Literary Agent Advice

Embracing Fall: Change and Stories

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This season has been full of ups and downs in so many ways. And my heart has been broken once again by those in power. But the trees here in Northern California have been putting on a spectacular show this fall, lots of gorgeous reds and yellows, more deeply colorful than the years before, and I am reminded by them to breathe and find peace in the small moments of joy.

These past few weeks have also reminded me how important stories are; they tie us together, make us see and emphasize with other perspectives, and lift up voices that are often silenced. And filling my current desire to read about fierce ladies (well really, it’s a constant desire), check out this fucking awesome cover for my client C.L. Clark’s no-longer-a-secret project!

I have had a stunning amount of really good submissions since I opened in July. A total of four thousand queries have been sent so far, there are about fifty submissions that are under further consideration, and I have made one offer of representation so far. I will be shutting down to queries starting December 1st for the holidays and probably for most of the winter. I hope to answer all queries before the new year, whether it’s to ask for a full or pass. If I do ask for a full, I hope to answer those by the end of January, but I may not be able to consider it until the spring. Just hedging my bets here, I always think I’m going to be faster on fulls than I actually am. Having the space to take on a new client is never a guarantee, so much of it depends on where my current clients are at. There are so many really good submissions that I am forced to form pass on because to do otherwise would mean I wouldn’t ever find the time to do anything else. Thank you again to all of you amazing writers for your patience and grace. Cheers.

Submissions Update

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Despite the best laid plans, I was unable to open to submissions this winter. As much as I would love to sign new clients, current clients take priority, so I’m remaining closed to submissions until my schedule opens up again. My goal is to respond to pending submissions and re-open by this summer, maybe a bit earlier. To the handful of people who are waiting for a response to their submission, I thank you for your patience. Know that your submission is still under consideration.

For those of you who love query stats–I received about a thousand queries while I was open in Oct/Nov 2023. Of those, about 100 made it into the further consideration pile. Since then: I have responded to 60 or so. Quite of few more, around 20, received offers of representation on which I stepped aside. I have yet to request any fulls.

Do note, my standard timing is elongated due to outside forces, but as personal and professional interruptions that cut into submission response times are fairly common in an agent’s career, it’s a good statistical variable to take into account.

Closing to Submissions

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The mornings are getting chillier, and as the popular meme says the “let’s circle back after the holidays” season has begun. I am closing to queries until the new year to catch up. For those of you who enjoy the wonking out stats, I received over 1000 queries since opening in mid-Oct. From the earlier batch this past spring, I am currently considering 16 fulls, which I hope to respond to by the end of the year, before I request more fulls from the newer pile. I wish my response times were faster, but that’s not possible at this time. See you in 2024.

I hope everyone who has the privilege of a holiday season enjoys it, may it be lovely and restful.

Praying for peace 💔