Contacting
the Agency
IMPORTANT NEWS: Effective September 1, 2010, I am taking a temporary break
from accepting submissions from authors who are not already represented by the Agency.
I have made this decision so that I can devote myself fully to my existing
clients. I fully expect to resume taking submissions from new authors in the
future--but not yet.
On the assumption that some authors will be inclined to
query anyway, I will continue to read queries periodically and will endeavor to
respond within 4 to 6 weeks, as before. Please understand, though, that for the
most part I will not be inclined to ask for any full proposals during this
period. If you do query, please keep your message or letter brief, be sure that
it falls within the Agency's traditional guidelines (I really, truly DO NOT
represent fiction, children's
books, screenplays, poetry, books in spirituality, or most memoirs, and queries
in these areas will not typically receive responses) and please do not send
a full proposal. I
appreciate your understanding!
--Robert Shepard
QUERIES BY
EMAIL
We look forward to
hearing from you! We're happy to receive queries by email, but please do not attach any documents unless
we ask that you do so. Unsolicited attachments will be deleted unread. Ideally,
your query will be the equivalent of one page in length. Email address: mail@shepardagency.com.
QUERIES BY
REGULAR MAIL
You may also send queries
by regular mail. (please see the note above). Please do not send a complete
manuscript or proposal. Limit your query to one page if at all possible. We do
not handle queries by phone or fax.
If you send a query or proposal
by regular mail, please make sure to enclose a return envelope capable of
holding anything you want returned, without which it will not be sent back.
Please allow 4 to 6 weeks for a reply. Be sure to affix proper return postage
to your return envelope, and note that U.S. Postal Service Priority Mail
postage is usually priced by zone and weight, even if you use what you thought
was a "flat-rate" envelope. Your post office can help you determine
the correct postage for your return envelope.
Please note, again, that
the Agency really, truly does not represent fiction, poetry, children's books,
or screenplays.
For your assistance in
preparing queries and proposals in general, we've posted more information; please take a look!
The
Agency's mailing address is:
The Robert E. Shepard Agency
4804 Laurel Canyon Boulevard
Box 592
Valley Village, California
91607-3717
USA
Queries and
proposals are not accepted by phone or fax. For your reference, however,
our phone number is:
(818) 508-0056