Submission Procedure

We are happy to read new work from potential clients. Do first browse our list of authors to get a good idea of the kind of work we handle. In our experience the most successful unsolicited approaches are those which have been carefully targeted to our agency, rather than a blanket approach to lots of agencies. We don’t represent poetry, light romance, self-help or academic work. Please note that we don’t represent dramatic works (scripts for screen, radio or stage), but we do handle dramatisation of books for our clients.

Submissions by email: We prefer to receive submissions by email. You will find our individual preferences and email addresses listed on our Agents page. Please email your submission directly to the agent you feel will be most compatible with your work. We read all submissions made to us in order of receipt. Please note that we will only respond to submissions if we wish to read more. If you have not heard back from us within eight weeks then you can assume that we do not feel that the work is right for our agency.

Submissions by post: our strong preference is for submission by email, but if this is not possible, then send a hard copy to your preferred agent at Jenny Brown Associates, 33 Argyle Place, Edinburgh EH9 1JT. We will only respond if we wish to see more. Unfortunately we are unable to return material submitted, and our policy is to recycle all materials.

For fiction: send us the first 50 pages (no more) and a synopsis in a single document, with a covering letter (see below).

For non-fiction: email a proposal and short example of the proposed work—a sample chapter, for instance. Please include a short note on the competing or comparable literature stating, where possible, author, title, publisher and publication date. It would be helpful to have an overview of possible marketing outlets and a biographical note outlining your background, training and experience.

For children’s: we do not represent poetry or plays.

If you are submitting fiction, send a covering letter (see below) together with a synopsis of your novel and the first three chapters (unless it is a picture book, in which case, please send the full story). If you are an illustrator, please e-mail a selection of JPEGs with a covering letter, and if you also write stories, please send those too.

If you are new to writing, before submitting your work, please study either Writing for Children by Linda Strachan or the Children’s Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook published by A&C Black, where you will find invaluable advice about the market place for children’s books.

All submissions: Please write a covering letter in the body of the email giving an account of the background of the book and your writing career to date. If you have been referred to us by a publishing or personal contact then make this clear. If you have had previous correspondence with one of our agents please mention this. We would appreciate knowing if your project has been sent to or is being considered by other agents or publishers.

Presenting your work

Attach your work to the email in a document saved according to the following naming convention:

date of submission as dd.mm.yy_surname_firstname_title of book.doc

For example:

02.04.09_MacKenzie_Jules_mynovel.doc

Response and Turnaround

Please note our new policy of promptly acknowledging receipt of email submissions, but that we will only be back in touch with you if we wish to read more of your work. If you have not heard from us within eight weeks then you can assume that we are not the right agency for your project. Due to the number of submissions we receive, we are unable to provide detailed feedback on work which we do not represent.