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FONT LITERARY AGENCY
Literary Agent
Ita O'Driscoll
INITIAL QUERY
We regret that we cannot discuss queries over the telephone. As an initial contact, please query our interest in your project by email here but not until you are ready to submit a finished manuscript if requested (fiction) or a proposal which includes sample chapters (nonfiction) and the other documents outlined below.
Your query should be short, outlining in as few words as possible the subject matter of the book, its title and purpose, its proposed length and proposed readership, together with your credentials for writing the book (with contact details).
If your project idea is of interest, we will ask for a submission. See SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS below.
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SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
To save time, please stick closely to these guidelines Thank you.
FICTION
A one-page cover letter, detailing the nature of the novel, its genre and purpose, length and category.
- An engaging, readable synopsis that includes all the turning points of the story (five pages or so, written in the third person and past tense, telling the story of what happens in an interesting and compelling way (yes, including your fine ending!)
- The first three chapters (or first 50 pages)
- Author resumé or curriculum vitae. Everything you want editors to know about you in descending order of relevance and importance. Include any media experience.
Please have your novel completed before querying us about your idea or submitting sample chapters
NONFICTION
The book proposal should comprise approximately 50- 70 pages, in three parts:
1. Introduction
2. Detailed Outline
3. Sample Chapters
1. Introduction
- An overview of the book, including a subject hook, a "Tell-and-Sell" Title, the book's selling handle, its length, illustrations required if any, special features, markets for the book, subsidiary-rights possibilities, possible spin-offs and a promotion plan.
- A list of books or other media (online or off) e.g. TV, films, blogs etc etc. that compete with/complement your book. Please detail how your book will be better/different and why the reader will buy it.
- Any resources needed to complete the book: List any significant out-of-pocket expenses such as travel, illustrations, permissions, or an introduction, and a round figure as to how much they will cost. Also estimate how long it will take you to complete the book.
- About the Author: Author Resume or Curriculum Vitae. Plus a paragraph of biography as it might appear on your book. Plus a sheet with everything you want editors to know about you in descending order of relevance and importance. Include any media experience.
2. Outline
A chapter-by-chapter synopsis of how the material will be structured. Include a cover page, please, that lists each chapter title and the page of the synopsis that each chapter outline begins on.
3. Sample Chapters
Send the first three chapters, unless you have compelling reasons to do otherwise. Send a minimum of 40 pages, a maximum of 75.
Please have your nonfiction proposal fully developed before querying us with your idea.
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Please Note:
- If you want hardcopy material returned, please include a self-addressed envelope with sufficient stamps or international reply coupons to cover return postage.
- Please DO NOT SEND UNSOLICITED FULL MANUSCRIPTS
- Please don't call to see if your submission arrived. If you want to be sure, send it by registered post, use a courier, or enclose a self-addressed, postage-paid postcard saying "MS Received" which we will send back by return.
- All parts of your submission should be well-written and professionally presented (word-processed or typed, double-spaced, single-sided, all pages numbered).
- Please mail materials flat, not folded, unbound, without paper clips or staples. Use two elastic bands, one horizontal, one vertical to hold pages together.
- We would ask that you do not submit to another agency while we are considering your submission.
- Submissions are read as quickly as possible in the order we receive them. Please be assured that we are reading as fast as we can.
- Because of the large volume of submissions that we receive, we regret that we can only respond to those that adhere to these guidelines.
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