false2121422204361Michele Torrey I am the author of ten books (check out them www.micheletorrey.com). I'm currently working on an epic trilogy that takes place in antebellum Louisiana, a portion of which won the ZOLA award, given by the Pacific Northwest Writers Association. The first book will be finished shortly and in the hands of my agent hopefully by the end of summer.
I am also a co-founder and director of Orphans Africa, along with my husband, Carl Gann, and my friend Liza de Guzman (check out their facebook pages). OA works with their field partner, the Marilynn Orphans Projects, to help provide quality education to some of the 2.5 million orphans in Tanzania, and to empower widows through providing training and microloans. Check out our website at: www.orphansafrica.org. We have made so many lifelong friends through our efforts and, together with our generous donors, have already positively impacted many lives. ]]>50femaleSouth Bend, WA03/200912/2009206295Anjali Banerjee901365Beverly A. Hale431092Joni Sensel436056Sharon Ellis50166158true5674585read2true4605974currently-reading6true4605973to-read
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/187978-literary-agents
http://photo.goodreads.com/groups/1233072564p2/13591.jpg2121422Michele Torreyhttp://photo.goodreads.com/users/1239140022p2/2121422.jpg
http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2121422-michele-torrey
Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:16:35 -0800
Jacquelyn wrote: "Hi all, I'm new to the group and just found this thread, and I thought you might enjoy my recent blog post about querying agents, which won't teach you anything but will hopefully give you a laugh:..."
Thank you for sharing this, Jacquelyn. Very sad, very funny-- the oh-so-familiar pain involved in querying agents. Best wishes with your ebook endeavors! Sounds like you found something that worked for you.]]>
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/207720-agents-etc
http://photo.goodreads.com/groups/1221035269p2/8322.jpg2121422Michele Torreyhttp://photo.goodreads.com/users/1239140022p2/2121422.jpg
http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2121422-michele-torrey
Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:15:37 -0800 Not long ago, I provided some tried and true tips on how to find a top agent. I hope that in the interim you've done some research and now have a sizeable list of quality agents you'd like to approach. Now for part II. Call it what you will -- the spiel, the pitch, whatever . . . now is the time to send your beloved manuscript to an agent and pray that magic happens.
Ours is a competitive business, perhaps one of the most competitive in the world. Agents are deluged with manuscript submissions on a daily basis. Even if they went ga-ga over, say, a measly one manuscript per week, it wouldn't take long before they would be bursting at the seams with client overload. Therefore, agents must be extremely selective, and pick only the very best. This is especially true if you're dealing with the top agents in the industry. You have only one chance with each agent, so it is important that you understand manuscript submission from the get-go so you can increase your chances of rising to the top of the slush pile. (FYI -- A "slush pile" is the pile of unsolicited manuscripts that festers and multiplies in an agent/editor's office, rather wet socks in the laundry hamper.)
THE DO'S OF MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION:
1. Submit only your very best material. If it's not publishable, if you know it could be better, or if you're just hoping for a critique or a miracle, then the rest of these Do's and Don'ts are irrelevant. Stop right here, do not pass GO, join a critique group, and rewrite your manuscript.
2. Make certain your manuscript is formatted correctly. (See http://www.writing-world.com/basics/manu... for a manuscript format guide.) Make certain it is error free. FYI - It is NOT okay to submit materials with spelling and grammatical errors, no matter what you may have heard elsewhere.
3. Follow the agent's guidelines. You can usually find guidelines in the GUIDE TO LITERARY AGENTS book, or on an agent's website. If an agent says, "Query only," then don't even THINK of sending sample chapters. If an agent says, "Query plus three sample chapters," then hop to it. (That said, if an agent does want sample chapters, also include a one-page synopsis. It goes with the territory.) If an agent accepts email queries, then go ahead and email them, otherwise stick with snail-mail.
