How to Get a Literary Agent For Your Book

How to Get a Literary Agent For Your Book How to Get a Literary Agent for Your Book Many first-time authors want to find a literary agent as soon as they put the finishing touches on their debut masterpiece. And if you’re in a similar situation, it’s only natural to feel that way as well! But before we snap off a fresh roll of quarters and start dialing the numbers of some New York agencies (so to speak), let’s answer a few basic questions about what agents do and whether you actually need one. Then, once you’re ready, we’ll reveal a professionally endorsed process for finding and evaluating agents who could be perfect for you.Should I get a literary agent?Fiction writers who want to be traditionally published generally do need a literary agent, while only some non-fiction will need to pursue literary representation. Writers Artists editor Alyson Owen explains: "Nearly all fiction authors do require representation of a literary agent if their book is to be produced by a traditional publishing house, and that is also true with some forms of general non-fiction too - such as histories, memoirs, and biographies."For tips on how to write an effective book proposal, check out this article and its companion piece on submission best practices.Who doesn't need a literary agent?It’s important to note that not all literary forms typically require the representation of an agent. Poetry is a good example of this. Also, academic, professional, and the vast majority of educational books are usually commissioned direct from the publisher. If you’re writing in any of these fields, it is possible - provided you have the right credentials as an author, a well-argued proposal, and quality script - to get your non-fiction book accepted by a publisher without being represented by an agent.If you do fall into one of the categories above and you wish to pitch directly to publishers, it’s essential that your book has an easily identifiable market or niche so publishers know what they’re dealing with r ight away. You also need to know who actually publishes the type of book you’re offering and which of those publishers accept unsolicited proposals. Firing off emails to every publisher under the sun will not only waste your time but potentially earn you a reputation as someone who doesn’t understand the publishing game.And of course, if you’re choosing to self-publish, then you definitely don’t need a literary agent to get your book out into the world.What do literary agents do?A literary agent represents your book to acquiring editors who might want to buy it. In other words, they get an author's foot into the door of a publishing house.In addition to having regular contact with editors within the publishing houses and championing you and your writing to the hilt, agents will understand an editor's tastes and the types of books they are looking to add to their list - a crucial component in getting a publishing house to invest in your work.â€Å"Quite simply, being represented by a literary agent may be the only realistic route to getting a foot on the first rung of the publishing ladder,† says Owens. â€Å"Most publishers of fiction do not accept unsolicited manuscript submissions from debut writers.†In addition to getting your foot in the door, here's what a literary agent does:They are expert negotiators, combining financial acumen with a nose for the value of good, sellable writing;They act as useful buffers between you and your publisher (when you don’t want to taint your working relationship with an editor by talking brass tacks);They manage the financial and marketing side of things while you concentrate on the writing;They also tend to have strong editorial skills, working with you to help refine your manuscript before it’s even submitted to a publisher.All of this can only work to your advantage as an author, helping you secure a more lucrative deal with the most appropriate publisher - much m ore than you may have been able to acquire yourself, without any contacts or knowledge of the industry. Ideally, their negotiations alone should offset their commission (ideally).How to get a literary agent in 6 stepsWhen we say ‘finding a literary agent,’ we really mean finding the ideal representative for your book - someone who is perfectly primed to help you develop your writing career. You’re basically on the hunt for a long-term business partner and creative soulmate. Ready to start looking?1. Locate a pool of literary agents who work in your nicheMost agents are always on the lookout for new authors to represent. They’re dying for their dream client to reach out to them. To help make their dreams come true, it’s your job to find out a) who these agents are and b) how best to get through to them. So start putting together your shortlist.You can begin your search by going to agent databases such as Agent Query or Query Tracker and filtering by genre. You can also look through the acknowledgments pages of books similar to yours: you can bet that the authors thank their agents in there. Or, this being the 21st century, you can just Google † agent† and see what comes up.Reading recommendations: Writers’ Artists’ Yearbook (for the UK) and its US equivalent Writer’s Market are invaluable tools that you should consider putting on your Christmas list. Tip for finding an agent: use Agent Query and Query Track to start your search 2. Thoroughly research and evaluate each agentHere are the four main questions you want to answer in your research about individual literary agents:Do they represent books in my genre?Are they