When I joined The Pelham Literary Agency back in the early nineties, Howard
Pelham gave me a warning. The Pelham Agency was a small outfit that dealt largely with
new and unpublished writers. If my idea of being an agent was to sit in the front row of a
top-rated talk show while my client discussed his latest best-seller, well, I needed to find
another place to work.
I signed on with my eyes open. As a writer myself, I know that one thing writers deeply
appreciate is feedback. So much of the responses they receive from publishers and
agents consists of polite rejections which say nothing. Today, a writer may not even
receive the courtesy of a response to a query letter or submission.
In my first several years at The Pelham Agency writers received plenty of responses
from us. In those days, the agency did charge a modest reading fee for each manuscript
we considered. But in exchange for that fee we provided the writer with a comprehensive
critique of his or her manuscript. The critique was not a canned essay but a direct
review of the manuscript, including examples taken from the work. The critiques were
three to four pages in length.
Our critiques received a lot of positive feedback from writers. Of course, the happiest
clients were the ones we were able to get published. But others who went on to
self-publish, write for local publications, or simply to write for their own pleasure, thanked
us for helping them to become better at their craft.
Then, things started to get a bit ugly on the internet. Agencies that charged fees up
front were portrayed as bad guys on a large number of websites for writers. Not without
some good cause. There are a lot of sharks out there.
To the best of my knowledge, not one writer complained about The Pelham Literary
Agency on a website. Yet, our agency was listed on several websites as an outfit to
avoid simply because we charged a fee up front.
Looking back, I probably overreacted to the situation. But I have a great deal of respect
for Howard Pelham and, like the hero of a western novel I wrote, I value my own
reputation. Howard and I talked the matter over and decided to change how the agency
operated. In June of 2003, The Pelham Literary Agency stopped charging fees up front
and functioned more as a traditional agency.
The change went well but, alas, when I referred to us as a "traditional" agency, I was all
too correct. At first, I tried to continue giving writers extensive feedback but it just didn't
work under the new circumstances. Yep, pretty soon The Pelham agency started
sending out those vague and meaningless rejection letters, "...the characters and plot
did not intrigue me to the degree that I had hoped."
We are now trying to strike a balance. Pelham will remain a traditional agency. As
explained elsewhere on this site, writers are encouraged to query us by email or regular
mail.
In addition, our agency is adding a critique service in which we hope to regain the
personal touch that has been slipping away since the changes in 2003. A fiction writer
who wishes to have an extensive critique of his or her manuscript can send the work to
us along with a check for two hundred dollars. You will receive the critique within six
weeks. I prefer to work with a hard copy because that enables me to make notes on the
manuscript. However, you may submit on a CD. Enclose a large SASE if you want the
work returned, or a business sized SASE for the critique only.
Of course, the hope here is that we can go beyond the critique stage and establish a
strong relationship with writers that we can represent and get published. Since we
announced this new approach we have received quite a few questions from writers. I will
try to address them here.
1) What is the difference between your critique service and a professional editing
service?
There are so many editing services out there that a general answer to that question is a
bit tough. But I believe that "interaction" is the word that best explains the difference.
Many editing services edit a manuscript for you and return it. No doubt, there is some
value in that. After all, you can learn something about how to play a sport by watching a
professional athlete in action.
But, surely, to learn how to play a sport you need to work hard at applying what others
have taught you. In our critiques we point out a mistake you are making, and
demonstrate how that mistake can be corrected.
For example, many new writers tend to crowd their work with unessential details. When
we find that problem we point out an example of a paragraph where unessential details
abound. We demonstrate how that paragraph can be rewritten in such a manner as to
help the pace of the novel while not denying the reader any pertinent information. From
that point on, the writer is expected to apply what we have pointed out to the rest of the
manuscript.
Many editing services also give no guidance at all about developing your plot, adding or
deleting scenes or characters, sub-plots, etc.
As an agent, I am often troubled by a query letter where the writer assures me that his
or her manuscript has been "professionally edited." Inevitably I wonder how much of the
manuscript is the work of the writer and how much the work of the "professional editor."
2) Will you represent every manuscript that you critique?
No. There are several reasons for this. Sometimes, the manuscript even when improved
is just not of a sufficient caliber to be published. Of course, there are a variety of other
reasons: the subject matter has been exhausted, etc.
3) Will you do more than one critique on a manuscript?
If after doing an extensive rewrite on a manuscript using the suggestions we made in our
first critique, a writer requests that we do a second critique we will oblige. However, we
will accept no more than two critique fees for one project. Don't misunderstand. We may
continue to ask a client to do rewrites and to work extensively with that client in getting
the manuscript ready for submission to publishers but, at this stage in the process, we
will no longer charge a fee.
4) Do you accept nonfiction manuscripts?
Yes, but in the case of nonfiction please query first.
5) Do you accept all kinds of fiction?
No. While we are interested in young adult fiction, we do not handle children's books.
The Pelham Agency also has no interest in pornography, or novels that move from one
scene of extreme, graphic violence to another.
6) Can you promise me that you or Howard Pelham will read and critique my
manuscript?
Absolutely. I am now rearranging my schedule to make time for the critiques.
Remember, what this agency values highly is interaction with writers. We obviously could
not achieve that by farming the critiques out to graduate students or teachers looking
for a little extra cash.
Staying with the subject of feedback, if you have a question that was not covered here,
please feel free to email me at pelhamliterary.com. I will try to get back to you within two
weeks.
I would like to address a delicate issue here. I know that some potentially fine writers are
unable to afford the two hundred dollar fee and I genuinely regret that. But, please, if
that is the case, then give your grocer priority over our agency. I once dealt with a lady
who was a fine writer but, apparently, in desperate financial trouble. She kept insisting
that her novel, when published, would bring her great financial reward and rescue her
from ruin. I tried to explain that a first novel is rarely a lucrative endeavor but she clung
to her fantasy. I was so uncomfortable with the situation that I ended our relationship.
If you can pay the critique fee I honestly believe that we can help you to become a
better writer. We will certainly endeavor to give you high value for your investment.
Send your manuscript and check, made out to The Pelham Literary Agency to:
The Pelham Literary Agency
2451 Royal St. James Drive
El Cajon, CA 92019-4408
You can also submit payment by Paypal and send your manuscript separately.
Query letters for nonfiction can be sent to the above address or by email to
pelhamliterary.com
Critique Service
