"Personal" question(s) to John Jarrold

[John Jarrold]

PLEASE NOTE: I moved from Hastings three years ago, and mail is not being forwarded. I don't give out my new address, because I work from home and I don't want paper cluttering the place up! I ask for submissions by e-mail - check my agency website at www.johnjarrold.co.uk for submission guidelines (the first six chapters attached to an e-mail as a Word doc) and the e-mail address - I do all my reading on-screen. And if you have previously sent material by post, please re-send by e-mail.

Thanks!

John Jarrold

 

[The Alamo Avenger]

I'm curious.
Now that we have computers.
When submitting work to an agent. Something I plan to do later this year. (hopefully)
They ask for the first three chapters. So do I say send you a query letter online with the 3chapters and if you want to see the rest I then send the manuscript by normal post (including first 3 chapters) Or just submit electronically.

I would like to send them to Jarrold some time down the line, though I can't find his address on his site.

First of all, yes these computer thingys are quite innovative. Better than canned tuna I say. Just in case you haven't found it yet, here's John's site:

JOHN JARROLD - LITERARY AGENT AND SCRIPT DOCTOR

edit: (looks like John snicked his response in there while I was typing mine.....)


I know he prefers to pretty much skip the query letters and all that and go right to reviewing your manuscript, but double check his site for submission guidelines. Most agents are hip to the electronic submission these days (though not always the canned tuna)....in fact, most of them won't accept anything by mail and will only accept emailed queries (but no attachments!!), at least that's the way it is here in the states.

A quick suggestion, though, don't just send your work to one agent and hold your breath. You'll most likely be long dead (and out of tuna) by the time you hear back. I usually send out 3 or 4 query letters at a time, then wait a little while, then send out more. (I have quite a stack of form rejection letters--which I'm quite proud of--as will most writers unless they're extremely lucky and talented, or are able to bribe the agent with crates of canned tuna....) If an agent likes your work and asks to see more, then is the time to talk about exclusivity and how he wants you to submit the rest of your work.

 

[The Alamo Avenger]

I ask for submissions by e-mail - check my agency website at www.johnjarrold.co.uk for submission guidelines (the first six chapters attached to an e-mail as a Word doc) and the e-mail address....

Thanks!

John Jarrold

Good to see you back, John!

Now it's my turn for a question. I've written a Space Opera which is now a duology due to the length of the work. The entire first volume contains Chapters 1 - 6 and the second volume is comprised of 7 - 10. Each book is around the same word count (around 125k). So if I were to send you the first 6 chapters per your guidelines, I would basically be sending you the entire first book. Is that considered ok or would you prefer I cut down the submission to maybe the first 2 chapters or something?

 

[John Jarrold]

Good to see you back, John!

Now it's my turn for a question. I've written a Space Opera which is now a duology due to the length of the work. The entire first volume contains Chapters 1 - 6 and the second volume is comprised of 7 - 10. Each book is around the same word count (around 125k). So if I were to send you the first 6 chapters per your guidelines, I would basically be sending you the entire first book. Is that considered ok or would you prefer I cut down the submission to maybe the first 2 chapters or something?

Yes, if you reckon somewhere about 25k words for my submission, that is fine. Each agent has their own guidelines, of course. My e-mail address is shown on every page on the website.

 

[anthorn]

Mr Jarrold. Say If I was to submit to you my MS and you liked the story, but the grammar was abit off. Not through lazyness. I have aspergers and dyspraxia,
would you still take it on and perhaps help said author with grammar or direct him to people who can?

 

[Brian G Turner]

anthorn, if you're submitting to an agent, you need to ensure they don't have any reasonable excuse to put it down and send a rejection.

That means if you're uncertain about your grammer, get it fully edited before you submit.

 

[anthorn]

Okay, can you recommend anyone?

 

[Brian G Turner]

You could try either John Jarrold for editing services, or else Teresa Edgerton elsewhere on the forums:
http://www.sffchronicles.co.uk/forum/527158-freelance-editing-service-open-for-business.html

 

[The Judge]

Teresa is certainly worth every penny of her editorial fees, Anthorn, and I'd recommend her to anyone. But my understanding is that she doesn't undertake line edits as such. If your grammar and spelling is basically fine, but you have a couple of blind spots then she'll point these out, but if you're in need of greater help than that, then you might need to look elsewhere. I also understand that JJ himself will only line edit one chapter other than in exceptional circumstances.

Do you not have a friend or family member who can run though the whole manuscript and read it for grammatical errors before you get a professional involved? Even if they don't catch every error, it may help. Failing that, do you know anyone who might be willing to help for a modest fee? I was thinking of a retired English teacher or someone of that kind.

I agree with Brian, though, that unless and until your work is as perfect as you can make it, you shouldn't think of sending off to agents. If too many errors appear in too short a time then it's unlikely an agent would bother reading far enough to become engrossed in the story itself.

 

[Daniel Ionson]

John,

After having looked at a score of agents online, I have found that you are the only one who does not ask for a QL or Synopsis. May I ask why you do not when most do? Not that I wish you did, mind you! These two "little" projects are proving downright excruciating.

Thanks,
Daniel

 

[Scarfy]

I also understand that JJ himself will only line edit one chapter other than in exceptional circumstances.

Unless things have changed in the past couple of years, I understand that John will line edit an entire manuscript, as well as providing notes how style, content, flow, characters and his own reactions to the novel.

John can be very tough on what he reads. He's fair, though, and will point out short comings and make suggestions for how the work can be improved.

 

[The Judge]

Ah. My obvious misunderstanding of something I was told (not by JJ, but by someone who sent work to him for critique).

 

[John Jarrold]

John,

After having looked at a score of agents online, I have found that you are the only one who does not ask for a QL or Synopsis. May I ask why you do not when most do? Not that I wish you did, mind you! These two "little" projects are proving downright excruciating.

Thanks,
Daniel

Agents are individuals, Daniel! I ask for six chapters because that gives me a sense of the prose style and the story. Personally, I'm only interested in a synopsis for publishers to whom I submit my clients. If I LOVE the six chapters I ask to read the rest of the book. I see around 30 submissions a week and I've asked four authors for the entire book so far in 2010...

 

[John Jarrold]

Unless things have changed in the past couple of years, I understand that John will line edit an entire manuscript, as well as providing notes how style, content, flow, characters and his own reactions to the novel.

John can be very tough on what he reads. He's fair, though, and will point out short comings and make suggestions for how the work can be improved.

Yep, I offer both services!

 

[John Jarrold]

As you'll see, I'm trying to get back here - semi-regularly, at least!

 

[Gary Compton]

Good to see you John, we thought you and Lord Lucan we're on a trip together

 

[John Jarrold]

Cheers, Gary! I'm wonderfully, wonderfully busy, thanks to the agency's expansion - twice as many books (thirty-six) coming from major publishers in the UK and US this year as 2009. And I still do everything myself, so it concentrates the mind...

 

[J-WO]

I like the new look website, by the way. A breeze to navigate.

 

[John Jarrold]

Thanks!!!

 

[John Jarrold]

And now I've put the e-mail address on the home page and elsewhere, the previous problem with the contacts form, from June 7 to August 16, is totally sorted.

Just a final reminder: if you sent me a query, an agency submission, or a question about the editorial services between those dates, I have not seen it. Please re-send to the e-mail address on the website home page (www.johnjarrold.co.uk) . And please pass this on to anyone else who might have done so. Apologies...