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Factors that dictate who to submit to

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Emurelda

Emurelda

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This is a rather luxurious question indeed. But as i say I can afford to humour myself at such an early naive stage before beginning the agent procurring proces.

So my nosey question now is what are the factors that made you choose your first set of agents to submit to. Was it their reputation alone, their size, their approachability. I am curious to know as I begin to pick the first 2/3 to submit to. I personally use my gut instinct after researching here and there whether they might be a good fit for me and vice versa.

So over to you and your reasons. Eventually I assume I will not be in this position and will start to search for any agent that will take my genre :oops:. I'll worry about that later:D
 
  • Agents who requested a full or gave me feedback on whatever I sent them previously.
  • Agents who are actively building their lists - may be fairly new or have recently moved agencies.
  • Deal makers - agents who sell. (I check The Bookseller to see who is making deals)
  • Agents I have some connection with - either I've met them in person or they've given a really useful interview or talk.
  • Agents who I think I would work well with, this is mainly down to gut feeling. :-)
 
Karen Gray said:
If they accept Fantasy. Sooooooo many people refuse it on principle, so it's the first thing I look for. After that I look at reviews of the person/establishment.
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Curious why that is..is it because market is flooded with fantasy novels or some other reason?

I just don't see how it is different to SF in terms of submitting. David Eddings was my first entrance to fantasy.
 
Emurelda said:
Curious why that is..is it because market is flooded with fantasy novels or some other reason?

I just don't see how it is different to SF in terms of submitting. David Eddings was my first entrance to fantasy.
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From what I can make out, it's just old stigma. I think it's crazy considering ALL fiction is a fantasy, magic or no.
 
Same as Karen. Do they represent thrillers? Great, added to my list.

Also, this is probably on the extreme, but I have about 70 potential agents to send to. Querying, I believe, is a numbers game. Some agents won't be right for you; others will be but maybe they're having a bad day, they just signed something similar, or for whatever reason passed on yours.

So my first round will be about 10 agents that are highly respected in my genre and the industry. After I get a few rejection letters--or expiration of allotted time--I'll send out another 10 to keep my spirits up. And so on. :)
 
Kitty said:
  • Agents who requested a full or gave me feedback on whatever I sent them previously.
  • Agents who are actively building their lists - may be fairly new or have recently moved agencies.
  • Deal makers - agents who sell. (I check The Bookseller to see who is making deals)
  • Agents I have some connection with - either I've met them in person or they've given a really useful interview or talk.
  • Agents who I think I would work well with, this is mainly down to gut feeling. :)
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Can I ask how far you got with your submissions? The connection through network would be the strongest I would assume...am I right? Or which when proved most effective in terms of getting published?
 
Emurelda said:
Stigma? Why?
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No one apparently knows... I think it's something to do with being the easiest to write but the most poorly written?? I think that was the general consensus I had read anyway :/
 
Karen Gray said:
No one apparently knows... I think it's something to do with being the easiest to write but the most poorly written?? I think that was the general consensus I had read anyway :/
Click to expand...

Wow that's quite a strong assertion. I had no idea. Very odd.
 
Karen Gray said:
No one apparently knows... I think it's something to do with being the easiest to write but the most poorly written?? I think that was the general consensus I had read anyway :/
Click to expand...
Maybe market is flooded with tolkienesque type novels...kinda like a lot are jumping on the GoT band wagon...not sure. But for a while there were lots of wizarding heroes too ;)
 
Emurelda said:
Maybe market is flooded with tolkienesque type novels...kinda like a lot are jumping on the GoT band wagon...not sure. But for a while there were lots of wizarding heroes too ;)
Click to expand...
Tolkein and Robert E. Howard were innovators — they did something no one had really encountered before — and there wasn't a real category for it. It might be that the really bad writing of a few, in the 70s-80s, colored the rest with the same brush, but I think it's more deep-seated than that. I think it goes to the same place where comes from telling children that they shouldn't be afraid of the dark or believe in Saunta Clause anymore, because everyone has to grow up sometime.

Those that have long abandoned 'magical thinking' want to see it struck down everywhere else, as well.
 
Emurelda said:
Thanks for this. Interesting reflections.
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Sorry, I know it's lazy to give a link rather than an answer, but it was the quickest way of which I could think to convey the massive amount of information they cover, especially at the pace the forum is moving, today.
 
Jason Byrne said:
Tolkein and Robert E. Howard were innovators — they did something no one had really encountered before — and there wasn't a real category for it. It might be that the really bad writing of a few, in the 70s-80s, colored the rest with the same brush, but I think it's more deep-seated than that. I think it goes to the same place where comes from telling children that they shouldn't be afraid of the dark or believe in Saunta Clause anymore, because everyone has to grow up sometime.
Click to expand...

