Monthly Archives: June 2011

The (new) journey starts here

Posted on June 30, 2011 by Martin Turnbull

I read somewhere recently that debut author Kathryn Stockett queried 60 agents before one of them finally saw the worth of her novel The Help. Yada yada yada…it’s now spent more than 100 weeks on the New York Times bestseller … Continue reading →

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Knowing when to close the door

Posted on June 26, 2011 by Martin Turnbull

Well, I gave it my best shot. I don’t think anyone can say that I didn’t. I sent out 45 query letters to the 45 literary agents I thought most likely (or even remotely) interested in my novel but not … Continue reading →

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Agent #45 – The End of the Line at the Bottom of the Page

Posted on June 14, 2011 by Martin Turnbull

Today I came to agent #45: the last on my list of agents to be approached. They weren’t supposed to be–there were 4 or 5 more still dangling at the bottom there like impossibly overripe mangoes, a sparrow’s sneeze away … Continue reading →

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Agent #44 – The Do’s and Dont’s

Posted on June 11, 2011 by Martin Turnbull

Why oh why oh why in god’s name didn’t I contact agent #44 first? I guess because in the Jeff Herman guide ‘historical’ wasn’t listed as a particular area of interest. BUT on her website, she says that she “…is … Continue reading →

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Agent #43 – Beware The Swinging Door

Posted on June 8, 2011 by Martin Turnbull

I came across agent #43 on the find-an-agent newsletter I subscribe to. As they often do, they had a guest blogger for their regular How I Got My Agent column because we emerging writers just lerve to read about the … Continue reading →

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Agent #42 – Go west, young author

Posted on June 6, 2011 by Martin Turnbull

Today’s query was a first: I approached an agent who lives in a town I’d never heard of. To be honest with you, it’s in a state that I would struggle to identify on a map so I looked it … Continue reading →

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Agent #41 – Cooling in the Catskills

Posted on June 3, 2011 by Martin Turnbull

When I hear the word ‘Catskills’ I think of 1940s and 1950s Jewish stand-up comedians hauling out nuggets like “Take my wife…please!” as though nobody had heard that line before. (Which, in 1948, maybe nobody had. Lucky them.) The Catskills … Continue reading →

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Agent #40 – 20 Feet Underground

Posted on June 1, 2011 by Martin Turnbull

With agent #40 I stayed in New York. This agency is quite large. Their list of agents numbers nearly 20, including a CEO, a chairman, a couple of vice-presidents, three agents who only handle foreign rights, one who just does … Continue reading →

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