The Nitty Gritty Guide to Finding a Literary Agent
Advice from a traditionally published author on how to target your agent search, craft a pitch, and write an attention-getting query letter
by
Sara Rosett
The Nitty Gritty Guide to Finding a Literary Agent
by Sara Rosett
Copyright 2011 by Sara Rosett
Smashwords Edition
All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this work may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author.
The author, publisher, and distributor do not guarantee results and assume no responsibility or liability for any loss or damage of any kind to any party resulting from use of any information in this work.
To Faith
Who made everything else possible
Chapter 2 – Targeting Your Agent Search
Chapter 3 – Meeting Agents Face-to-Face and Crafting a Pitch
Chapter 4 – Writing An Attention-Getting Query
Chapter 5 – Keeping Track and Following up
Chapter 6 – Interviewing Potential Agents
Chapter 7 – Now what? Working With Your Agent
“Finding an agent is harder than finding a publisher.”
I heard that discouraging statement many times while I was searching for an agent. I had a stack of rejection letters and, at times, finding a literary agent seemed about as likely as tracking down the Holy Grail or the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. But I persisted in my agent search and found a wonderful agent.
The same thing can happen to you.
I developed this guide to answer one of the questions I’m asked most frequently: “How did you find your agent?”
I didn’t have any special connections or insider knowledge. I did have a manuscript I believed in and loads of persistence. I formulated a plan and was determined to follow through. This guide details the time-saving strategies I discovered and gives aspiring authors the nitty gritty information—the most important and the most useful details—on how to find an agent.
I’ll show you how to find agents who are interested in your manuscript, how to highlight the unique aspects that make your manuscript stand out, how to save time and money during your agent search, and how to write hooks, pitches, and query letters. I’ll also cover how to meet agents face-to-face as well as how and when to incorporate feedback from rejection letters into your manuscript. A section on query letter etiquette will cover what to do and what not to do when submitting your work. I’ll also cover how to track queries, when to follow up, and provide a list of questions you’ll want to ask potential agents.
It is true that agents are incredibly choosy (rumors abound that agents reject ninety-nine percent of the queries they receive) but agents are always looking for the next big thing—and that could be you. With persistence, a focused approach, and an excellent manuscript, you can find an agent.
The Basics
Before we get into the details of searching for an agent, let’s get some basics out of the way.
First, finish your book
If you’re looking for an agent for a novel, you should have a completed, polished manuscript ready to send out before you begin querying agents. There are some rare cases of writers selling a fiction manuscript with only a few chapters, but these incidents are the exception rather than the rule. Agents want to know that your manuscript is complete. Your first fifty pages may be incredible and compelling, but if you haven’t finished the book, agents won’t be interested. Non-fiction is different. It is possible to land an agent with several sample chapters and a good outline, especially if you have a track record of non-fiction credits like magazine and newspaper articles or if you have a built-in promotion platform, such as motivational speaking.
Second, never, ever send out the first draft
Always take the time to rewrite and revise. Join a critique group, enter writing contests for feedback, and have a friend read your manuscript. It’s so very exciting to have a completed manuscript and I know the urgency you feel to get your book out there, but take a breath and make sure it is absolutely the best it can be before you send it out. Remember, if you query an agent and that agent turns down your manuscript, the agent won’t be interested in looking at the manuscript again, even if you make revisions. It’s a one-shot deal, so take the time to get your manuscript exactly right.
Third, do your homework
Find out everything you can about publishing in general and your genre in particular. Know which authors are selling and the current trends. Read books on writing and publishing. Go to a writer’s conference and network with other writers. If you can’t find a writer’s group near you, check for on-line groups. Sisters In Crime has a group for aspiring writers called The Guppies. No matter what genre you’re writing, chances are that there is a professional writer’s association—maybe more than one—for that genre. Some of these associations include: Romance Writers of America, Mystery Writers of America, Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Western Writers of America, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and the Horror Writers Association (no link available at this time). There are also more general associations for writers such as the Authors Guild. Read industry magazines like Publishers Weekly, which is available on-line, as well as specialized publications that focus on your genre. For instance, if you’re writing romance, check out RT Magazine (Romantic Times Magazine) or FreshFiction.com, which has an emphasis on romance.
