tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8880689819528856549.post8387870721321440917..comments2023-09-16T04:44:42.410-04:00Comments on Ask a Literary Agent: Do agents really read the first five pages? Or just the first five sentences?Noah Lukemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04731880178684434531noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8880689819528856549.post-66943966589090903862012-12-18T02:31:33.606-05:002012-12-18T02:31:33.606-05:00If my rejection ratio is 100:1, reading even three...If my rejection ratio is 100:1, reading even three small chapters of those 100 submissions costs a lot of money, about the same it costs the publisher to copy edit and proof read a book. Reading entire manuscripts is out of the question, the cost is astronomical. That's why publishers prefer to avoid reading unsolicited submissions. A large part of the agent commission goes into reading stuff that is rejected, your selected manuscript pays for all that.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8880689819528856549.post-31573608717519900072012-07-04T09:06:48.939-04:002012-07-04T09:06:48.939-04:00While The First Five Pages was extremely helpful, ...While The First Five Pages was extremely helpful, the insert at the beginning of chapter 16 was very discouraging. If an award-winning novel is rejected by its former publisher, it's evident that agents and publishers are often not even reading the first 5 words. Any advice or words of hope for us unpublished authors?Susannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8880689819528856549.post-62870319493864327912012-05-10T21:40:22.103-04:002012-05-10T21:40:22.103-04:00How does a person become a literary agent or an ac...How does a person become a literary agent or an acquisitions editor?Katnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8880689819528856549.post-64896689882504828222011-08-22T21:18:30.722-04:002011-08-22T21:18:30.722-04:00Mr. Lukeman, you've done a great service by su...Mr. Lukeman, you've done a great service by suggesting in an interview that I have recently read that writers take an acting class. I would love to do this in New York with someone (or at some studio) who can truly work with non-actors and impart some serious insight. Can you make a suggestion?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8880689819528856549.post-29591229768581414872009-09-09T09:07:20.681-04:002009-09-09T09:07:20.681-04:00Mr. Lukeman,
i received your "Ask a Literary ...Mr. Lukeman,<br />i received your "Ask a Literary Agent" email and found it very interesting and informative. I don't know if you actually read these responses but I had a question that I've had for quite some time so I thought i would try this avenue and see if i get anywhere.<br />I am a professional songwriter in Nashville, Tennessee and over the past few years have taken it on myself to venture into the realm of writing novels as a diversion from the requirement to rhyme. In doing so, i have completed versions of two novels and I know that, while i am pleased with them on some levels, they need work to make them better. The initial positive response I have received from the handful of people i have let read them has been encouraging enough for me to continue in this pursuit, but I know I could benefit from a good independent editor. Just wondering if you might have any suggestions for an independent editor who specializes in the Michael Crichton-type genre. I never know whether to call those kinds of stories Science Fiction or Suspense Thrillers. But my stories fall in the realm of Historical Science Fiction Suspense. Not alien/monster science fiction.<br /><br />Any input would be greatly appreciated.<br />thank you,<br />wayne kirkpatrickwaynenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8880689819528856549.post-81539208729879025272009-08-08T23:12:32.597-04:002009-08-08T23:12:32.597-04:00Mr. Lukeman, maybe you could comment on the proble...Mr. Lukeman, maybe you could comment on the problem of even getting publishers to look at a manuscript. My frustrating experience has been that they simply ignore it, do not send it back even when you've included an SASE, and do not answer your polite inquiries by mail, even a year or two later. This has happened to me more than once. I've submitted the first 20 pages of my novel as per submissions requirements for a number of publishers, and even though their website says they'll answer in, say, four months, they just ignore my submission and keep it for years. I never hear a word from them. I can't even get my 20 pages back from them because they don't bother answering inquiries. This seems to be standard practice in the publishing industry these days. How does a writer get around this?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8880689819528856549.post-85574209775293866282009-07-27T12:35:26.240-04:002009-07-27T12:35:26.240-04:00How unusual is it to have two agents? I have one n...How unusual is it to have two agents? I have one novel signed with a British agent now, and they are looking at my second book. IF they decide it's not for them, I'll look elsewhere, of course. Just wondered how uncommon that would be?Fran Caldwellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13545648992948168762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8880689819528856549.post-89623161405355034032009-07-26T15:46:58.072-04:002009-07-26T15:46:58.072-04:00I edited a romance anthology last year and I recei...I edited a romance anthology last year and I received many short story submissions. The first five sentences were always an example of what the rest of the pages looked like. <br /><br />And I think this is one of the areas in writing that can be learned and perfected with practice.ryan fieldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13361694356025572544noreply@blogger.com