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Factors that dictate who to submit to

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Karen Gray said:
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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This is exactly why I've gone back and forth on who to submit to first. Do I submit to my less-than-ideal agents and either accept them or turn them down in hopes that my ideal agents will accept me as well? Or risk sending a less-than-perfect query letter to my ideal agent?

However, I'm in the process of getting my query reviewed by an agent now, so, once I incorporate her feedback, I'm probably going to send to my ideal agents first.
 
Alistair Roberts said:
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?
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Gosh, I have come from a world of fantasy games where everyone immerses themselves every season into that fantastical escape here....

Www.boardgamegeek.com

Here...in the UK UK Games Expo

Germany. EssenSpiel

And many other gaming worlds some of you are more than aware they love fantasy..it is a huge although niche market. This is why I am so surprised that mainstream market has a different view. Maybe try a more welcoming community for the SFF genre?
 
Hmmmm.... Not sure about that strategy, @Jason Byrne . I know we have the back room for private conversations, but I'm not sure I would encourage an agent to read all my output here.

That said, I am aware this is a public forum, and I try to keep that in my head. All agents have google, and I always post under my real name wherever I go.
 
@Nicole Wilson the chances of being picked up quickly is extremely low, even if you are a damn good writer. Stephen King had 27 rejections... so I'd say don't sent to the best or most wanted agent first, get some practice in and a feel for the responses etc. before honing the queries and submissions, but that's just my opinion.
 
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 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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Perfect advice. Like test the waters first. Get feedback and resend an improved query. Nice.
 
Emurelda said:
Gosh, I have come from a world of fantasy games where everyone immerses themselves every season...
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Apologies if this is stating the obvious.

Publishers don't like fantasy or SF. Full stop.

Books that sell are those titles that make the top 20 in the supermarket, and they are very rarely Sf / Fantasy unless they're spin-offs from movies.

Even Iain M Banks could only get a deal to publish his SF if he agreed to write one lit fiction for every SF he produced.
 
David Steele said:
Apologies if this is stating the obvious.

Publishers don't like fantasy or SF. Full stop.

Books that sell are those titles that make the top 20 in the supermarket, and they are very rarely Sf / Fantasy unless they're spin-offs from movies.

Even Iain M Banks could only get a deal to publish his SF if he agreed to write one lit fiction for every SF he produced.
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Yes, i was referring to the SFF niche gaming market not the mainstream ones you pluck up from supermarket shelves. There are a LOT of SFF books sold in the hobby market vs traditional toy and games market. I have worked in both for many years.
 
Rise against the machine good people.... "If you write it.... they will read." (or was it if you build it...? hmmmmm lol)

Or perhaps it should be if you write it re write it, chuck it, write it again, edit like a crazy person, re write, edit again and then wish really really hard... they MIGHT read it o_O
 
Karen Gray said:
Rise against the machine good people.... "If you write it.... they will read." (or was it if you build it...? hmmmmm lol)

Or perhaps it should be if you write it re write it, chuck it, write it again, edit like a crazy person, re write, edit again and then wish really really hard... they MIGHT read it o_O
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Lol...definitely plod on. ;)
 
David Steele said:
Hmmmm.... Not sure about that strategy, @Jason Byrne . I know we have the back room for private conversations, but I'm not sure I would encourage an agent to read all my output here.

That said, I am aware this is a public forum, and I try to keep that in my head. All agents have google, and I always post under my real name wherever I go.
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Very true, David — sorry, I meant to say that my query letter has improved so much through critique on the Colony, I wish I'd gone through the wringer here before making my submissions, and not after.

It's a good thing to keep in mind, that one day you might be a wildly popular best-selling author, and your comments here in your "early years" will still be available, come whatever end.
 
Alistair Roberts said:
@Nicole Wilson the chances of being picked up quickly is extremely low, even if you are a damn good writer. Stephen King had 27 rejections... so I'd say don't sent to the best or most wanted agent first, get some practice in and a feel for the responses etc. before honing the queries and submissions, but that's just my opinion.
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True, but, to me, that says it took 27 submissions to find the right agent, and, barring any recent signings, sending a query to them in week 1 versus week 2 wouldn't make much difference.

However, I do see your point about getting used to the process first, so I think I'll alter my strategy :)
 
Jason Byrne said:
Very true, David — sorry, I meant to say my query letter has improved so much through critique on the Colony, I wish I'd gone through the wringer here before making my submissions, and not after.
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Yes, it does wonders doesn't it. I think. I will aim as I did when choosing my Uni.

First choice
Second choice
Insurance
;)
 
Or switch to religion or biographies, they had increases in sales. Well I wouldn't touch the first, an autobiography.... now, nar, can't write that, it would truly be classed as fiction, and I ain't kidding! Hm, patience young Skywalker, patience. :p
 
David Steele said:
CRIKEY!!!

Apologies for crashing the subject but @Karen Gray - VENERATED member??

Would you like a chair, dear?
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Lol That happened on Saturday love... I'm old news now ;) More to the point I've never been in the news except by accident :p

And oh! Yes please, my ankle is killing me :)
 
Emurelda said:
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?
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Referrals are the best, but at the end of the day if it's not right for the market then they will still pass, however much they like your writing. :-)
 
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