Fourth, a word about art
Many people ask me questions about artwork in books, either cover art or picture book illustrations. In most cases, publishers buy the manuscript, the text, and then hire an artist to illustrate the book. Again, there are exceptions that prove the rule, but most of the time, publishers want complete control over the book’s artwork. Don’t worry about illustrations or covers at this point and, even if you do have the perfect illustrator in mind, don’t mention it right out of the gate.
Fifth, a note about agents and editors
Some publishers, usually smaller, independent houses, accept submissions directly from writers. This kind of submission is called an unsolicited submission. Much of the advice I give about approaching agents can also be applied to editors as well, but because of the limited number of publishers willing to look at unsolicited queries and manuscripts, I’ve focused on agent queries.
Now that the basics are out of the way, let’s dive into the specifics of finding an agent.
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Chapter 2 – Targeting Your Agent Search
The perfect time to prepare for your agent search is while you are completing your manuscript and researching the publishing industry. If you have already begun querying agents, that’s fine too. You can incorporate these ideas into what you’ve already done.
Writing a book and finding a publisher was a life-long dream for me. For years it was just that, a dream. When I got serious and decided to apply pen to paper—in reality, fingers to keyboard—I knew absolutely zero about finding an agent, so I did what any self-respecting writer would do. I went to the library.
I found a plethora of books about writing, publishing, and agents. All that material was a bit overwhelming, but I began to plow through it, alternating my reading between books on technique and books on the publishing industry, including guides like The Guide to Literary Agents, which lists agents and the type of material they represent. (I’ll have more to say about using these guides later in this chapter). The problem with these guides was that there were hundreds and hundreds of agents who listed “mystery” as one of the types of books they represented. I wasn’t about to embark on a scatter-shot approach of that magnitude.
No matter how much time I spent reading non-fiction, I always managed to make room for fiction and that is where I hit the jackpot in my agent search. I loved mysteries and read them voraciously. I’d decided to attempt to write a traditional mystery, a whodunit in the style of Agatha Christie, so I was reading every traditional mystery I could find. I noticed the majority of the authors thanked their agents in the Acknowledgement section of their books.
Acknowledgements
By focusing on books that were similar to my manuscript, I narrowed the list of possible agents from literally thousands to a handful. Searching Acknowledgement sections had other advantages, too. I knew that the agents had actually made a sale—the book was in print—and I assumed the author must be at least fairly happy with their agent because the author had thanked the agent publicly. This approach also gave me a built-in opening for my query letter. I could mention that I’d noticed the author thanked their agent in such-and-such book and since I’d written a book similar to what that agent represented, it might interest them. It would also show the agent that I’d done some research and had a solid reason for picking them as the recipient of my query.
To find agents who represent books like the one you’re writing, search the Acknowledgement sections of books similar in style and tone to your manuscript. If you’re writing a non-fiction guide about how to research your family genealogy, look for genealogy books and query agents who have represented those types of books. The same strategy applies to fiction manuscripts. If you’re writing a historical romance with a touch of humor, don’t query the agent who represented the gloomy historical where the main character dies of consumption. Find books that are lighter in tone and query those agents instead.
On-line Sources
Another great place to find information on agents is PublishersMarketplace.com. With its searchable database of agents, writers, editors, and bloggers, it is a wealth of information. You can sign up for a free daily e-mail round-up of publishing news, called Publishers Lunch, which includes the Deal Lunch. The Deal Lunch is a weekly e-mail that contains about twenty-five percent of the book deals reported during the prior week. You can sign up for a full membership (currently $20 per month) for access to the extended version of the daily round-up and the option of creating a page in the database with information about you and your manuscript. I’d recommend you start with the free version of the e-mail newsletters. You can always upgrade later. Scour the free weekly deal reports for agents who represent books similar to your manuscript. The deal reports contain a one- or two-sentence description of the book, the agent name, and agency name.
Fellow Writers
Don’t overlook your fellow writers when you’re searching for an agent. Don’t query an agent simply because you got his or her name from a writer friend. Do your homework and make sure the agent is interested in your type of book. It won’t do any good to query an agent who handles mostly non-fiction with your thriller manuscript. If you are write thrillers, connect with other thriller writers through organizations and conferences. Agents are a common topic among writers, so don’t be embarrassed to ask an author who their agent is, but there is some etiquette involved.