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:
When Grandpa Irv dies—only a few months after Gram’s unexpected death—and Aunt Ninian tries to keep Mom from attending the funeral, thirteen-year-old Emily Novak is far from prepared for the aftermath. Emotionally abandoned by her mother and thus reliant on the stability of her father, Emily spends her adolescence hiding behind a camera, unable to stand her ground and take the risks that will enable her to mature. Meanwhile her younger brother Zack, always a curious and independent kid, starts down a reckless path that turns him into a stranger in his family’s eyes.
Struggling before, during, and after college to find the courage to make her own choices rather than those of her parents, Emily observes that her brother’s adventures are bring him a confidence that she envies. Yet Emily is also continually aware of the rising cost of Zack’s decisions… as well as her own. My novel BECOMING EMILY NOVAK is the story of how we sift through our inheritance to disentangle our own truth from what our parents have told us is true, and what that sifting means for the shape of our adulthood.
I think of this novel as an example of the accessible literary fiction you so aptly named on your blog “book club fiction.” It has a sensibility similar to Curtis Sittenfeld’s Prep or Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake, and I would expect a similar audience as well, with some extra niche marketing avenues in the Jewish and queer communities.
I received my MFA in Creative Writing from XXX and have been teaching adult education courses in novel development and memoir at YYY for the past four years. The short story that spawned BECOMING EMILY NOVAK won second place in ZZZ national short story contest, and I have been published in AAA, BBB, and CCC, among others. A complete list of my publications can be found on my website at DDD.com.
You have often repeated, “when in doubt, query me,” and so I have, and I hope you’ll be interested in representing me and this novel. Thank you for your time. Please feel free to contact me by phone, mail, or email. I look forward to hearing from you at your convenience.
Sincerely,
Author
STATS: 7% request rate
JohnO says
Dear Author,
I’m going to pass here, mostly because I didn’t get hooked. What’s special about Emily? What’s she up against?
Best,
Agent
Kats says
Dear Author,
Thanks for your query. I find your premise interesting and would love to read more of Becoming Emily Novak. Please send me the first three chapters as soon as possible.
Best,
Agent for a Day, Kats
* The mention of Prep swayed me here as I love that book!
Bertha Lavelle says
Dear Author,
thank you for your query.
While I found elements of it compelling, I did not see enough of a plot arc to make me eager to see the full manuscript,
Best of luck in finding it a home,
All the best
Bertha
Pinkie says
Dear Author,
I would have been more impressed had you shown me your talent rather than told me about it. I cannot accept this project based on what you sent me.
Thanks.
CPK
Lupina says
Thank you but it’s not for me at this time.
Patti K. says
Thank you for your submission but I do not believe that it is right for me at this time. Good luck on your quest to find the perfect agent.
Patti K.
Sara Cox Landolt says
Dear Author,
I received and read your query. I’m going to pass. I was a little overwhelmed with characters. Instead, you could focus on Emily and why she is compelling and what her quest is?
Best to you,
Agent SCl
Larry Writer says
Dear Author,
Thank you for your query, unfortunately this is not the right project for me.
Another agent may very well have a different view.
Best regards,
Larry
(The story had som potential, but there wasn’t much of a plot disclosed. Also, even if I am interested in marketing, I would not as an author tell my agent-to-be who my readers are likely to be or compare it to other books. I would expect the agent to form his/her own opinion and then tell me what the market looks like.)
Lois Lavrisa says
Dear Author,
While I appreciate your consideration of our agency, I will have to pass on your project.
I am sorry to say I did not have the passionate response to it that I would need to request more or offer you representation.
Obviously you want an agent who will stand enthusiastically behind your work.
Additionally, given today’s publishing climate I do not believe I would be able to get you the attention from a publisher that your book deserves.
Publishing is very subjective, though, and another agent may well feel differently.
I do wish you success in finding representation and, once again, thank you for the opportunity to consider your work.
Sincerely,
Lois Lavrisa
Agent for a day
The Writers Canvas says
Thanks for your submission. At the present time, it doesn’t fit our list. I wish you the best with another agent who might be a better fit.
Elaine
(good premise, just not a good fit for us)
Lucy says
Dear Becoming Emily Novak: Thanks so much for contacting me. Unfortunately, I just don’t feel that I am the right person to represent your work. Best of luck in your search for an agent. Sincerely, L. C.
Maricar says
Dear Author,
Thank you for your query. However, your work does not fit our needs at this time. Best of luck.
Anonymous says
Thanks for your query, but I’m afraid this isn’t right for me.
Raven56 says
Dear Author,
Thank you for querying “Agent for a Day” Agency. Unfortunately, we do not feel this story is a good fit for our list at this time. We encourage you to continue querying other agents.
Best of luck,
Raven56
cwsherwoodedits says
Thanks for your query. I’m going to have to pass.
Anonymous says
Please send the complete manuscript.
Thank you,
Agent y
Dorine White says
Dear Author,
Thank you for your query, but the work isn’t for me.
Thank you,
Agent for a day
Anonymous says
Dear Author,
Thank your for your interest in our agency. Do please send the full manuscript. I look forward to reading it.
Sincerely,
Agent.
(I LOVED this query.)
Horserider says
Dear Author:
Thank you for allowing us to consider your work. I’m sorry to say that this is not something we are interested in at this time. We receive hundreds of submissions every week and, unfortunately, cannot take them all on. This is a very subjective business and I wish you luck on your journey to publication.
Sincerely,
Horserider Literary Agency
Just_Me says
*stares at query*
Have I seen you before?
I’m putting you in my MAYBE pile but I think you may have landed an agent elsewhere.
*wonders if Googling titles is cheating*
Tamara says
Dear Author,
Thank you for your query. I wish you the best of luck finding a home for this project, but after consideration, I have to say it’s not for me.
