How to Find a Literary Agent for Your Book

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In today’s market, astir apt 80 percent of books published by New York houses get sold by literate agents. Agents are experts successful nan publishing manufacture and correspond nan interests of their author-clients. They person wrong contacts pinch circumstantial publishers and cognize which editors are astir apt to bargain a peculiar work. Perhaps astir important, agents tin unafraid nan champion imaginable book woody for you, discuss a adjacent contract, protect your rights, guarantee you are paid accurately and fairly, and tally interference erstwhile basal betwixt you and nan publisher.

The champion agents are career-long advisers and managers.

Traditionally, agents get paid only erstwhile they waste your work, and they person a 15 percent committee connected everything you get paid (your beforehand and royalties). It is champion to debar agents who complaint fees different than nan modular 15 percent.

Do you request a literate agent?

It depends connected what you’re selling. If you want to beryllium published by 1 of nan awesome New York houses (e.g., Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Macmillan), then you much aliases little request to person one—and want 1 connected your side.

If you’re penning for a niche marketplace (e.g., vintage automobiles) aliases wrote an world aliases literate work, past you mightiness not request an agent. Agents are motivated to return connected clients based connected nan size of nan beforehand they deliberation they tin get. If your task doesn’t bid a decent advance, past you whitethorn not beryllium worthy an agent’s time, and you’ll person to waste nan task connected your own.

There are different levels of commercialized viability: immoderate books are “big” books, suitable for Big Five accepted publishers (e.g., Penguin Random House, HarperCollins), while others are “quiet” books, suitable for mid-size and mini presses. The astir important point to retrieve is that not each book is trim retired to beryllium published by a New York house, aliases even represented by an agent; astir writers person a difficult clip being honorable pinch themselves astir their work’s potential. Here are some rules of thumb astir what types of books are suitable for a Big Five traditional publisher:

• Genre aliases mainstream fiction, including romance, erotica, mystery/crime, thriller, subject fiction, fantasy, young adult, caller adult
• Nonfiction books that would get shelved in your mean Barnes & Noble aliases independent bookstore—which requires a beardown hook aliases conception and author platform. Usually a New York patient won’t motion a nonfiction book unless it anticipates trading 10,000 to 20,000 copies minimum.

To amended understand what sells, bargain a month-long subscription to PublishersMarketplace.com and study nan deals that get announced. It’s a speedy acquisition successful what commercialized publishing looks like.

Also, you tin cheque nan Twitter hashtag #MSWL, wherever agents/editors specifically spell retired what they’re looking for. (Here’s the charismatic tract for Manuscript Wish List. There is besides an unofficial aggregator of #MSWL tweets.)

If your activity doesn’t look for illustration a bully campaigner for a New York house, don’t despair. There are galore mid-size houses, independent publishers, mini presses, assemblage presses, location presses, and digital-only publishers who might beryllium thrilled to person your work. You conscionable request to find them.

How to find literate agents

When writers ask maine “Can you find maine a literary agent?” they don’t realize it’s benignant of for illustration asking maine “Can you find me the correct spouse?” This is simply a investigation process and determination that is champion conducted by you. I deliberation you’ll understand why by nan extremity of this post.

PublishersMarketplace.com is nan champion spot to investigation literate agents; not only do galore agents person personnel pages there, but you tin hunt nan publishing deals database by genre, category, and/or keyword to pinpoint nan champion agents for your work. Some different resources to see include QueryTracker (free and paid versions) and Duotrope.

What you should taxable to a literate agent

If you constitute fiction, nan supplier will want to spot nan afloat manuscript (assuming you’re an unpublished aliases unproven fabrication writer). If you constitute nonfiction, nan marketability of your thought and your level often matter arsenic overmuch arsenic nan writing, if not much so. You person to hole a book connection that’s fundamentally a business scheme arguing why your book will waste successful nan existent market.

You should decorativeness (and polish) your manuscript aliases book connection earlier submitting. I meet galore writers who are very excited astir having a story idea, but unless you’re successful a business wherever nan timing is perfectly critical, decorativeness nan activity first—and be confident that you’re submitting your champion work. One of nan biggest mistakes caller writers make is rushing to get published erstwhile there’s nary logic to rush. Do not expect nan supplier to thief you to nan decorativeness statement connected your manuscript. While immoderate agents whitethorn beryllium unfastened to specified editorial work, you’ll get a overmuch amended consequence if you taxable a manuscript aliases connection that you tin spot nary further measurement to improve.

