# "Solicited" Manuscripts



## J.R. Morin (Aug 23, 2011)

I keep reading that Literary Agents will not take on new clients unless the work they are "solicited"... what does that mean? And if it means what I think it means, how does anyone get an agent if all manuscripts need to be "solicited"?


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## eraser (Aug 23, 2011)

All it means is you need to tweak the agent's (or publisher's, if submitting directly to them) attention with a short, but devastatingly-brilliant query that describes your opus in a couple of well-crafted 'graphs. Check out agentquery.com thoroughly. It'll explain the whole process, with examples. (If an agent asks for money, except a percentage post-sale, you picked the wrong agent. Keep looking and vet them via the Absolute Write Bewares board, Preditors & Editors and Writer Beware. Google is your friend.)

The agent, now intrigued by your brilliant query, requests the first 50 pages (or hallelujah! - the whole ms!). 

You are now the proud owner of a solicited manuscript. Congratulations. 

Good luck.


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## J.R. Morin (Aug 23, 2011)

OHHHHHHH so thats what that means. I thought it meant the publisher had to request my manuscript, and only then would an agent be interested in me. But this makes much more sense. Thanks Eraser!


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## Sam (Aug 24, 2011)

It means that your work must be sent to a publishing house with the backing of an agent. If not, the publisher won't even give it a first glance. There are some publishing houses which still accept unsolicited manuscripts, though. If you don't want an agent, do a search for those publishers which accept work that isn't backed by an agent.


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## eraser (Aug 24, 2011)

You're welcome, J.R.

Sam, you don't quite have it right. Whether you wish to attract an agent or a publisher, the process is the same: Craft a tantalizing, one-page query and send it to the agent/pub of your choice. If they are intrigued, they will request more. That request means your work has been solicited.

Some publishers will say they accept no un-agented mss. That differs from "unsolicited." If you want those folks to publish your opus, then you'd best channel your efforts towards attracting an agent first.

Don't let the word "unsolicited" scare you off. It just means they want you to ask (via the query) for permission to send your work.

But at that point of the process, the query becomes more important than your ms. You must polish it until it gleams, with not a single, extraneous word. Agentquery.com is a fine source for anyone wishing to know more about the process.


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## Baron (Aug 24, 2011)

eraser said:


> You're welcome, J.R.
> 
> Sam, you don't quite have it right. Whether you wish to attract an agent or a publisher, the process is the same: Craft a tantalizing, one-page query and send it to the agent/pub of your choice. If they are intrigued, they will request more. That request means your work has been solicited.
> 
> ...



To a publisher an unsolicited query is anything that doesn't come through an agent.  Sam is right.  When approaching an agent the usual form is to send the query letter with a synopsis and the first three chapters of the novel.  If the agents are interested then they'll ask for more.


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## eraser (Aug 24, 2011)

Baron said:


> To a publisher an unsolicited query is anything that doesn't come through an agent.  Sam is right.  When approaching an agent the usual form is to send the query letter with a synopsis and the first three chapters of the novel.  If the agents are interested then they'll ask for more.



Ah, you must not be in North America. Every agent/pub has slightly different guidelines here and some want what you describe, but most won't request a synopsis and chapters unless the query has done its job. And only the Big 5 (as they used to be called) require agented submissions. Most small and medium-sized houses (and many imprints of the large ones) can be approached directly by the writer. At least, that's how I sold mine.


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## eraser (Aug 24, 2011)

bobbypyn said:


> If an agent requests the first 50 pages, is there traditionally renumeration involved at this point or is it still speculative at that point? Like being handled on contingency?



95%* of bona fide agents (in North America) don't get a penny until the work has been sold to a publisher. At that point, they will receive 15% (usually) of the author's advance and future royalties. Some also bill for office expenses (mailing, faxes etc.) but that will be spelled out in your contract and is usually limited to a set amount, say $100 in a year.

As a general rule, if an agent asks for money upfront, you're dealing with the wrong person. (Again, at least in NA.)

*Pulled figure out of my butt. But it's in the ballpark.


