This query is part of the Be an Agent for a Day contest. Rules and Regulations here
Please post your rejection or manuscript request in the comment section!
Dear Agent for a Day,
People asked me, “What’s trucking like? What’s it really like out there on the road?” My short answer never varied: “You have to like being alone.” In The Driver’s Seat — Interstate Trucking, a Journey is the long answer and the only literary memoir to emerge from the world of American long-haul trucking.
I drove 18-wheelers cross-country for ten years, logging more than a million highway miles; saw America through a windshield; embraced the addictive solitude of long hauls; violated federal safety regulations in order to deliver freight on time; stumbled down memory lane while a lifetime of failure and regret used me for a punching bag; struggled to make peace with myself and my past and, in my late forties, grew up.
I stayed away from home, trucking for weeks on end, my need for isolation so deep-seated that when my wife first asked to ride along I refused. We fought bitterly at times and she finally told me to decide: the truck or our marriage. Up until my last hour out there I didn’t know which I’d choose.
In The Driver’s Seat. Intended for print, audio and e-media markets in the U.S. and Canada. Written for educated general readers, truckers and would-be truckers. Polished and complete at 71,000 words. Anecdotes, cogent epigraphs and fresh, honest humor drive the narrative, illuminating a life and a mobile subculture in a workplace the size of a continent. Think Bill Bryson on 18 wheels. Or Michael Herr.
I appreciate your consideration and hope to hear from you.
Respectfully,
Author
STATS: 31% request rate
Flemmily says
Dear Author,
Thank you for your submission. Unfortunately, I feel that IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT is not a fit for our agency.
Best of luck with your future endeavors,
Flemmily
Maria A says
Thank you for thinking of our agency, but not for us at this moment.
Best of luck,
Agent
Davien says
Dear Author:
Thank you for your query.
Please respond to this email with your proposal, including the first 50 pages.
Best regards,
lilianamama says
Dear Author:
Thank you for your interest in the “Be An Agent For A Day” contest. I found your idea intriguing and would like to read more. Please send me your first three chapters and a plot synopsis.
Jenn S. says
Dear Author,
Thank you for your query. It’s not right for me, but please keep me in mind for future submissions.
Regards,
Jenn S.
(Reason: I’m not sure if this book would appeal to a large audience–although I have no idea how many people work as long-haul truckers, so maybe I’m wrong. I don’t think I would be the best fit for this project. I would read sample pages if they were attached, just out of curiosity. This book might do better if reworked as short nonfiction; I can see it doing well in some sort of magazine or niche web publisher.
Dana says
Dear Author,
Thank you for your query. While I find your novel quite intriguing, I can only select books about which I am very passionate. Unfortunately I am not as passionate about your novel as an agent should be. Please keep querying as I’m sure someone will love it.
Regards,
Dana
Reasons: though a super cool concept- not excited enough
Rebecca Knight says
Dear Driver,
Thank you for your query, and for thinking of my agency. Unfortunately, I feel that I’m not the best fit for your project. This industry is highly subjective, so I’m sure others will feel differently. Best of luck to you in all your endeavors.
Sincerely,
Rebecca Knight
Janine says
Dear Author,
Thank you for your query, but I am not the right agent for this. Best of luck.
Reason: If the query read like Bill Bryson on 18 wheels I would sign up right away. But, I found the use of semi-colons awkward in the main paragraph, and much of the description depressing. Lighten up the writing and show the humor & I would bite.
Nora Coon says
Not right for us at this time. Best of luck.
***
Sounds like it could be intriguing, but I’d prefer to hear about some concrete events – not just vague mentions of breaking Federal laws. More detail.
lindsey says
dear trucker,
thank you for your thoughtful query. your memoir intrigued me, and i’d like to request the first fifty pages.
sincerely,
lindsey
Alisa says
Please send me the manuscript.
Alisa
Annie Reynolds says
Dear Author
Thank you for taking the time to submit your query to the A.F.A.D. agency.
I found your description of ‘In the drivers seat’ to be both entertaining and informative. I would appreciate the opportunity to view the first five chapters. Congratulations on your successful query.
Yours truly,
Annie Reynolds
Anonymous says
I appreciate you sending me this, but I’m going to pass.
S. Pancake
Anonymous says
Thank you for your query, though I don’t think I’m interested in taking your story idea. Keep on writing.