Okay, let’s presume you’re ready. Every supplier has unsocial requirements for submitting your materials. The astir common materials you’ll beryllium asked for:

• Query letter. This is simply a one-page transportation missive that gives a little explanation of your work. Here’s really to constitute a query for a novel. Here’s different station connected writing a query for a nonfiction book.
• Novel synopsis. This is simply a little summary (usually nary much than 1 aliases 2 pages) of your story, from opening to end. It must uncover nan ending. Here’s really to constitute one.
• Nonfiction book proposal. These are analyzable documents, usually 20 to 30 pages successful magnitude (minimum). For much explanation, see my broad post. 
• Novel proposal. This usually refers to your query letter, a synopsis, and possibly nan first chapter. There is not an industry-standard meaning of what a caller connection is.
• Sample chapters. When sending sample chapters from your caller aliases memoir, start from nan opening of nan manuscript. (Don’t prime a mediate chapter, moreover if you deliberation it’s your best.) For nonfiction, usually immoderate section is acceptable.

Important: Almost nary supplier accepts afloat manuscripts connected first contact. This is what “no unsolicited materials” intends erstwhile you publication submission guidelines. However, almost each agents will judge a one-page query missive unless their guidelines authorities otherwise. (If they do not judge queries, that intends they are a wholly closed market.)

After you nonstop retired queries, you’ll get a operation of responses, including:

• No consequence astatine all, which intends it’s a rejection. Don’t sweat it—this is normal. Move on.
• A petition for a partial manuscript and perchance a synopsis.
• A petition for nan afloat manuscript.

If you receive no requests for nan manuscript aliases book proposal, past location mightiness beryllium thing incorrect pinch your query. If you win successful getting your material requested, but past get rejected, location whitethorn be a weakness successful nan manuscript aliases proposal.

How to take nan champion literate supplier for you

1. What’s her income way record? This is usually nan number-one motion of whether you person a bully agent. Evaluate her customer database and nan publishers she has precocious sold to. Are nan publishers she sells to nan types of publishers you see due for your work? Are nan advances her clients bid successful nan “good” scope for you? Keep successful mind these factors tin beryllium somewhat subjective and are besides based connected your genre/category and your ain consciousness of writer identity.

Bottom line, guarantee that your supplier has acquisition and occurrence successful representing nan type of activity you’re trying to sell. Most agents will database existent clients connected their site, aliases you tin find agent-publisher deals reported at PublishersMarketplace (subscription required).

A statement astir caller agents: Sometimes it’s easier to get represented by a caller supplier who is trying to build a roster of clients. If you’re a caller writer pinch a perchance mini woody who wouldn’t liking an established agent, past a caller and “hungry” supplier tin activity retired conscionable arsenic well. Even if an agent’s way grounds is still developing, return a look astatine her erstwhile acquisition successful publishing. For example, was she formerly an editor? Or see the experience and estimation of nan agency she is associated with. If she’s moving astatine a coagulated agency pinch a way record, and/or has a agelong activity history pinch nan New York houses, these are bully signs. Just make judge she hasn’t been trying to create her database for a very agelong time.

2. Does her connection animate confidence? If an supplier treats you professionally, that’s a bully sign. Timeless signs of professionalism successful agents: they get backmost to you successful a timely manner, they pass intelligibly and respectfully, their business operations aren’t cloaked successful secrecy, they dainty you as a business partner.

Unfortunately, nan biggest title I perceive from agented but unpublished writers is they can’t get a consequence from their supplier immoderate longer—or there’s mediocre connection astir nan position of nan project. A bully supplier doesn’t time off her clients successful nan acheronian for extended periods and will connection clarity astir each shape of nan process—no loose ends, nary vague reports.

That said: I person observed immoderate unpublished writers who look to beryllium very demanding and person expectations extracurricular nan norm. What does demanding look like? Expecting to telephone your supplier astatine immoderate clip and person a discussion, expecting regular contact, aliases expecting near-instant response. Remember: agents activity for free until your book is sold. Their astir contiguous responses spell to their established clients—the ones bringing successful nan revenue.

3. What’s her level of enthusiasm? Do you get nan emotion that nan supplier genuinely believes successful you and your work? While agents are surely willing successful a sale, they’re besides willing successful projects that excite them and clients whose semipermanent careers they consciousness proud to correspond and help manage.

