Nathan Bransford - The Forums

I have a quick question. Although I'm way more familiar with the query process than I'd like to be, I've run across a situation I'm not sure how to handle. I've recently completed a romance novella with my critique partner (fellow Bransforumer Karenbb) and we're ready to go out on submission. We've both sent more than our fair share of queries on other projects, but we're not sure what to do now that we're co-authors.

I'm going to be the one emailing the queries, mainly because I had contact with some of these publishers when I was submitting my currently contracted novella, and they asked me to consider them for future submissions. Our questions are:

1) How do you handle the signature line for a co-authored work?
2) How do you handle the bio paragraph (for those who request one as part of the query)?
3) What's the best way to remind someone that they asked you to consider them for future submissions?

I don't know that there is a single correct answer for either question, but I'd like to hear input. Thanks all!

Though the query itself wasn't so good, I thought the way these authors handled it here was nicely done (as did the Query Shark) For the final signature, if you're writing as X & Y, sign it that way. If you're using a pen name, either the pen name or X & Y writing as Z would likely work fine.

For the bio, I'd say split it between your and allow yourselves slightly more room each. For if the bio is 50 words, you each get 30 or something like that.

Taking the last one first, couldn't you just work that into the "I know something about you and I'd like you to consider...", line?

Knowing that space is limited, it might be wise to split the paragraph and perhaps give Karenbb an extra sentence or two, since the agent is already somewhat familiar with you.

IMO - Agents are smart, and you can bet they won't forget the book is co-authored - so - since you are handling the correspondence, it seems reasonable that only your name goes on the signature line.
EDIT: My thinking is that it removes any doubt as to whom the agent is going to send the offer of representation.

Watcher55 wrote:Taking the last one first, couldn't you just work that into the "I know something about you and I'd like you to consider...", line?

Knowing that space is limited, it might be wise to split the paragraph and perhaps give Karenbb an extra sentence or two, since the agent is already somewhat familiar with you.

IMO - Agents are smart, and you can bet they won't forget the book is co-authored - so - since you are handling the correspondence, it seems reasonable that only your name goes on the signature line.
EDIT: My thinking is that it removes any doubt as to whom the agent is going to send the offer of representation.

I probably should have clarified that we are submitting directly to publishers (since this is romance and novella length) not to agents. Publishers want to know your real name, pen name, etc. as part of the query because it goes straight to contract if they say yes. That's part of the reason I want to make sure to get it right with this two-authored submission.