Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes: AgentInbox

UPDATE: We've made some more changes to AgentInbox since this post, go here to get caught up!
 

Starting today, AgentInbox is temporarily closed to new submissions. We will re-open for new submissions the week of May 2, 2010. With the re-opening of the service, our introductory period is officially over and there will be a fee to use AgentInbox services. Important to note: For those of you who have submissions pending review by WEbook, you can still revise and receive edits through April 29th free of charge.

With 80+ literary agents, over 100 partial or full manuscript requests, one major success story the introductory period has exceeded our expectations. This week we will make important improvements to the service based on the feedback you have provided. Thank you for your thoughtful comments.

The AgentInbox services include:

• BASIC EDITORIAL REVIEW of your query letters to ensure you make the best first impression with agents. We check your spelling, grammar, and make sure you include core information in your query. Learn more.

• A PERSONAL DASHBOARD that allows you to track when agents open your queries and what sections they view. No longer do you have to click the "send" button on your email and then wait around for months before hearing back from agents!

• AUTOMATIC MATCHING of your submission with agents who are are interested in representing your genre(s). There are over 80 agents using AgentInbox; we show you which ones are right for you.

• ***BRAND NEW*** TOOL FOR SUBMITTING MULTIPLE MANUSCRIPT SAMPLES of different lengths to agents -- all ll in a single batch!  

The pricing options are as follows:

For $39.95, authors can submit to all participating agents with relevant genre interests for up to six months. As an introductory bonus, this package also includes one free submission to PageToFame.

First time users of AgentInbox have the option of using AgentInbox services to submit to one agent for a fee $9.95. After this, you will have the option of upgrading to the unlimited package at any time for $29.95.

For authors with submissions pending review by WEbook, you can revise and receive edits free of charge April 19-April 29.  After that date, you will be asked to make a payment of $39.95 before your submission is passed through to agents.

We know you might have questions about this transition. Please start in the AgentInbox Forum, we will be closely monitoring it all week.

--The WEbook Team

Comments

[Kristal]

This is bad the free option is better for all those writers out there that can't afford this! I had a feeling that sooner or later this site would be asking for money and not helping Writers because they believe in the future of writing!

[Meghan Hale]

I think it is a little too expensive. I think it should be 10 dollars for each story you submit. People who send too 10 agents will have to pay 100$. Not fair.

[katie]

hey meghan! it is actually $39.95 if you submit to multiple agents...no matter how many...in a 6 month period.

[JJessie]

Wow, totally saw this coming. Pretty soon they will start charging to use the site to show off your work and get feedback. Glad I got an agent outside of the site before they did this or I would be a little more ticked but oh well. I can still come on here and chat with friends and bounce ideas back and forth until they charge for that. LOL.

[E. Dembinski]

Two questions: Will the $39.99 fee include multiple submissions, i.e. if you have more than one title that you wish to submit to multiple agents? If you have outstanding submissions that haven't been replied to will you be required to pay the fee to receive the agents replies? Thanks.

[WEbook]

The fee will cover multiple submissions, you can submit as many titles as you want.

You will also receive replies from agents that you have already submitted to for no charge.

Hope this helps!

[Travis]

Well, guys, "free" is a good word, but the way I look at it, WeBook's out there doing their best for their authors and readers alike. As a business owner myself, I know that forty bucks for a six month posting on AgentInBox isn't going to make WeBook rich by any stretch of the imagination. They have their bills to pay, too. Think about this: why spend hours on the phone, or writing God knows how many submission letters to God knows how many agents praying that just one will take a cross eyed glance at it, when all you do is write one letter, on this site no less, spend a pair of twenties, and it's done?? It's money well spent, if you're asking me.

Travis

[Heather]

I've told myself I am never going to pay a reading fee for my work. I'm glad I already sent some stuff out but in the future I'm going to have to email/snail mail on my own. Maybe charging a royalty percentage or a finder's fee if something is picked up would be better...it seems like a rather low success rate to charge a fee.

[Stanon]

Your fee is too steep for such a low success rate. Running the AgentInbox for at a $40 cost will not draw the kind of participants and publicity your site needs right now.