Best wishes,
Agent for a Day
(Tamara)
TFree says
Thank you for considering me. Unfortunately, this piece isn’t right for me at this time. Good luck with this and future endeavors.
TF
super agent nicole says
Thank you for taking the time to submit your query. Unfortunately, I am unable to offer representation at this time.
Thank you,
Nicole
sKim says
Thank you for sending this original proposal. We regret that it doesn’t suit our needs at the moment. Best of luck to you.
Newbee says
Form Rejection…
Taymalin says
Dear Author,
Thank you for your submission, but this story is not for me at this time. Best of luck with your future endeavors,
Taymalin
Jeannie says
Thank you for querying our agency. Unfortunately your project is not what we’re looking to represent at this time. Best of luck.
– Jeannie
Marilyn Peake says
Dear Author of BECOMING EMILY NOVAK:
Thank you for your query. I regret to inform you that I cannot offer you representation at this time. Please do not in any way interpret this as meaning that your book doesn’t have merit. Your writing credentials are very impressive, and I wish you all the best in your search for a literary agent.
Sincerely,
Writerly Angst Literary Agent
00 Pisces says
Dear Author,
Thank you for your query. Your project sounds promising, but not riveting. I’m afraid I’m going to have to pass. Best of luck to you.
00Pisces
austere says
Dear Author #40
I’m afraid I have to regret.
Keep writing, and good luck with the words.
Regards,
ros says
Sorry, I don’t really know what your book is about. What risks does Emily have to take? What’s the point of conflict? Does anything actually happen? You needed to give away more in your query to hook me, I’m afraid. That’s a no.
Elizabeth says
Dear Author,
Thank you for your query. Unfortunately, I do not feel strongly enough about the work to request further material.
Best regards,
Agent Elizabeth
Janny says
Dear Author,
Thank you for querying me with BECOMING EMILY NOVAK. Unfortunately, this story didn’t “grab” me enough to make me want to keep reading, and so I’m taking a pass on it at this time. Keep in mind, though, that publishing is extremely subjective; what doesn’t work for me might well work for another agent, so I wish you good luck in placing this elsewhere.
Sincerely,
Janny
Shawntelle says
Dear Author,
Thanks for your submission today. I am afraid I must pass since the premise didn’t grab me. Good luck in seeking representation.
Sincerely,
Shawntelle
bveggie says
reject- but only because the query didn’t fill in needed info.
Ego says
Dear Author,
Thank you for submitting your work. I regret I am not sufficiently enthusiastic to represent you at present. Note that this is a personal reaction and you may have success elsewhere.
Regards,
Ego
Thermocline says
Thank you for your query. I do not believe I am the best agent for your project. I wish you the best with finding a home for your novel.
(I never got a sense of what risks Zach is taking that Emily is not.)
Anonymous says
Dear Author,
Thank you for your query. I’ll pass on this one. Good luck in your endeavors.
Regards,
Lindsey S.
Aimless Writer says
No thanks.
(I have no idea what the plot is about or what sets it apart from other books.)
Kristin says
Dear Author,
Thank you for submitting your query; however, I am sorry to say that I will not be pursuing it any further. It does not fit my list at this time, but there are many agents out there and I would encourage you to continue submitting to those who rep your genre.
Regards,
KM
Marybeth says
Dear Author,
I regret to inform you that I am unable to represent your manuscript. Although there is promise to this story, I do not believe I am am the best agent to market this genre. Best of luck to you in the future.
Sincerely,
Marybeth
Professor I.M. Diphthong says
Dear Author,
Thank you for your submission. Unfortunately this is not what I am looking for.
Steve Stubbs says
Send pages. Nathan Bransford would turn this thing down, but I am intrigued by your qualifications and previous writing credits. Don’t send very many pages though – maybe ten. OK, make it fifteen.
If you hear a loud whoop from the general direction of the 212 area code, you don’t have to wait on my breathless telephone call. You’re in.
Tyler says
Dear Author,
Thank you for considering me in your quest for publication; unfortunately, I do not feel I am the right agent for your project. Best of luck in your future endeavours.
Sincerely,
Agent T
splatter says
Form reject
Reason: I felt like the first bit of information wasn’t needed. It may be the start of your story, but is it crucial to the query?
All in all, the query felt a bit rambling. I know it’s a literary piece, and these can have a slower pace, but there seemed to be a lot more info than required. Trim it down and you may have more luck.
rainsinger says
Thank you for your query but I must decline your work at this time.
Best wishes
Rain agency
RB Ripley says
Dear Author,
Thank you for thinking of me with your recent query for BECOMING EMILY NOVAK.
Unfortunately, this project does not resonate with me and I must respectfully decline, though I do hope you’ll continue to consider me for future projects.
Please remember, we are part of a highly subjective industry and I am confident there is an agent out who would best represent your story.
I wish you all the best in your continued efforts. Keep writing!
Sincerely,
Agent For a Day
[rejection reason: While the situations seem to have universal appeal, I’m not sure what Emily’s major dramatic conflict is.]
Owl Sprite says
Dear Author,
Thank you for sending me your query for “Becoming Emily Novak.” Unfortunately, it doesn’t match my needs at this time.
Best wishes in your search for representation,
Sincerely,
Owl Sprite
Rubenesque Writer says
Dear Author,
Thank you for thinking of me, but I don’t think I am the right agent to represent this manuscript. Best of luck.
Sincerely,
RW Lit
Cristy at Living Donor 101 says
Dear Author,
Thanks for your submission, I do not feel this project is right for us.
(side note: I think the query could use some tightening and specifics. Why didn’t they want Mom at the funeral? What decisions was Zack making that were detrimental, etc)