More on Query Responses

The eponymous anonymous asks: Does your agency respond to all emailed queries even if it's a negative response?

My agency is listed in The Literary Marketplace as well as numerous published resources for writers all over the world, and is referenced throughout the internet. A simple Google search will turn up dozens of such references. Hence my business is global with author clients from Alaska to Zimbabwe. Given the aforementioned it is incumbent upon me to respond to all queries. We respond to all postal queries wherein a SASE is enclosed. No SASE, no response. We also respond to all email queries. Occasionally a query might get accidentally spammed or deleted, or somehow lost. I sometimes get a response bounced back to me because the sender has a spam blocker and my email is considered spam. Incredible as it may seem, I have had SASE's returned to me as undeliverable, and stamped by the post office, "address unknown, no such number, no such zone." Go figure: a writer who can't address an envelope to himself!

Basically, we respond to all queries. Although we get most of our authors through recommendations, networking and conferences, we do glean excellent new talent through the queries. We're prepared, so keep them coming. You will get a response!

Digital Submissions and the iPad

Before we say goodbye to April I wanted to jot down a few ideas on my blog. On April 3rd I visited my local Best Buy and walked out with my newly purchased, untested Apple iPad. I already had the latest SONY personal reader, which has streamlined my office and helped to rid me of enormous piles of manuscripts.

I bought the iPad to be used primarily for the ebook function. Within just a few days I discovered the power and reach of this device. Now, I only accept electronic submissions of manuscripts which I choose from the hundreds of queries I receive each month. Both the iPad and the SONY have enabled me to completely avoid hard copy. Thankfully, even small presses accept agency submissions via email attachment.

I have a WiFi home and office through my high speed DSL internet service . This enables me to get maximum use of the iPad through the many Apps that are available. One App allows me to wirelessly download a PDF file from my computer directly to my iPad. How cool is that? And I can label each file so that there is no way that any could be unidentifiable. Although I am always a couple of months behind in reading submitted novels, the new technology provides a most efficient means of keeping up with the busy activities of an agent. Remember, we agents also like to read the newest published fiction and nonfiction. We therefore have to judiciously plan our work load.

For my part, I have to give the iPad an A for performance. This is a top grade from a professor emeritus.

Publishing and Technology

In a Gally Cat interview with Schiavone. Jeff Rivera asks: "What do you think about all these technological changes happening? (Kindle, the iPad, ebooks) How have they changed the marketplace?

In the final analysis a book is a book. How that book is delivered and the preferences of consumers who buy them, dictates the direction of the industry. Technology marches on. Look at the film and music industries. Initially you had to go to a theater to watch a movie, then came television, then Beta and VHS, then DVD and Blue Ray. The presentation of films now gets to us in a variety of ways. This leaves the consumer with multiple choices. Ditto for music. From the recorded cylinder to flat vinyl records to tapes and CD's to iPods, etc., music is delivered in a variety of media. With all of this technology we can still enjoy going to a theater or a concert. Technology brings us virtually unlimited entertainment.

As a kid (many current readers weren't around then) I saw books change in shape and size. One could go to the five and dime store to buy a new book format then called "pocket books." And yes, they did fit into your pocket. Here was a previously published hard cover book now in a smaller paperback pocket version for just 25 cents! Today this format is known as the eponymous "mass market paperback" and retails at $7.99. Thanks to digital technology we now have choices in how we read content. No longer must a book be confined to ink and paper. Thanks to my SONY personal ebook reader, I can download dozens of books and take them with me on board public conveyances, the beach, etc. And as a literary agent I have eliminated tons of paper coming into my office, piling up and getting messed up and misplaced. For the past couple of years I now only accept electronic file email attachments - and publishers accept agency submissions via email. With the new ebook readers, one doesn't have to read from a computer screen. The reader fits comfortably in your hands like a traditional book. The growing demand for ebooks has enormous implications for the publishing industry. Just think: no ink, no paper, no warehousing, no shipping, no shelf space, and NO RETURNS! What a boon to publishers, authors, agents, and the book buying public. Technology continues to brighten our future. Indeed, the marketplace for publishing has changed and will continue to do so in the foreseeable future.

Agency Management of Query Letters

Reader Mark has noted the large number of query letters received by my agency annually and raises some questions. Actually, the 7,500 figure reflects queries addressed directly to me. Agents Jennifer DuVall and Kevin McAdams of Schiavone Literary also receive additional queries addressed to each of them respectively. This means that overall we get some 10,000 query letters each year. Mark asks, "How do you review the details of so many inputs?" Obviously, this is not an easy task. On our Web site we indicate that we give preference to authors published by major houses. We also state the we have a 99% rejection of all queries. We believe it is important to be upfront with our prospective clients. In point of fact we are scouting for exceptional new talent. However, our candid approach has not stemmed the flow of queries to us. Obviously we would be lost without the queries we depend on to discover new talent and to serve established authors who wish to join our ever expanding enterprise.

