The long awaited change to submission guidelines may or may not please my authors, but for the sake of fairness, practicality and to ensure that I keep my sanity, I have decided to make some substantial changes to my guidelines.
As you may already know I have been closed to unsolicited queries since the last week of November. If you have sent me a query after that, as my auto response surely already informed you, your query has not been reviewed and will not be considered. If you have sent me a query before November 24, and have not heard back from me at all, this unfortunately means that your query will no longer be considered.
HOWEVER, THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU ARE DECLINED. I had several issues with my infamous spam filter and have lost many queries. I have also received more queries in those last months than I could keep up with. This large volume of queries led me to put a hold on taking queries for a few months, and to bring in help so that I could catch up. With the assistance of my wonderful assistant (Gigi), Jr Agents (Brittany B. and Jordy), my intern (Brittany W.) and my friends (Doreen and JoAnn), we have made significant progress. Unfortunately, a good number of queries remain in my Query Box unanswered and time keeps ticking... I am afraid that I'm wasting our time (mine and yours) reviewing queries that may be stale. SO... In order to ensure that I'm only reviewing work that still needs representation, I have decided to start fresh. This means that if you have not received an answer to your submission you are hereby invited to resubmit your work starting SEPTEMBER 1, 2011.
If I responded to you requesting a synopsis and/or manuscript and you have not heard back yet, that means that your work is still being considered.
NEW SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
Starting September 1, 2011, I will reopen to submissions in the following genres only:
Fiction: Romance and cross genre romance, thrillers and adventure, paranormal, fantasy, science fiction, and the same genres (excluding romance) for Young Adult and Middle Grade.
Non Fiction: Spiritual, self-improvement, parenting, and science.
Please submit a well drafted query letter and your first 5 pages to me at marisa@lperkinsagency.com. You will receive a response from me within three months from the date of your submission. If you do not receive a response within six months, this will mean that the work is declined. I will try my best to respond to every query before that six month period expires. I don't like automatic declines, but feel that this may be the only way to make sure that I never fall behind again.
Thank you for your patience, your understanding and for the honor of reading your work!
Happy writing and happy submitting :)
~Marisa
An awesome agent worth any wait!
ReplyDeleteI'm assuming if there was a manuscript request from an agent interview (like DFW Writer's Conference) and we've not heard back, we also fall into the "work still being considered category?"
ReplyDelete:)
And thanks for the update in general!
I'm particularly impressed with the staff you developed to manage the large number of submissions you attract, the inevitable outcome from participating in numerous writing conventions. Your staff and organization will give aspiring writers a better chance to be "discovered" and represented. Congratulations on developing a better mousetrap!
ReplyDeleteGloria, you raise a good point! Just in case it was not clear, the Fresh Start applies only to unsolicited queries. If you communicated with me, or I have otherwise requested your work, then you will get a response from me either way. I will do my best to respond ASAP. Thanks for posting!
ReplyDeleteNow I can't wait until September! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm sure everyone will be happy to resubmit in September.
ReplyDeleteSide note for all the querying writers, I met Marisa at a conference in March. She is super nice as is Jr. Agent, Jordy. Well worth the wait!
Hello Marisa: It sounds like you’re marking smart choices for keeping it organized! I e-mailed you the rest of my manuscript on Monday (the 4th), so hoping you got it and it didn’t get lost in your SPAM filter. Let me know if I need to resend, otherwise will await your response via e-mail.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Beth
I think that sounds very diplomatic. It's too bad that you had fallen behind, but what a compliment that so many people wanted to submit to you! Congratulations. I hope the new system works very well for you! Good luck!!!
ReplyDeleteSarah Hoss
Happy Birthday to me (September)! I know what you can give me for my birthday, Marisa :)
ReplyDeleteAll best as you hit the reset button. Looking forward to hearing about the new venture. All best!
ReplyDeleteI wish you the best in your endeavors and I hope to contact you again in September. You seem like the agent I've been wishing for! :)
ReplyDeleteI already commented on your FB page about the submissions :) Great idea. I just wanted to say I love this pink background. It looks amazing!
ReplyDeleteSounds like you're working the kinks out of a new system. I hope this one is good to you. See you in September at the conference!
ReplyDeleteI've run into agents who haven't updated their website in five years...ones who only take snail-mail...ones who have a new website Under Construction forever...ones who are so vague, you have no idea what on God's third rock they would go for. Then there's an agent who is not only businesslike without stiffness, she obviously stays on the "bleeding edge" with her approach to the marketplace, and has adopted a plan that's open to the next gold nugget, yet ever-so-respectfully letting the rest down with consummate kindness. Her manner should be a model for those agents who are in the business for reasons I can't fathom, those immersed in the industry in ways that, technologically and financially, will self-immolate in the hurly-burly of Publishing circa 2011.
ReplyDeleteHooray!
ReplyDeleteGusto Dave Jackson
You are gonna be SO flooded with queries on September 1. As we used to say in the Navy, "severe penalties for doing a good job." But thanks!
ReplyDeleteHi Marisa! Glad to see people you requested material from are still under consideration. I've emailed you as I've recieved an offer of rep from another agent, but would still love to hear from you to see if you would like to make an offer as well as I'm very interested in having you represent me. Best wishes Sharon.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: you told me after a full request that you wanted to see more of my work, and I sent you another story some time later (after you closed unsolicited queries). I didn't get any reaction on that. Should I resent in September?
ReplyDeleteCat, If I solicited more work from you, yes, you are still under consideration. However, I have had some issues with spam, so send me a follow up e-mail at marisa@lperkinsagency.com so we can make sure that I still have it. Thanks for posting your question.
ReplyDeleteI sent it with "Follow up on query" in the subject line. Thanks for answering my question.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, not only for your interest and query/5 page request on my spy thriller "Plausible Deniability", but also for your friendly professionalism and information-loaded keynote at this weekend's Hampton Roads Writers Conference. I hope that your interest in my pitch will be increased when you sample my writing. My submission will immediately follow the completion of the manuscript; as instructed.
ReplyDeleteMy brotheг suggested I may liκe this blοg.
ReplyDeleteΗе was once entirelу гіght.
Thіs pοst aсtuallу mаde mу dаy.
You can not believe simрly hoω much time Ӏ had spent for this information!
Thank уou!
My page: loans for bad credit
Exсеllent blοg уou hаѵe here but I was curious if you knew of аny dіscussion boаrdѕ that covеr the samе topics
ReplyDeletediѕcusseԁ in this article? I'd really love to be a part of online community where I can get feedback from other experienced individuals that share the same interest. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. Thanks!
Also visit my web blog ; loans for bad credit
І do agrеe with all the cοncepts yоu've offered to your post. They're very сonvіnсing and can definitelу work.
ReplyDeleteStill, the posts are very brіef foг starters.
Cоuld уou plеase eхtend them a bit from subsеquent time?
Thank уou fоr the post.
Stop bу my wеb site: payday loans
I quіte liκe loοking through a post that сan
ReplyDeletemake men аnd women think. Also, thanks foг pеrmitting
me to сommеnt!
Tаκe a looκ at mу wеblog :: Property for Sale