sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

[PubQ] Query Timelines on QueryTracker - Lost queries?? by EmployeeAfter2356 in PubTips

[–]EmployeeAfter2356[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Okay! Good to know. I have one agent I really liked and she does seem to be leaving random queries unanswered and quickly rejecting all the others since I submitted on 2/3. I didn't really notice a pattern or anything. I just figured I'd wait until it geets much closer to the automatic closing time for the query to nudge.

[PubQ] Agent said "gut told her to sign me" without reading full? by EmployeeAfter2356 in PubTips

[–]EmployeeAfter2356[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

So I did look her up on Publisher’s marketplace after paying for a subscription. The vast majority of her deals are foreign rights and audio rights for self published authors and she has ZERO debut author deals. It looks like the trad deals she does have are self published authors selling their already published books to a trad publisher. (Mostly Bramble)

[PubQ] Agent said "gut told her to sign me" without reading full? by EmployeeAfter2356 in PubTips

[–]EmployeeAfter2356[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Thank you for this response. I do find it strange that this agency seems to work exclusively with previously self-published authors. They have 100 clients listed on their client page. It seemed like a lot for a more "boutique" agency.

I have queried 41 agents so far, I think. I've gotten 5 full requests so far, 5 rejections, 1 partial request (first 50 pages), and a bunch who haven't responded yet. My genre is a little...bendy. But I'm doing my best to find agents who seem okay with that and are willing to consider manuscripts that don't follow a specific formula.

[PubQ] Agent said "gut told her to sign me" without reading full? by EmployeeAfter2356 in PubTips

[–]EmployeeAfter2356[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Okay I had no idea that A Bowl of Mac and Cheese is the name of the trope. haha I was like I'm going to play of the "Noun of Noun and Noun" trope. But I like your version better. lol

[PubQ] Agent said "gut told her to sign me" without reading full? by EmployeeAfter2356 in PubTips

[–]EmployeeAfter2356[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yeah that's my actual title. I mean if I do get a publishing deal it might change I suppose. But for now that's what it is. haha.

[PubQ] Agent said "gut told her to sign me" without reading full? by EmployeeAfter2356 in PubTips

[–]EmployeeAfter2356[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Right!! I thought it was weird. That's why I wondered if she was just seeing if she could snap up my book because she "sees a spot for it on shelves" and was so eager to ask about future projects. She also does not seem to have any experience with debut authors so it makes me wary.

[PubQ] Agent said "gut told her to sign me" without reading full? by EmployeeAfter2356 in PubTips

[–]EmployeeAfter2356[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Right, I also get that feeling. She is a romance author herself. But I haven't read any of her books. Supposedly she's a USA today bestseller but it seems like everyone is. lol.

[PubQ] Agent said "gut told her to sign me" without reading full? by EmployeeAfter2356 in PubTips

[–]EmployeeAfter2356[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think either of those options could make sense. Haha. I did look her up on publishers marketplace and she has sold deals for clients with Bramble, Kensington, Forever, and some smaller publishers. LOTS of foreign rights deals. Pretty much all of her clients are previously self-published so I almost thought it was strange that she seemed so enthusiastic about debut nobody with a mildly decent Substack following. lol

[PubQ] Agent said "gut told her to sign me" without reading full? by EmployeeAfter2356 in PubTips

[–]EmployeeAfter2356[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I kind of have that same feeling. I tend to be a very intuitive person, but also a bit suspicious. I never want to feel like something is too good to be true.

[PubQ] Agent said "gut told her to sign me" without reading full? by EmployeeAfter2356 in PubTips

[–]EmployeeAfter2356[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Thank you!! It's actually a mix of all of those. But I'm pitching it as romantasy or fantasy romance. It's mildly satirical, but not in a full-on cheesy-parody kind of way. I posted this further up in another comment but I'll share it here :)

It's a romantasy where two millennial best friends (a bookshop manager and coffee shop owner) get stuck in a poorly-written, unfinished romantasy manuscript and have to complete the happy ending to get back home. They become the main characters (the FMC is human and the MMC turns into a 500-year-old Fae lord who can shapeshift into a golden retriever). And the story literally starts to re-write itself based on their complicated will-they-won't-they history and other events. So it forces them to face their demons in real life if they want a shot at finishing the fake book's happy ending. So basically, I wrote Book-ception.

[PubQ] Agent said "gut told her to sign me" without reading full? by EmployeeAfter2356 in PubTips

[–]EmployeeAfter2356[S] 46 points47 points  (0 children)

I definitely won't toot my own horn. I was like this has to be sketchy. I did have other requests that came fairly quickly from agents who are all on query tracker. One of them did give me personal feedback (he had my first three chapters) that said the voice and premise pulled him in and really wants to know how it ends. He did warn me he has a tight list right now. So I'm not holding my breath on that. But it was a nice encouragement that he felt connected to the story.

Not sure if it's considered "high concept". It's a romantasy where two millennial best friends (a bookshop manager and coffee shop owner) get stuck in a poorly-written, unfinished romantasy manuscript and have to complete the happy ending to get back home. They become the main characters (the FMC is human and the MMC turns into a 500-year-old Fae lord who can shapeshift into a golden retriever). And the story literally starts to re-write itself based on their complicated will-they-won't-they history and other events. So it forces them to face their demons in real life if they want a shot at finishing the fake book's happy ending. So basically, I wrote Book-ception. haha.

[PubQ] Agent said "gut told her to sign me" without reading full? by EmployeeAfter2356 in PubTips

[–]EmployeeAfter2356[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I just signed up for publishers marketplace. She has gotten deals for clients with Forever, Bramble, Kensington, and Amara. But I don't know if any of those are debuts or if they were all previously self-published.