-Thanks,
Suzuki Volkeswagon
Aisling says
Dear Author,
I am sorry to inform you that I am not interested in your book. It does not fit with what I am looking for right now so I regret to tell you that, although I appreciated you sending me your query, I would not like to represent your work. I wish you the best of luck with your future writing!
Aisling
Anonymous says
Dear Pursuing Author,
After thoroughly reading your query, I feel that your story might have some real potential, and that it holds a lot of the qualities that we are looking for at this time. Please send us the first 30-50 pages of your story for further reviewing.
Thank you,
Pepe Habanera
Anonymous says
Dear Author,
Your book is interesting and I feel it has some potential, but it’s not for me, thanks for the attempt though.
Sincerely,
Mitsubishi
Asherose says
Dear Author,
Thank you for your submission, but it isn’t for me at this time. Best of luck with it elsewhere!
Agent
Reasoning: I’m not familiar with memoirs, but it struck me that the blurb began with telling me about the story, not telling me the story. I could not maintain an interest. I like that you included the beginnings of a marketing plan, but didn’t like the comparison to other works.
Anonymous says
Dear writer,
I appreciate the query but your book is not what I am looking for at the moment. However, I wish you luck in getting this book published.
Best regards,
Nathaniel Orange
drat says
Dear Author,
Thank you for sending me your query.
I am intrigued by your premise, and would like to see your first three and last three chapters.
Thanks for thinking of me,
Thanks,
SDC
Anonymous says
Dear Author,
I appreciate your time and efforts, but I am sorry to say that I do not wish to represent your story. If you have another story idea, please send it to me in the future, and I would be happy to look at it.
Best Wishes,
Quintus Blackburn
Anonymous says
Dear Writer,
Great story! Please send me a fifty-page partial of your book.
AM
Katalina Marie says
Dear Author,
I’m sorry but I don’t think that this book is the one for me.
Regards,
Katalina Marie
Anonymous says
Dear Author,
I am not interested in your novel. Keep writing, your story had potential but was not for me. Feel free to Query me later with another piece of your work.
Anonymous says
Dear Author,
I’m sorry, but this story is not right for me. Thanks for sending me your request, I really appreciate it. Please continue writing.
Veronica Lovette
Anonymous says
Dear author,
I found your story intriguing and I’d like to represent you. Please send me the first fifty pages and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible!
Thank you, Scarlett Cyrus
Anonymous says
Dear Author,
Thank you for the submission, but I regret to inform you that I will not be picking up your story.
Keep Writing,
Agent Jackie Moon
Anonymous says
Dear Author,
I have decided not to take up your offer on publishing this book. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to view your material.
Thank You,
Happy Gilmore
AgentforDay says
Dear Author,
Thank you for submitting your query for IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT – INTERSTATE TRUCKING.
I definitely hear a strong voice and an inkling of something that I might be interested in representing, if the humor is strong enough to sustain the topic.
Unfortunately, I worry that the target market might be too slim for this specific subject matter to justify the publishing expenses – unless of course, there really is a humorist sitting behind that gigantic wheel.
Are we talking along the lines of something like ‘Bill Bryson: Where the rubber meets the road?’ Or ‘Dave Berry: Just let me out here, thanks.’ If so, please add a sampling of the ’anecdotes and fresh, honest humor’ in the query letter.
I need to hear the humorist’s voice.
Please feel free to update the query and resubmit.
Sincerely,
Agent for the day
LateInTheGame says
Dear Author,
Thank you for your query. Unfortunately, I am not the best representative for your work.
Good luck in your search for representation.
All the best,
Agent LateInTheGame
Megan says
Dear Author,
I am intrigued. Please send a manuscript.
Thanks,
Meg Spencer
Gryph says
Dear Author,
Thank you very much for your query. While I appreciate the time and effort you’ve put into your work, I don’t believe this is a good fit for me.
Please remember that what doesn’t fit one agent may well fit another! I encourage you to not give up. In the future, if you have other manuscripts to query, I hope that you’ll think of me again.
Sincerely,
Agent Gryph
(I really wanted to grab this one, but I have others that I think are just a smidge better that I want to use up my last requests on. The bit about not knowing if he’d choose his wife or his truck really grabbed me. If I’d had six partial requests, this one would have been one for sure.)
Reba says
Dear Author,
Thank you for your query. Unfortunately, it is not the right fit for me.
Best,
Reba
(Note: I strongly suspect you will find an agent for this book, as it is a good premise and you have a strong voice. Feel free to mock me for passing on it once that happens. Good luck!)
