How to Find and Sign With a Literary Agent
by Suzanne Falter-Barns
If you’re interested in publishing a book and gaining a market presence
and income from it, you’ll need a literary agent. They are the grease that
keeps the oft-rusty wheels of publishing moving. Every day, they eat lunch
or talk to editors and acquisition people in major, mid-sized and even small
publishing houses while pitching them on the new hot ‘properties’. That's
where you want your project to be.
Here are some tips I can pass along that will help your search for this
important part of your team. (This may not be a fast process, by the way.)
• Make sure you’re selling something marketable. It could be you’re
the only person out there who wants to read about your Aunt Tillie’s days as
a pickle packer. Before you approach an agent, find out what problem your
book solves and who it will appeal to. Research similar titles on Amazon.com
and look for gaps in the marketplace. Go to bookstores and see what’s hot
(and what’s not.) Give an agent a good reason UP FRONT to get excited
(before they even read your mss)
• Do not send your manuscript! Send a one page letter describing your
project and why you are the person to write it, plus your proposal
(non-fiction only) or a few sample chapters of your manuscript (fiction.)
Offer to send the rest right away if they are interested. Make sure
everything is spell-checked, double spaced, with correct margins, etc..
• Make sure your book idea or manuscript is in top shape. There is
no substitute for excellence… it helps! You’ve got to have an awesome
concept, and an even better title.
• Make your book proposal as professional possible. (Book proposals
are only for non-fiction books, those other than novels.) You’ll want to
include a lot more than just what the book’s about. You’ll need to include
any market research you’ve done on who’d buy the book, ideas for unusual
places the books could be sold, or ways to tie it in with ‘special sales’
(that’s pub-speak for big wholesale orders) to certain industries, or
connections with your workshops, speaking gigs, web site, etc.. You’ll also
want to include an impressive bio, merchandising ideas, a sketch of the
competitive marketplace and publicity ideas. (If this sounds daunting, worry
not. See my blurb at the bottom.)
• Establish your credibility. If you’re writing non-fiction, are you
a PhD or do you have a masters, or lots of great professional experience?
It’s tougher to sell a great book written by someone who’s got no
credentials in the field to back them up … but it can be done. This is where
platform is totally critical!
• Build your platform. Get your list up to at least 7500. And make
sure you've already begun to speak, and get media blurbs. Have that branded
site and blog and put them to work for you. (This is where my Get Known Now
Blast Off Class is really handy!)
• Hook up with a star. Can you get a celebrity endorsement, or a
testimonial or foreword from a highly placed industry star? This will help
an agent feel they can sell your work. I found my 'star testimonials' simply
by contacting other big authors through their sites.
• Find the niche no one has explored. They’re out there, even in your
chosen field. This is especially true for non-fiction, though niches apply
to both genres. The best niche comes from your own passions and interests…
what’s really You?
• Hand pick the agents you submit to. DO NOT SEND MASS MAILINGS TO
AGENTS. It won’t work, and is a waste of time and mo.ney. Instead, research
who to approach and pick the 5, 10, 20 or so who actually sell your type of
work. Agents stick to niches themselves, and one way to find that niche is
in various resource guides like Writer’s Market, the LMP (Literary Market
Place … in all big libraries), or the Writer’s Digest Guide to
Literary Agents.
• Make your letter great. Your pitch will be placed in a pile with
the other cold submissions that arrived that day (maybe 25 –50) and an
assistant will thumb through them, spending about 10 seconds on each one.
This means if you have a personal contact, you mention it in the first
sentence. Trim your description of your book into a meaty, mouth-watering
paragraph. Add a bit on why you are the person to write it. And BE SURE to
let them know you hand picked them, out of all the agents out there, because
of the great work they’ve done for authors X, Y and Z. Make it personal, a
little witty, and smart.
• Don’t use old contact info … and call to see that the agent you’re
contacting is still at the address you have before you send anything
• Don’t ever pay an agent to evaluate your book. This is not how
standard agents work, and is illegal.
• Give the agent one month to evaluate your work. Then follow up by
phone or email. Many will tell you how they like to be contacted in guides
such as The Writer’s Market and those listed above. Continue to follow up,
until such actions are ridiculous. You’ll probably get some kind of
response, especially if you’re letter is great
• Follow up and ask for referrals. If you’re lucky, you’ll get the
intended agent on the phone. They may seem interested, but just won’t
commit. (A standard line is “I’m not taking on any new clients right now.”)
So ask if they know any agents they might recommend, or someone who is
expanding their operation. Then send a thank you note if their info has been
helpful.
• Work your personal connections. Be exhaustive, thinking of anyone
you know who might connect you with other agents, or even authors. Most
authors will want to see the project you’re pitching, and may not feel
comfortable sharing their contact with you… but many may.
• Be persistent. You may have to go through several lists of
hand-picked agents, before you get the bite you need.
Want to reprint this article in your ezine, blog or website? Email Lorraine Carol for permission at
lorraine@getknownnow.com.
She'll send along Suzanne's bio to attach at the bottom. Thanks!