currently open to queries?Would I work well with them?Are they a scam artist?How do you go about answering these questions? Well, checking out the submission guidelines of the agent's website should answer #1 and #2 fairly easily. In regards to #3 and 4, Caitlin Jans, the  founding editor of Authors Publish, has a few tips:â€Å"I always research the agent outside of their website first. I find that one of the best ways to tackle this is to head again over to the Absolute Write Water Cooler Forum. I use it to vet agents and publishers. The forums are active and get a lot of use: if an author has a good or bad experience with an agent, they’ll share it.I can’t emphasize this enough: one of the most important steps is to make sure the agency isn't on Writer Beware’s Thumbs Down Agencies List. At this point, I almost have the list memorized. Writer Beware (a volunteer organization that works on behalf of writers) also has a terrific section on dishonest agents, so be sure to check that out.†No matter what, as an ironclad rule: avoid agents who ask for an upfront fee. It doesn’t matter whether they call it ‘professional development’ or say it’s to cover the costs of editing your manuscript: an agent who asks for preemptive payment is not legitimate.After due research, if you find an agent who seems to tick all the right boxes, then add them to your final shortlist and proceed to step three. Tip for finding an agent: avoid agents who ask for an upfront fee 3. Send a personalized query letterA good portion of every agent’s week is spent on ‘slush’ - what they call the never-ending pile of letters they get from hopeful authors seeking representation. On one hand, you might think, Geez! How do I stand a chance of being seen in a pile that big? But you should really look at it from the attitude of, Wow! These agents are really keen to find their next client!With that in mind, your query letter (your first point of contact with an agent) must be perfect. We have a detailed guide to writing query letters (that comes with a super-sweet template), but if you don’t want to head down the rabbit hole right this second, here are three top-line tips:Always read an agent’s submission guidelines. Some might ask for a sample chapter, others might not. One might want you to double-space, another might require single. Apart from ensuring that they get what they need to make an assessment, the submission guidelines also serve as a rudimentary idiot test: If this author doesn’t follow our standards, it either means that they haven’t read them (and is lazy) or they haven’t been able to comprehend simple instructions (which is not exactly what you want in a business partner).Make sure to personalize each query letter. You’ll want to contact as many agents as possible, and it’s tempting to create a standard query letter that starts with Dear Sirs and features no specific language whatsoever. But remember, agents have read countless boilerplate query letters and can sniff them out from a mile away. That’s why the research you do in step 2 will serve you so well: it’ll show each agent that you actually care. (For more detailed tips on personalizing your query letter, check out this transcripted replay of our webinar with former agent Rachel Stout.)Start with the hook. Ultimately, it’s the book that agents want to know about. While you might think i t’s best to introduce your book by first talking about your own background, the quicker you get to the exciting pitch for your book, the better. Tip for finding an agent: always personalize your query letters 4. Always follow up if you don’t hear anythingWe’ve all had that experience of looking at an email and thinking, â€Å"I’ll get to that later,† only to forget about it until someone reminds you. Well, the same thing happens to agents as well! If you don’t hear back from the after several weeks, it’s not impolite to follow up and ask whether your query may have been lost in the shuffle. Often, the agent will be grateful that you reminded them.Again, read the agent’s submission guidelines. In many cases, they’ll even tell you how many weeks to wait before you follow up. But if they don’t, then four to six weeks is a good rule of thumb (erring closer to six, perhaps). Tip for finding an agent: wait 4-6 weeks before following up 5. Don’t just say yes to the first agentAssuming agents dig your query letter, get intrigued by your sample, and adore your full manuscript after they request and read it†¦ what happens next? In broad strokes, the two of you will discuss how the agent might help develop your book and career, and then they’ll offer you representation.Very exciting, right? But before you frantically search for a pen to sign on all those dotted lines, make sure that they are the right agent for you. It’s not considered impolite to query multiple agents at the same time, so you don’t need to lie about it or cover it up. An agent will not be insulted that you’re daring to consider other options. After all, if they like your book enough to want to represent it, it stands to reason that others might as well.Of course, you can always choose to leave an agent at any time if things aren’t working out. But keep in mind that if you’re at the start of your car eer, you don’t want a reputation as someone who switches agents every book. It’ll make editors, agents, and other publishing gatekeepers assume that you’re hard to work with.So be polite, stay candid, and don’t rush into any decisions.Now that you have a rough idea of how to find a literary agent, we want to leave you with some resources that will help you in your search.