But now I'm a little pickier. I ask more questions, do more research. I'm not blanketing the town with queries. I'm picking the dozen or so agents and managers I'd most like to work with, both in the majors and in boutiques.
Being with the majors would be great, but you end up a little forgotten. When your rep only has a handful of steadily working clients you're way more important than you are if your rep works for huge stars. So at this stage, I'm less about a flashy name and more about a track record of getting clients work.
Fortunately this time around I have friends who can pass my work on, but that still takes time, so in the meantime I'm sending out those good old fashioned queries. We'll see how it goes.
Good for you. Just sent out some queries last night myself and got two bites. At the end of the day it all comes down to talent and determination.
ReplyDeleteI think the best fit is when you have a manager who's in the same career stage as you.
ReplyDeleteSo if you are a small/unknown writer, a recent promoted rep might be a much better fit than, say, a partner at WME.
Agreed. The first two people I targeted were newly minted agents. Haven't heard back yet. Only place I've heard from was Paradigm - standard refusal to read anything not submitted by a rep. Oh, sweet irony.
ReplyDeleteYou never know who will respond. Also, art is so subjective. Some people can stare at Picasso's Guernica and see beauty. Others will be confused. Most might say "What the heck is this crap?"
ReplyDeleteGood luck. I signed my manager off a query letter last year. He said I was only the 2nd client he's ever signed off a query in 11.5 years, but it shows you it can be done.
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