# Pitching an uncompleted manuscript



## felix (Feb 28, 2012)

I've been in contact with a literary agency which I think would make an ideal fit for the novel which I'm currently writing, and this morning I got an email which said that they're opening their list to submissions tomorrow. However, in the past they've become inundated and closed it again very quickly, and therefore I suspect that there may be a limited window of opportunity. My manuscript is coming along great and should be squeaky clean within the next few months, but I don't think that I have that long, realistically speaking, to proposition them. 

I'm thinking that maybe it would be a possible course of action to pitch them the unfinished thing, or to inform them of it, or to enquire as to whether they might have room for anything such as this on their list, or of even any general interest. 

I'm aware that it's considered to be little more than suicide to pitch an uncompleted fiction manuscript to an agent, and I'd never usually dream of it, considering my experience with agencies thus far. However, there's something about this agency which makes me feel that perhaps they'd be an ideal match for this kind of project. They have the right kind of history and priorities which I've found to be somewhat of a rarity. 

Just a bit of information to get you up to speed:

My manuscript is a commercial fiction novel, the plot of which revolves around the manipulation of a student protest in order to facilitate the largest drug run in British history, resulting in nationwide violence and panic. It's based on the 2011 riots in England and follows a cross section of society, dealing with illegal immigration, multiculturalism and the nation's youth. 
The agency that I mentioned is the Hanbury Agency (Welcome - The Hanbury Agency) and states that it's often dealt with current affairs and focuses on commercial fiction in particular. 

Now, I'm in contact with them, but I'm hesitant to even enquire about this kind of thing. I fear that it may very well brand me a rank amateur, and if they politely decline then when the finished manuscript finally rolls in they'll just discard it out of hand. 

Any advice here would be great.

Edit: Just to clarify, my rash impatience is mainly down to the fact that the subject of the novel is still very much a 'hot' topic and therefore the book has immediate relevance, something which may have deteriorated half a year down the line.


----------



## shadowwalker (Feb 28, 2012)

If it won't be finished for another 'few months', and the relevancy will have lessened in that time, what good will it do to submit now anyway? It still won't be finished in time for the relevancy factor. Submitting now may put you in a position of rushing to completion - which can cause huge problems. Better to finish the story and then look at a number of places to submit. JMO


----------



## felix (Feb 28, 2012)

Yes, the idea of rushing is very worrying. 

However, what I meant by deteriorating relevancy was to the agency, not to the public, as it would most likely take at least a year to publish either way.


----------



## shadowwalker (Feb 28, 2012)

Frankly, I'm not sure any agent/publisher would consider an ms that isn't complete. What guarantee do they have you'll even finish it, let alone that what you haven't written will be as good as what you have? Bit of buying a pig in a poke.


----------



## Loulou (Feb 28, 2012)

Hi felix,

They look like a reputable firm.  Have you asked if they take proposals rather than complete manuscripts?  In my limited experience, an agent won't take a chance on anything other than a complete and thoroughly polished and edited manuscript.  An agent has to invest a lot of their time on the work they choose, for nothing if they don't sell the said piece, and so there's a huge risk with the incomplete work of a debut writer.  (They might take a chance on an already successful novelist who proposes just an outline/few chapters/idea.)  A new writer might not even complete the suggested manuscript.  (Not at all suggested that you wouldn't!)  It might not be good enough when done.  (Again, not saying yours won't be!)  So I can't imagine they'd take such a risk.  But I don't see how it can hurt to send a sharp, professional query asking what their policy is on this.

Good luck!


----------



## felix (Feb 28, 2012)

Thanks to the both of you, pretty much confirmed my suspicions. 

@Loulou: I'll be sending them an enquiry, I think. You're right; it can't hurt. 

Cheers again.


----------



## philistine (Feb 28, 2012)

Just don't say 'uncompleted' in your pitch. God speed!


----------



## Sam (Feb 29, 2012)

Don't pitch a novel that isn't complete. It's unprofessional. Let's say you send them the first three chapters. One of their editors falls in love with the premise, the characters, and the writing and asks you to send the complete manuscript. What are you going to do then? Tell them the mail's very slow and it will be with them in three months? 

The novel should be, if not complete, at least ninety per cent finished before you start sending pitches.


----------



## felix (Feb 29, 2012)

Of course, yes. I would never have sent in a full submission. 

What I meant was to merely enquire as to whether they would have any room on their list for such a concept by email, but I now think that too would be unprofessional. I may enquire as to their specific policy on such things, as it doesn't state anywhere in the W&AY or their website, but I'll mull it over some more. 

Thanks again for the advice guys.


----------