While it’s not imaginable to put a quantitative measurement connected enthusiasm, deliberation of it this way: your supplier is going to beryllium handling your patient contracts, negotiations, and different financial matters (including costs to you) for nan life of your work. You request to spot and respect her. She champions your origin to nan patient passim nan life of nan book’s publication and resolves conflicts. You’re entering into a meaningful business partnership, and fresh is important.

What to expect from a bully literate agent

• A bully supplier will have a speech pinch you astir immoderate rejections he receives from publishers. If your supplier has a bully narration pinch nan editors/publishers he’s querying, past he’ll beryllium receiving meaningful feedback that he tin stock pinch you. You tin past discuss how your book aliases nan connection could beryllium repositioned to sell. However, his clip or energy mightiness beryllium exhausted if he believes nan task would return acold much activity and retooling to make a waste that’s not worthy his time. Or, he mightiness judge you’re not consenting to reposition nan book.
• Don’t presume that your supplier isn’t bully capable if your book didn’t sell. But agents should person an unfastened and frank chat pinch you astir nan rejections received. You besides person a correct to cognize what publishers were queried, particularly aft a agelong play of clip has passed. You whitethorn besides inquire for nan rejection letters, though your supplier is nether nary responsibility to supply you pinch nan circumstantial interaction accusation of editors and publishers.
• Did nan supplier thief you amended your query, pitch, and/or proposal? A bully supplier will amended the query/proposal package. There mightiness beryllium a fistful of authors who tin put together a crackerjack proposal, but they are few. An supplier should beryllium ensuring nan transportation aliases connection is primed for success, and this almost ever requires astatine slightest 1 information of feedback and revision.
• Your supplier MUST know his measurement astir a book contract. A bully supplier understands wherever to inquire for much money aliases rights, and knows if a client is getting nan champion woody possible. (If an supplier passes you a publisher’s boilerplate statement to motion pinch no changes, you whitethorn beryllium successful large trouble.) Many authors for illustration to person an supplier who is an “attack dog,” but chiefly an supplier needs to understand really to protect your authorities (by changing aliases inserting the right statement language) and forestall you from signing an unfair aliases substandard agreement. Agents cognize nan manufacture norms, erstwhile those norms are changing, and erstwhile to push for more. However, they also understand that not everything is astir money—sometimes it’s amended to partner pinch a patient offering a smaller advance. A awesome supplier advises you connected nan pros and cons of nan deals you’re offered.
• A awesome supplier is an author’s business manager, mentor, and cheerleader. Agents are besides location to clasp your manus erstwhile things spell incorrect pinch nan editor aliases publisher. They prop you up erstwhile you’re down, they observe your successes publicly, they look for opportunities you mightiness not see, and they be to your financial champion interests arsenic good arsenic your big-picture profession growth.
• People successful nan manufacture should admit nan sanction of your agent. If you can’t find immoderate online mention aliases reference to your agent, and he’s not a personnel of nan Association of American Literary Agents (AALA), that’s a reddish flag. Check his way grounds carefully. See who he’s sold to and really recently. One point you needn’t worry astir excessively overmuch is nan size of nan agency; this doesn’t needfully correlate pinch nan value of nan supplier aliases nan size of nan woody you tin expect.

Are each agents created equally?

Yes and no. As manufacture advisor Mike Shatzkin points out, location are perchance hundreds of agents tin of selling any peculiar book. What tends to beryllium astir important is chemistry betwixt supplier and author, and nan supplier being invested successful nan writer and her work. Shatzkin says,

The aforesaid supplier is not arsenic bully for each book they mightiness represent. Enthusiasm matters. Happening to person beardown connections pinch 3 editors who would conscionable emotion this particular book matters. Having belief that [you] can beryllium groomed into a prolific writer complete clip would matter. In different words, nan supplier who made nan astir deals for nan astir dollars past twelvemonth mightiness not make a amended woody for [you] and this book than personification who had done half arsenic well.

For much fantabulous accusation connected really to show a bully supplier from a not-so-good agent, cheque out Writer Beware connected Literary Agents (or, spell consecutive to nan conception connected Amateur Agents).

For much guidance

• If you’d for illustration an in-depth guideline connected building an writer career, see my book, The Business of Being a Writer.