4. Write a compelling query letter. (For detailed information on query writing, I recommend the book: "How to Write Attention-Grabbing Query & Cover Letters" by John Wood, published by Writer's Digest Books.)
a. Correctly spell the agent's name.
b. Pitch your project in a way that makes the agent want to read more. Don't go on and on, instead make it short and powerful. Think of it like the blurb on dust jackets.
c. Tailor the submission for each agent by telling them why you are querying them. Is it because they represented a similar novel? If so, which one? Is it because you heard them speak on a podcast, and you like their philosophy? Besides your sparkling, error-free writing, tailoring your submission is probably the most important aspect of your spiel. It shows you've done your homework. Immediately, agents sit up and take notice. Compare this to the "shotgun" approach, which is one-size-fits-all, and is sent to 100, 200, 300 agents at once, a tactic which agents hate.
d. Mention any referrals, contacts, or personal connections.
e. Let them know it is a simultaneous submission.
f. Say thank you. An agent once called me regarding my submission. We chatted for a while, after which he requested a full manuscript. While he ultimately didn't choose to represent me, he nevertheless invested a considerable amount of time, reading my manuscript, plus emailing and calling me multiple times. After I finished wringing my heart out, and in seeking to cultivate professional relationships, I sent a thank you card. Even if you don't send thank you cards to every agent (which would be totally overboard and a nuisance to all), a simple thank you in your query letter goes a long way.
5. Send out simultaneous submissions to no more than ten agents at one time.
6. Enclose a SASE (self-addressed-stamped-envelope).
7. Keep track of your submissions, by date sent, to whom, what you sent (ie - query + 3 chapters + synopsis), and expected response time.
8. If and when you receive a rejection, cross them off the list (note their reasons for turning down your project), and send your project to the next agent on your list.
9. Always present yourself and your projects professionally.
10. Be prompt. If an agent asks for a partial, for example, the first fifty pages, or (Heavens Be Praised) the entire manuscript, promptly send out the requested material. Write "requested material" on the outer envelope.
11. Follow-up. If an agent has not responded within their specified time frame, wait an additional four weeks, then send a polite follow-up letter. If after another six weeks you have not heard anything, you may call to inquire, you may send another follow-up letter, or you can withdraw your manuscript from consideration by so stating. Regardless, always conduct yourself professionally.
THE DON'TS OF MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION:
1. Don't say your manuscript is the best ever, the next Harry Potter, the next Gone With the Wind, that it will make them millions, or that your grandmother loved it. This marks you as a rank amateur.
2. Don't use gimmicks. No ladybug stickers, no scented stationery, no confetti, no nothing except 8.5" X 11" white paper with error-free words printed in 12-font black ink (computer or typewriter generated), stuffed in a no-frills envelope, with SASE. (Even so, your paper and envelopes should be clean, unwrinkled, in order, and looking very, very spiffy indeed.)
3. Don't keep sending your manuscript back to the same agent, unless she's invited you to send a rewrite. Remember, you have just ONE chance with each agent.
4. Don't act unprofessionally. The publishing community is fairly small, and word travels fast. Don't burn any bridges that you will later regret.
5. Don't submit to multiple agents at the same agency.
6. Don't lose heart! Rejection is an integral part of the business, even for seasoned professionals. Evaluating manuscripts is subjective; what one agent loves, another may hate. So keep your chin up, and keep trying. ]]>
The Hour I First Believed: A Novel (Hardcover) by Wally Lamb]]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/72458601
http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255637905s/3086160.jpg2121422Michele Torreyhttp://photo.goodreads.com/users/1239140022p2/2121422.jpg
http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2121422-michele-torrey
Fri, 25 Sep 2009 11:24:41 -0700
more...]]>
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/204493-children-s-authors
http://photo.goodreads.com/groups/1182955129p2/188.jpg2121422Michele Torreyhttp://photo.goodreads.com/users/1239140022p2/2121422.jpg
http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2121422-michele-torrey
Sat, 05 Sep 2009 07:19:58 -0700
1) www.agentquery.com, 2) http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/p... 3) http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/show... and 4) www.querytracker.com It takes a lot of time and research, but that's how you find the best agents. Good luck! (I also recommend joining goodreads groups that specialize in marketing your writing.)
Michele Torrey www.micheletorrey.com]]>
The Appeal (Hardcover) by John Grisham]]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/69337608
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21sZlcHlZWL._SL75_.jpg2121422Michele Torreyhttp://photo.goodreads.com/users/1239140022p2/2121422.jpg
http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2121422-michele-torrey
Sat, 29 Aug 2009 10:38:02 -0700
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/176322-author-susan-marlow
http://photo.goodreads.com/groups/1182955129p2/188.jpg2121422Michele Torreyhttp://photo.goodreads.com/users/1239140022p2/2121422.jpg
http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2121422-michele-torrey
Thu, 16 Jul 2009 12:49:18 -0700
http://www.micheletorrey.com/an-intervie...