You Asked...I'm Answering!
Burning Questions for Which Authors Demand Answers!
I recently asked authors what questions they were dying to know the answers to as it related to querying, submissions and working with agents. Well, I asked and. you responded. So today I want to start an ongoing segment titled:
You Asked…I’m Answering!
QUESTION #1: Do agents look at WIP pitch posts to save for later, or do they get skipped over and if they do like them then does that mean agents want that person to query them as soon as the book is ready?
I assume this question relates to the occasional pitches made on Twitter (X), Threads, or BlueSky. Or maybe even if an author posts a mood board to one of these social media platforms. If so, the answer to this question will probably vary by agent. But let me answer this question for myself, and while I can’t speak for all agents, I’m probably not too far off the mark for what at least half or more would probably say.
As an agent, with the very rarest of exceptions, I won’t consider a fiction project that isn’t complete. There’s just so much that can happy between those wonderful first chapters and the last pages that I really need to see the whole project to offer representation.
(Remember: I said “except in the rarest of occasiona,” so if you happened to read Kelly Beck’s “How I Got My Agent” recently on Substack, don’t come at me. There’s an exception to every rule, and Kelly makes her own rules. 🤪)
When I see a project I know is still in progress, I may ❤️ it, but the intention behind that ♥️ is to let you know I saw it, I liked the premise, and I’d love for you to query. me when it’s ready. What I’m unlikely to do, however, is tag it somehow and keep an eye out for it to come in. Because the truth is, by the time it’s ready, I’ve seen so many pitches that I’m unlikely to remember that specific pitch unless you remind me. But when that project is ready, if you query me with that project and remind me that I liked a pitch while the project was still in progress, it might nudge my memory and I’m likely to slow down a little and read the query and pages a little more closely .
In sum, then, I think a ❤️ from an agent on a project—whether still in progress or complete—is always a good sign and you should definitely shoot your shot when the project is ready to be queried.
QUESTION #2: Could an author ever resubmit a query on a project an agent already rejected if significant changes have been made on it?
This is a tricky one, so I think it’s going to vary by agent. If I’m completely honest, agents see so many projects and their inboxes are usually so full, that unless the project was something they really liked, they may not be open to seeing it a second time. With that said, it probably doesn’t hurt to ask. Some agents will be open to it, and others won’t. And don’t be offended if an agent doesn’t want to see it again. The pass may have been for something about the premise itself rather than anything you might be able to adjust in your writing or storytelling.
So what should you say, then, if you decide to ask? For me, I’d want to see something along the lines of, “Dear Agent: Several months ago I queried you with my project, MY BEST BOOK EVER, and you sent me a pass (if a reason was given, state the reason). Since that time, I’ve done extensive edits to this manuscript and I wondered if you’d consider taking another look. Among the things I’ve improved upon are: (and list those things).”
Above all else, try to remember that agents are just people, and there’s only so many hours in a day. Queries are important, but for most agents, queries are the “homework” we do after we’ve already finished a full eight or ten or twelve hours of work already that day. So sometimes one more query can mean anywhere from a few more minutes to a full quarter hour of extra work, depending upon how the agent handles their queries.
QUESTION #3: If an agented author has a book on submission, and then they lose their agent, is it okay for an author to follow up with those editors, or, should she wait until she’s agented again?
Generally speaking, no. Under most circumstances, if an author parts with an agent, the agent will pull all submissions from consideration with the termination of the author-agent relationship. In the event an agent leaves agenting suddenly—as in for reasons of death, sudden illness, or firing by the agency—the agency usually will have someone who will follow up with the editors on those outstanding submissions and withdraw them. So your first point of contact if you should lose your agent suddenly and you have outstanding submissions, would be another agent at the agency (usually the head of the agency) and ask for direction.
In the rare case you’ve inadvertently signed with a “schmagent” who literally disappears off the face of the earth, this can be tricky. Probably your best bet is to have your new agent get in touch with those editors and see where they are or were with your submission.
But to go back to the original question, I can’t see a situation where an author should ever reach out to an editor on their submission that was sent to that editor by an agent on their behalf. Editors aren’t accustomed to working with authors not part of their “list,” and it would put those editors in an awkward situation.
Disclaimer: If another agent out in the social media world has a better answer on this, please feel free to leave a comment and I can add your comments to this newsletter.