Uwe represents both fiction and nonfiction in a wide range of genres. His current focus in fiction is YA, middle grade, Women's Fiction, Literary Fiction, and Mysteries.
Uwe responds to all queries that follow agency guidelines, normally within one week. If he hasn't responded after two weeks, please resend.
To connect with and learn more about Uwe . . .
Now for Uwe’s insight on querying, signing with an agent, and going on submission!
QUERY
What advice would you give to querying writers?
Don’t get discouraged by rejections, you only need that one offer of representation. But if you don’t get any requests at all on your first ten queries, you may want to revisit the query and think about how you can improve it.
Do you always read a query all the way through? If not, what would make you stop reading?
No, I don’t. Spelling mistakes and grammatical errors will cause me to stop reading. Or grandiosity (“If you want a best seller, you need to sign this amazing project” etc.). I also don’t like it when the query is written in the persona of the protagonist.
How do you tackle your inbox? Do you go in order or jump around?
I am German, so I do it in an orderly fashion (haha!) …one after the other after the other based on the timestamp.
Do you ever offer a Revise & Resubmit? When would you do so?
I do. If I really love a concept and the writing, but something relatively minor is “off.” If the author is willing to fix it, then that is a great predictor of how well they will do with editorial input.
Do you take pitches at conferences? How is it different from reading through queries?
I do. It is a lot harder when you have to reject a project face to face with a writer…but I do it all the time (sorry), as I don’t want to keep false hope alive.
What does it take for you to offer representation?
I have to really love, love, love the concept, the writing and be convinced that I can sell the project. The author also needs to be willing to accept and deal well with editorial feedback. Lastly, I have to believe that the author is capable of writing something even better the next time.
SIGN
Are there any specific questions you’d recommend that a writer ask when talking with offering agents?
No. There seems to be a canon of specific questions out there and everyone should ask whatever question they want to ask. In my opinion, the most important question is: Does this agent LOVE my project as much as I do, if not even more? If they do, sign with that agent.
How long do you prefer an author take to get back to you once you’ve offered?
Prefer? Hmm… one (1) second. But I understand if they need more time. If they need more than two weeks, however, I am no longer interested and will withdraw my offer. Excitement about a project and representation goes both ways.
Do you sign a client as a career agent or on a book-by-book basis?
Career. If they don’t want that, they need to sign with someone else.
How editorial are you?
Very.
Do you want to see sample chapters as a client writes or do you prefer to wait until the manuscript is finished? Or is it up to the client?
It is entirely up to the client.
SUBMIT
Do you forward editor feedback to writers?
Yes, I always do.
What kind of editor feedback is a good sign?
“Dear Uwe, I am happy to present you with the following offer…”
What do you suggest a writer does while out on submission?
Write another book!
Is it okay for a client to check in if there hasn’t been any news in a while?
Of course! A client can check in with me any time.
What is it like to tell a client there’s an offer on the book? :)
It is the most amazing thing in the world. I live for that moment.
Thank you, Uwe!
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Posted April, 2015– Always check for current info and guidelines.
Great interview!
ReplyDeleteI'm interested in querying Mr. Stender. I looked up his submission preferences and cannot find any information about whether he likes sample pages with the query letter.
What did you do when you queried him?
Thanks!
Hi, Heather. I checked with Uwe and he only wants the query. He'll ask for pages if interested. And I pitched him at a conference, so my situation was a little different. lol Good luck!
DeleteThank you, Dee!
Delete