the other types of work the agencies represent. If they represent erotica or gay fiction, there's a good chance they won't be interested in Christian fiction.
3) Ask around in author circles, or even contact the agencies themselves and ask if they would be interested in Christian fiction. Remember though, the publishing business is made up of connections. You want to make sure you are represented by someone who has connections with people at Christian publishing houses.
I hope that helps, Cindy.
Thanks, Suzanne. Those are good tips. I've definitely learned you have to be careful when they say they represent religious fiction or spiritual books. Have a great day!
Post a Comment