I consider many factors in handling the details of the queries. For example, vampire stories have proven to be very popular with contemporary readers so I would expect substantial input from authors who have chosen to write for this genre. However, I never dreamed that I would receive hundreds upon hundreds of queries for books about vampires, as well as werewolves.
Again, during the Harry Potter craze I was inundated with children's books about witches and goblins, and that is far from over. Many letters suggested that Harry Potter move over and make room for a girl, say Harriet, to capture center stage. I'm not certain that jumping on a band wagon will lead to success.

Other considerations particularly with nonfiction books involve the author's qualifications and platform which I have discussed in other sections on query letters. By and large each agent at Schiavone Literary makes his/her own decisions regarding the offer of representation. On occasion I have consulted with some of my colleagues in academia before making an offer of representation.

We take pride in representing some of the finest authors in the world.

Books By My Clients: The Scorsese Psyche on Screen: Roots of Themes and Characters in the Films, by Maria T. Miliora

This critical study examines the interconnections between the life and work of acclaimed film director Martin Scorsese, showing that his films reflect his experiences growing up in a Sicilian-American-Catholic family in the tough neighborhood of New York's Little Italy and express much about his ethical and religious attitudes.

After providing a concise biography, the text individually describes Scorsese's films from 1963 to 2002, commenting on themes and characters with emphasis on male sexuality, narcissism, violence, and the place of women in the director's personal and cinematic world. Psychological analyses of focal characters provide a basis for understanding the dialogue and actions of the characters in the context of their respective film stories. Special attention is given to two films known to have particular meaning for Scorsese: The Last Temptation of Christ and Gangs of New York.

Maria T. Miliora is a professor of Chemistry at Suffolk University in Boston and maintains a private practice in psychoanalysis. She has published books on psychology, film, and literature, as well as clinical articles.

More on the Query Letter

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

A reader asks: Could you give an example or guidelines for a good query letter? I have seen many different "correct" ways and was wondering what an actual agent thought.

Basically a good query letter consists of one page. It tells the agent about the premise of the book followed by a brief description. It gives the author's qualifications to write the book, especially if the work is non fiction. The letter should be triple checked for spelling and grammar. I'm turned off by any careless mistakes. If you are going to write to any agent it behooves you to take the time to avoid mistakes and even minor typos. Also, if you are a published writer include titles, publishers, and dates of publication.

Often a very well composed query is rejected for a multiplicity of reasons depending upon the agent and his needs at any particular time. While one agent may pass, another may be most enthusiastic. Unfortunately, there is no magic formula. Good luck! Do check out my other posts regarding the query letter.

Schiavone Responds to Frequently Asked Questions

In his resource guide on publishers, editors, and agents, Jeff Herman asks agents to describe their concept of the "dream client." I envision the dream client as one who has done his homework. This author has researched agencies that handle his genre, knows about query letters and how to write them, and has read sufficiently to determine which agents are best suited to handle his representation needs.

The best approach to my agency is through the query letter, preferably via email. The telephone call is the least effective method. A call to my office will only elicit my suggestion to write a query letter. I am sometimes surprised when an author making a cold call asks, "What's a query letter?" I can only suggest that he visit a library or book store to find the info he is seeking. Bottom line: forget about cold calls to agents.

On the other hand I find the telephone the most effective form of communication with my author/clients. Once representation is established I maintain close contact with each of my authors through telephone conversations. I work out of my home office in Florida and in NY and I'm generally available after normal office hours and on weekends. My authors are free to call at any time to discuss their concerns and questions. I will also call my authors when I have important news to share with them.
Close communication between author/agent is of paramount importance to the business relationship.

My authors ask: "How do you keep your clients informed of your activities on their behalf?" This is a legitimate and important question. To enter an agreement with an agent and then to be left in limbo is unfair. The author needs to be kept informed as to each and every submission. He needs to know which editor and publishing house has received his proposal and or manuscript. With today's technology many of the larger publishers accept electronic submissions from agents. I always copy my authors on these submissions and when a response is received, I forward the response to my author.

"Do you consult with your clients on any and all offers?"

Absolutely. When an offer is made I inform my client to let him know that I will negotiate a publishing contract on his behalf. Initially, the publisher's boilerplate is sent to me. From that I begin my negotiations to insure that each and every paragraph is in the best interests of the author. We discuss the advance, the time for final submission of an acceptable draft, the escalation scale for royalties, and all of the essential elements posed by the contract.

When I'm certain that the terms and conditions of the contract are in the best interests of the author, I advise that it be signed. Of course the author may consult with an attorney. The author is the bottom line and he makes the final decision to sign on with the publisher. Ordinarily the agent is not a signatory to the publishing agreement but the agreement will contain an agency clause which authorizes the publisher to conduct all business relating to the book, including the payment of royalties, directly to the agency.