Jim Donovan Literary Agency
May 25, 2004
4515 Prentice Street, Suite 109
Dallas, TX, 75206
Thomas Eaton
PO Box 871
Cape Girardeau, MO 63701
Dear Mr. Donovan,
Thank you for reviewing my request for
representation. I realize the number of these queries that
you receive every day and so I will keep mine short and to
the point. (be brief)
I have written two short story collections and two
novels and I am now, for the first time in my writing
career, writing my third novel and my third collection at
the same time, alternating between the two. I cannot offer
you any extensive publication list because I made a
decision a few years ago to concentrate solely on
sharpening my writing skills and leave the marketing to a
time when I wouldn’t waste an agents’ time with underdeveloped stories or some mock style and structure that
wasn’t my own. I have received four literary awards,
1998-2001 from Southeast Missouri State University’s
Journeys Magazine where I currently teach composition
and creative writing while I’m finishing my doctorate in
policy analysis from the University of MissouriColumbia. I was also an honorable mention winner of the
2001 National William Faulkner Short Story Competition
for Antelope, a story from my first collection, CatHouse
Red from which I published another story on The
American West E-Zine, called the Zippo Man. (If you
have refedrences in poublishing, use them)
A fourth generation Wyoming ranch native, my work
fits in your classification of family saga in combination
with contemporary issues with an influence of the western
genre. My completed novels, The Last Quiet Day in
Mission County (314 pgs) and The Mission County
Asphalt Company (362 pgs) deal with consanguine
American men and how they deal with contemporary
social issues and the pushing of social agency onto their
rural traditions. The Last Quiet day… tells a story of what
happens to two rural American families when Valium
reaches their community in 1969. The Asphalt Company
celebrates the lives of four brothers as they go into the
asphalt business in the post World War II enthusiasm. The
third novel, The Mission County Yarn Society, slated for
completion in draft in June, (finished at my Wyoming
homestead where I spend the summers) tells a story of a
young man’s return to his rural home only to be greeted
by a mysterious half-way house for abused women and
the story behind it. The novel shows contrast between the
traditional rural male and other facets of American
sociology that he is neither prepared for nor capable of
fully understanding. (Demonstrates that you are writing
continually)
My completed story collection CatHouse Red is a
series of stories about men from the post- Korea era and
how they viewed life prior to social agency interference.
These stories most closely reflect the “western” tradition
of storytelling. A Safe Place for the Boys, also completed,
becomes more modern; a series of stories about men, such
as myself, who are caught between the rural tradition of
our upbringing and the demands of the modern world.
My current short story collection: The Joy of
Mosquitoes, is a thoroughly modern collection of short
stories with each story making reference to at least one
uncomfortable social condition (the mosquito). They are
told from distinctive first-person narrating voices and
have been incredibly fun to write and could not have been
done successfully any earlier in my training. (where I am
going – with or without the publisher)
I am approaching your agency following input from
two of my readers who graciously serve as “frontline
readers.” One of them is a literary agent in Colorado who
handles non-fiction and commercial work. She advised
me that my work should be considered by a literary agent.
Following research, I chose your agency because of your
experience in various phases of the industry, your
outstanding record as a writer, and your willingness to
appear on panels for aspiring writers (UTD, June 12,
2003). An interesting side note is that my “Mission
County” is less than 200 miles South of Custer’s last
stand, an area you are familiar with in your work.
(Making reference to the publisher – I know who you
are…)
Upon hearing from you I am ready to submit any of
my work in any form, from complete work to outlines or
chapter samples. I have also designed an adaptable
marketing plan for my work, believing that promotion is
as much the author’s responsibility as those representing
him or her. While I would be proud to see the short story
collections in print I realize that the market does not bear
short story collections well except from established
writers. I know how difficult your job is and I believe you
will find, should you find my work encouraging, that I am
a very easy-going, courteous client who isn’t afraid of
criticism. While I do not engage in the marketing side of
the writing business I am more than aware of market
theories, values and trends and will do whatever I can do
make your job more simple. I am the client who doesn’t
demand anything except from himself. I am looking
forward to hearing from you. (Showing that you know
about the business.)
Sincerely,
Thomas Eaton
(573)651-9179 0r (573) 339-1595
tmeaton@semo.edu