Submissions

We are currently closed to submissions EXCEPT for those projects requested during 2023 Writing Away Virtual Pitch, 2023 ITW ThrillerFest: QueryFest – PitchFest, 2022 DFW Con, and Writer’s Digest PitchSlam.

Soon, the submission window for all projects will open. Keep an eye on our website (here) and social media (@aka_lit and @aka_terrie) for more info!

We read every submission received.

Follow @AKA_Terrie on Twitter for our next call for submissions.

Once you hit the send button, you will receive a confirmation of receipt. From there, here’s what we suggest:

• Treat yourself to a hearty jaunt that leads directly to your wall calendar
• Find the date of your submission to us and plaster a shiny gold star on that space
• Count forward eight weeks
• Plant at least one more star atop that date

If you haven’t heard from us within eight weeks, DO NOT PANIC. A literary agent’s daily to-dos contain the three C’s: Clients, Contracts, and Conferences. Mind you, these are a few of our fav-or-ite things, and it’s safe to say we’re nearly dancing at our desks when our calendars topple with book releases, workshops, and other industry-related events. But, all of the excitement can affect our best-laid plans.

Here’s an insider secret: if you have submitted to some agents (AKALM included) between September and November, or February and May, there is a good chance response will be running more extended than the shortest time stated. Please understand that agents are usually most active when chatting up editors and publishers about the works of current clients. Remember those three C’s. It’s the busy-ness of the business, and we respect your decision to pull your submission if you cannot wait for individualized attention.

We thank you for choosing to endure the wait. Further, we encourage you to go ahead and place one more star two weeks past that eight-week mark, which takes you to the ten-week mark. Do it nicely if you like, and draw swirls and curly cues around your star. Make it a big deal! Since you’ve been keeping tabs on us and interacting via social media, you’ll know what we’ve been doing. Have we been chatty about a particular author and their success, that anticipated book release, workshop, conference, or even an impending root canal? We sometimes break the rules as much as we would like to hold fast to our promised schedule. You’ll find literary agents are quite far from perfect. At AKALM, we believe in a good relationship from the beginning. No robots, no AI, and no snark. We are us, and we are honored.

The point of all this is that we take your work and our treatment of such very seriously. We endeavor to read and respond to every submission received, and that process proves to be time-consuming. Mind you, we aren’t complaining. We like the idea of personal attention, and we believe your work deserves its share of that specialized care. So, mark your calendar and hang on for the ride. If that urge to forward your submission again, or via snail mail strikes, refrain. Please don’t do it. Resubmissions confuse the system.

Just by chance, if you wake up to that third shiny star and (gasp!) we haven’t addressed your submission, we encourage you to rattle our cage ever so gently. There are a variety of ways to get in touch. You’ll find that information on this site’s “Contact Us” page. We welcome such interaction and enjoy getting to know you. However, a word to the wise, kind words and promises of virtual chocolate, treats for Sadie, and an attitude of professionalism always help the process. Yes, we know this is all virtual, but a virtually happy life must seep into our being. Somehow.

Finally, please let us know soonest if your work conditions change. If another agency offers representation, we would like to know. If you’ve decided you want to rewrite your submission from the ground up, please let us know. Please let us know if the lottery gods have smiled down on you or if you’ve chosen to manage writing conferences in Hawaii. We can help!

Until then, thank you. We’ll be in touch as soon as possible.

Always,

AKA Literary Management Team