No, we’re not engaged in anticipation of a wedding. We’re engaged in your work as literary agents. When we respond to you with suggestions, we’ve read enough of your work to discern that we like your writing style and story and may eventually pursue representation.
If we offer recommendations, please consider them. As a writer, you have a right not to take any of our suggestions. Let’s say you’ve sent a proposal for a nonfiction book on grief, and we suggest you write a novel about happiness. You can say, “No, I’m not going to write about happiness.” When you and an agent don’t agree on where your career should go, that’s part of the learning process for you both. We all want you to be represented by the right agent for you.
If you like our ideas and want to learn more, you can either ask us questions or implement some of our suggestions and try us again. When you write back, remind us we’ve been in touch.
Even when a writer incorporates our suggestions, we can’t guarantee we’ll offer representation. However, if we still don’t connect, you have started to form a good business relationship with an agent. You have shown us you’ll listen. We’ll remember your cooperative attitude should you approach us again in the future.
Only some authors receive feedback. Many find this frustrating. We get it. We know you work hard on your proposals and consider feedback helpful. Let me emphasize that my office declines outstanding submissions by talented authors every day.
Here are some reasons why we don’t always offer feedback:
- We have too many submissions to take an hour or so to write each author an essay.
- The book is not, and never will be, in a category we represent.
- We do not have a suitable set of contacts for you.
- We do not feel the book will make an impact in an oversaturated market.
- The book is too similar to what one of our current authors is writing.
Most literary agents can only offer feedback to authors they are actively working with. Authors searching for comments can join any number of professional organizations for writers who offer contests, critique groups, and other ways to gain feedback.
Everyone at our agency wants you to be a successful author. We appreciate you for being part of our blog community. Keep writing, and keep submitting!