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## Sam (Aug 24, 2011)

eraser said:


> You're welcome, J.R.
> 
> Sam, you don't quite have it right. Whether you wish to attract an agent or a publisher, the process is the same: Craft a tantalizing, one-page query and send it to the agent/pub of your choice. If they are intrigued, they will request more. That request means your work has been solicited.
> 
> ...



All due respect, it is you who doesn't have it quite right. Solicited work means that the novel is being 'pushed' by an agent. In other words, the agent is working for you to try to secure the best deal with a publishing house. S/he usually takes 10% of royalties earned. Any agent who asks for money upfront is bogus. Just because you send a query to a publishing house, it doesn't mean you are now a solicited author.


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## eraser (Aug 24, 2011)

Sam W said:


> All due respect, it is you who doesn't have it quite right. Solicited work means that the novel is being 'pushed' by an agent. In other words, the agent is working for you to try to secure the best deal with a publishing house. S/he usually takes 10% of royalties earned. Any agent who asks for money upfront is bogus. Just because you send a query to a publishing house, it doesn't mean you are now a solicited author.



Maybe we should just chalk it up to semantics and the fact that things differ between the US and Canada, and wherever it is you are.


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## Tally (Oct 5, 2011)

I believe Sam is right on the definition. (I'm from Canada). 

Actually, in my experience (and I've queried NA and UK) the most common practice is query letter and first five pages.

Most publishing houses prefer solicited (meaning backed by an agent) submissions, as well as editors, but not all. But, though it's not common, it's not rare for people to submit to a publishing house and, if they get an offer, go find an agent to deal with the contract, etc, etc.


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## eraser (Oct 5, 2011)

Tally said:


> I believe Sam is right on the definition. (I'm from Canada).
> 
> Actually, in my experience (and I've queried NA and UK) the most common practice is query letter and first five pages.
> 
> Most publishing houses prefer solicited (meaning backed by an agent) submissions, as well as editors, but not all. But, though it's not common, it's not rare for people to submit to a publishing house and, if they get an offer, go find an agent to deal with the contract, etc, etc.




You may believe what you wish, of course. But when it comes to North America (including dear old Canuckastan) what you believe is incorrect.

I've been a published writer for nearly 40 years. I've dealt with dozens of publishers, editors and agents. I am acquainted with, and/or friends with, many agented authors. I'll state this as plainly as possible: "Solicited," is synonymous with "requested" in New York, LA, Toronto, Vancouver and points between. 

If you folks want to use a different definition, one that applies to the UK, you would be doing members and lurkers a service by designating the definition as UK-specific. Otherwise, you risk costing someone a publishing contract -- someone like me. I could not interest an agent in my ms. After my top 30 choices nixed it, I approached an imprint of McGraw-Hill which, like 98% of legit publishers, did not accept "unsolicited" (not "unagented") submissions.

I sent a query which tweaked their interest. They then requested (read: "solicited") my complete ms. I sent it. They bought it. I negotiated my own contract and have been collecting royalties twice a year for the last six years.

Had I followed the definition used here, I might still be trying to woo an agent, or given up in despair.

It bears repeating: To thousands of publishers, "unsolicited" simply means, "query first."


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## Baron (Oct 5, 2011)

eraser said:


> You may believe what you wish, of course. But when it comes to North America (including dear old Canuckastan) what you believe is incorrect.
> 
> I've been a published writer for nearly 40 years. I've dealt with dozens of publishers, editors and agents. I am acquainted with, and/or friends with, many agented authors. I'll state this as plainly as possible: "Solicited," is synonymous with "requested" in New York, LA, Toronto, Vancouver and points between.
> 
> ...



You are totally wrong.  Unsolicited means not presented by an agent (or acceptable third party) in any country.


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## Sam (Oct 5, 2011)

The word 'solicit' means to 'offer one's services'. A solicited manuscript is one which is submitted with the backing of an agent. If you send an unsolicited manuscript to a publishing house which doesn't accept unsolicited work, they will bin the manuscript without fail. It doesn't matter if you've written the best query letter in the world. 

"We do not accept unsolicited manuscripts". You will encounter that in various publishing houses. What does it mean? That you have to query them first? Nonsense. It means you need an agent.


