Writing Tips:
How to Find A Literary Agent

In an earlier post I suggested that fiction writers find a book agent before submitting to publishers. Naturally someone asked the logical question: OK, so how do I find a book agent? I’ll try to answer that here. Of course there are many ways to go about this, and I’m not saying that this is the only way or even the best way for everyone. But it is my way.

Here’s how I did it and I see no reason why it can’t work today. It goes without saying–but I’m going to say it anyway–make sure your manuscript is polished to perfection! This is the most important bit of information in this whole article. No method in the world is going to get you a book agent if you don’t have a great book.

1) Write at least the first 50 pages of your novel and a detailed synopsis of the rest of it. If this is a longer novel–say 400 manuscript pages or more–you might want to write up to 100 pages. Rewrite and polish it. I can’t say this enough. I spent almost as much time on the first several chapters of my first novel as I did on the rest of it. I knew that as an unknown, my work had to be fierce to attract an agent.

2) Write a query letter, which should be only one to two pages long, briefly summarizing your novel and the main characters. A lot of books out there will tell you how to write a good query letter. You might want to head to the library or bookstore to check out one or two of them, as this letter is likely the first thing the agent will read. If you don’t impress her or him with the query letter, the rest will never be looked at. If you can’t write a good query letter, why should an agent expect you to be able to write a whole novel?

3) While you’re at the bookstore look for a book that lists literary or book agents and their contact information. The book should also mention the kinds of books the agents will consider. Most book agents specialize in a few or maybe several genres, and it would be a waste of time to send a manuscript for a mystery novel to an agent who will consider only romance novels. And you certainly don’t want to send an idea for a novel to an agent who accepts only nonfiction.

4) Pick three to five agents and send the query letter, sample chapters and synopsis, neatly packaged, out to them. It’s OK to submit to more than one agent at a time as long as you say in your letter that this is a multiple submission and that you’ve sent the same package to a few other agents.

5) Now you wait. Sit back, relax. Go shopping, spend time with your family. Read a good book! I began to hear back from agents within about a week of mailing my packages. It may take longer now. With computers on every desktop (and laptop), far more manuscripts are floating around out there. I would suggest that if you haven’t heard back within about a month that you submit to four or five more agents.

If you’ve followed the above steps two or three times and still haven’t heard anything, you might want to review and rework your submission package. Is the query letter brief, interesting and well written? Does it hook the reader in the first paragraph? Does the synopsis leave the reader wanting more? Do the chapters flow smoothly and are they error proof?

How long should you keep submitting? Only you can answer that. I found my agent with my first submissions. Later this week, we’ll hear from author Anita Bunkley, who got dozens of rejections before she finally found a publisher.

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