Aw, I really hope not! I was counting on never growing up. I don't read fantasy often, but I go to them specifically to part myself from reality.
 
Jason Byrne said:
Tolkein and Robert E. Howard were innovators — they did something no one had really encountered before — and there wasn't a real category for it. It might be that the really bad writing of a few, in the 70s-80s, colored the rest with the same brush, but I think it's more deep-seated than that. I think it goes to the same place where comes from telling children that they shouldn't be afraid of the dark or believe in Saunta Clause anymore, because everyone has to grow up sometime.

Those that have long abandoned 'magical thinking' want to see it struck down everywhere else, as well.
Click to expand...

Is scifi clumped in the same stigmatised fashion?
 
Hm, well back to the question of who you submit so. At first I tried any and EVERY agent in Australia, all six (or is it five) of them? I mean, you don't have any choice. Then it was pile through the hundreds in the UK who accept Fantasy, but even then many are closed to submissions, although I also try to find actual Publishers who are open, AND accept fantasy. There's not that many. Plus now there are so many categories, Historical Fiction, and the borders between them can only always be very blurred. I think mine are almost a cross over between the two; exactly where should the original Arthurian Legends be placed? Not that mine sit in the same category, but then isn't too much given to 'categories', rather than the actual writing?
 
Jason Byrne said:
Tolkein and Robert E. Howard were innovators — they did something no one had really encountered before — and there wasn't a real category for it. It might be that the really bad writing of a few, in the 70s-80s, colored the rest with the same brush, but I think it's more deep-seated than that. I think it goes to the same place where comes from telling children that they shouldn't be afraid of the dark or believe in Saunta Clause anymore, because everyone has to grow up sometime.

Those that have long abandoned 'magical thinking' want to see it struck down everywhere else, as well.
Click to expand...

I have to be honest I do prefer reading MG fantasies maybe MG is the new Adult SFF. ;)
Thats why I like this genre so much, it just feels more flexible despite the limits on certain issues one can include in them.
 
I had a really great feeling about my first submission (Diamond Khan & Woods). They both seemed absolutely fantastic, and the books they had on their list seemed like a natural fit for me.

I was so excited when I read their site I got butterflies. When I actually clicked send I was trembling. For days it was all I could think of. EVERY email that came my way had me dashing for the phone. Today I got a reply from an agent and I finished the essay I was working on before I even bothered checking it.

I've wondered about this, but I think maybe my advice for any new writer would be - don't go for your ideal agent first. Submissions are a skill that will develop over time and you'll get better at submissions and queries in six months. Cut your teeth on some of the mediocrity and save your dream list for when you've sharpened up.

Is that daft?
 
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Emurelda said:
I have to be honest I do prefer reading MG fantasies maybe MG is the new Adult SFF. ;)
Thats why I like this genre so much, it just feels more flexible despite the limits on certain issues one can include in them.
Click to expand...
Truly, check out the Wiki list of fantasy subgenres:
 
David Steele said:
I had a really great feeling about my first submission (Diamond Khan & Woods). They both seemed absolutely fantastic, and the books they had on their books seemed like a natural fit for me.

I've wondered about this, but I think maybe my advice for any new writer would be - don't go for your ideal agent first. Submissions are a skill that will develop over time and you'll get better at submissions and queries in six months. Cut your teeth on some of the mediocrity and save your dream list for when you've sharpened up.

Is that daft?
Click to expand...
No, makes perfect sense to me ;)
 
David Steele said:
I had a really great feeling about my first submission (Diamond Khan & Woods). They both seemed absolutely fantastic, and the books they had on their books seemed like a natural fit for me.

I've wondered about this, but I think maybe my advice for any new writer would be - don't go for your ideal agent first. Submissions are a skill that will develop over time and you'll get better at submissions and queries in six months. Cut your teeth on some of the mediocrity and save your dream list for when you've sharpened up.

Is that daft?
Click to expand...
I really wish someone had said this to me when I started. Aptly-put, David, as always.
 
David Steele said:
I had a really great feeling about my first submission (Diamond Khan & Woods). They both seemed absolutely fantastic, and the books they had on their books seemed like a natural fit for me.

I've wondered about this, but I think maybe my advice for any new writer would be - don't go for your ideal agent first. Submissions are a skill that will develop over time and you'll get better at submissions and queries in six months. Cut your teeth on some of the mediocrity and save your dream list for when you've sharpened up.

Is that daft?
Click to expand...
No. It does make sense, though if one of the mediocre offer to represent you and you take it are you always left thinking hmmm did I do the right thing?
 
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