Mira says
Dear Author,
This one is really hard for me to turn down.
Is it true there are no other memoirs of truck drivers out there? You’ve got yourself a real corner on the market there. And it’s a personal story from the heart, with rough edges, leading up to a lifetime choice. The tension between independence and connection played out on the road.
Very nice.
Also, I think you wrote an excellent query, and your last paragraph is well-done.
I’m not requesting a partial just because I’m guessing this isn’t one of the three published works, but I could be wrong.
I could see an agent getting behind this. Your query is persuasive. If the writing holds up as well as your writing in the query, you could have a real winner here.
Very best luck to you!
Mira
Kate H says
Dear Author,
Thank you for your query. I’m afraid I’m not the right agent to represent you, but I wish you the best of luck.
Kate H
s.koncilja says
Dear Author,
I received and read your query. Unfortunately it is not something that I’m looking for at the moment.
Keep me informed about your future work and good luck!
Agent S.K.
Dorothy says
Dear Author:
I am not currently handling non fiction and literary memoirs. However, if I were I would snatch this up in a minute. Good pitch. If you have not found representation by September, query again with more detail. I expect to open my list to this genre by then.
Sincerely
Honesty Is the Best Policy
Dorothy says
Dear Author:
I am not currently handling non fiction and literary memoirs. However, if I were I would snatch this up in a minute. Good pitch. If you have not found representation by September, query again with more detail. I expect to open my list to this genre by then.
Sincerely
Honesty Is the Best Policy
Anonymous says
Thank you for your query. Unfortunately, I do not feel I am the right agent for your project. I encourage you to query other agents and wish you the best of luck.
Thank you,
Agent C
Shannon says
Dear Author,
Thank you for your query. Please send the first five chapters of IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT including cover letter. I look forward to reading it and will contact you within four weeks upon receiving the material.
Sincerely,
Shannon
superwench83 says
Dear Author,
Thank you for your query! I would love to read more. I come from a trucking family, so I’m really excited to receive this letter. Please email me the manuscript.
Sincerely,
Agent for a Day
publishingcareer says
Dear Author
Thank you for your interest in our agency and submitting your query for your non-fiction book In The Driver’s Seat.
I read it with interest but unfortunately it is not what I am looking for.
Best of luck and kind regards.
Yours faithfully
Robert Sullivan AFAD
Melissa says
Form rejection:
Dear Author,
Thank you for your query. Unfortunately it doesn’t meet my needs at this time.
Thank you and best of luck,
Melissa (Ximera)
Dave says
Sorry, but I’m going to have to pass. Don’t give up though!
Nikki Hensley says
Dear Author:
Please send me your entire manuscript as a Word document. I look forward to reading your work.
Best wishes,
Agent Nikki
vicariousrising says
Thank you for your submission. I regret that I don’t feel this project isn’t right for me.
I wish you the best in your writing endeavors.
* I think this has the potential for a great book, but it isn’t presented here. An anecdote or two would better serve the author to give a taste of the world on the road. This intrigued me – a literary trucker book? LOL.
Eric M says
4/17/09
Dear Author,
I would be interested in reading your story IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT — INTERSTATE TRUCKING, A JOURNEY.
Please send the complete manuscript to me at:
AGENT
ADDRESS
We will review your manuscript and let you know if it fits our needs.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Eric Maier
AGENT
COMPANY
PHONE
Agent FaD Jen says
Dear Author,
Thank you for the query. Unfortunately, I am going to have to pass. Good luck,
Agent FaD Jen
Hildegarde512 says
Dear Author,
I am very pleased you chose to submit to us and am interested in reading more of your work.
If I were a real agent, instructions for sending the requested material would live here.
Hallie says
Dear Author,
Thank you for submitting your query to My Imaginary Yet Successful Literary Agency. I receive many queries each day, and I request only a small percentage of manuscripts that I’m interested in representing. I have decided not to request one for your book because I don’t feel that I’m intrigued enough to be its best representative.
Should you need resources for querying, finding writing resources and groups, or if you’d like to know more about how I choose manuscripts, please visit (this section of my agency’s website) for more information. I wish you the best of luck in finding a home for your writing. Thank you again for giving me the opportunity to consider your work.
Warm regards,
Hallie
__________________________________
And if I were fortunate enough to be able to give some feedback to each and every author I declined, I’d note the following:
I liked the well-written query, and had this on my “maybe” list for a while. In the end, I didn’t think it was as likely a sell as some of the other queries. Best of luck!