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## moderan (Oct 6, 2011)

Let's ask an _agent_. Hey there, Miss Snark? Whatcha got to say? 


> ...Unsolicited manuscripts are big, fat, space hogs. Query letters are  svelte. For some reason I don't feel a single twinge when I toss  manuscripts unread. And I do. All the time. I do not want to spend my  time reading unsolicited manuscripts. I want to spend it reading work  I've expressed an interest in. And really, if you think about it, so do  you...(full article here)


If you Google the term "unsolicited manuscript" (with or without quotes) you'll find plenty of reading material.
My own experience has been that you don't need an agent, you need an _invitation_. An agent can get you one, through the ubiquitous network of contacts, or you can try querying on your own. Quite a few "smaller" publishers accept unsolicited mss. Look em up on pred&ed and the rest. Be sure...and research thoroughly. Lotta scammers out there.


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## Baron (Oct 7, 2011)

moderan said:


> Let's ask an _agent_. Hey there, Miss Snark? Whatcha got to say?
> 
> If you Google the term "unsolicited manuscript" (with or without quotes) you'll find plenty of reading material.
> My own experience has been that you don't need an agent, you need an _invitation_. An agent can get you one, through the ubiquitous network of contacts, or you can try querying on your own. Quite a few "smaller" publishers accept unsolicited mss. Look em up on pred&ed and the rest. Be sure...and research thoroughly. Lotta scammers out there.



It's true that some of the newer publishing outlets will respond to e-mail queries, if the query is interesting enough.  These don't usually send out rejections.  If they're not interested they don't reply.  These want only the e-mail query because, like so many, they're wary of opening attachments.

The major publishing houses still require postal submissions in the traditional form; query letter, synopsis and however much of a preview of the book their guidelines state.  This is usually the first three chapters.  When these publishers state that they don't take unsolicited submissions they mean that if it isn't presented through an agent it won't get read.


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## moderan (Oct 7, 2011)

Let's see what some publishing houses (and agents) say:

Random House (picked out of a metaphorical hat) certainly seems to agree with you. They say, in part "If you would like to have your work or manuscript considered for publication by a major book publisher, we recommend that you work with an established literary agent." But they're very conservative, old-school, and that's to be expected. I would imagine others of that class feel similarly.
Tor (not from the hat) has a whole section on how to submit sans agent. They're a special case, though they are definitely a major publishing house. You get no less social cachet from publishing with Tor than with anyone else. Just put that in so people reading can be aware that there are exceptions. That doesn't mean that Tor will publish anything, you should understand. They're picky, and rightly so.

Sasquatch Books (our randomly-chosen small press) says "Sasquatch Books is happy to consider queries and proposals from authors  and agents for new projects that fit into our West Coast regional  publishing program. We can evaluate query letters, proposals, and  complete manuscripts.
When you submit to Sasquatch Books, please remember that the editors want to know about you and your project, along with a sense of who will want to read your book."

Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency (again randomly picked from the results) seems to have a hierarchy. The eponymous one "is not currently accepting unsolicited submissions. However, she welcomes referred and recommended projects."
However, her underlings "Jill Marr, Elise Capron, Thao Le, and Jennifer Azantian are currently accepting unsolicited submissions by email."

Based on that and some others which I didn't quote or link to, it seems that what you have there is absolutely correct. 
But...there do seem to be a LOT of exceptions, and interested parties might consider doing a little legwork. You're going to want to do that anyway.


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## MJ Preston (Oct 7, 2011)

I tried to get this post in through the back door, but the Forum would not accept it without the solicitation of my agent.

The term I have heard in regard to agents is that many of them will not take on new clients without a *referral* from either: clients or other fellow agents. In regard to the publishing world the term *solicited* refers to an agent (salesman) getting your manuscript onto the desk of an editor.  

This is not a UK - US issue, I have lived in North America my entire life and have not heard or seen anything to tell me there is a difference.


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## SeverinR (Oct 7, 2011)

So it your solicited you might get a contract,
if you are soliciting you might get arrested?:wink:


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