For Writers: Do Your Homework Before Contacting an Agent
Wednesday, July 12th, 2006Do you want to find a literary agent but have no idea where to start? I’ve put together some ideas for resources along with lists of do’s and don’ts. I definitely don’t have all the answers, but I’ve learned a lot along my way.
I attended this year’s Writers’ League of Texas Agents and Editors Conference as well as the previous two. For me, the first two conferences were largely about information-gathering and networking. This year, however, I went in knowing that my novel, Consumption is ready for representation. My tips are largely a blend of what I’ve learned at the conferences and what I’ve read over the years. Where I can identify exact sources, I do so.
RESOURCES
IF you can (and I know that’s a big IF…), go to an Agents/Editors conference — you’ll gain a wealth of ideas and contacts. I know this just isn’t possible for many of us. I’m lucky enough to live in Austin where the Writers’ League of Texas holds their conferences. But there are many other events out there. For instance, I was looking at the Algonkian Novel Workshops site which listed the NYC ‘06 Pitch and Shop (a first-novel pitch conference) along with other great events. Now, I’d love to go to that, but a trip to NYC definitely is not in this year’s budget. Likewise, you likely won’t bump into me at the San Francisco Writers Conference or the Maui Writers Conference.
If you’re searching for a book with a comprehensive list of agents, I’ve heard that the Writer’s Market books are very useful. If you’re an Internet person (like me), you might prefer the 2006 Writer’s Market Deluxe Edition (which includes a one-year subscription to their online edition — value of subscription fee [as mentioned below] is $29.99).
If you go online to search for agents, start at a reputable site and then check out their suggested resources. There are lots of sites about agents out there, some very good and some very bad, so you need to be discerning. The Nelson Literary Agency website (Kristen Nelson was one of the excellent agents at the 2005 Texas Conference) provides an excellent list of resources. From that site, I was linked to Agent Query, which linked me to more great resources, and so on — you get the idea. If you start at a very trustworthy site and follow their path, soon you’ll be wandering through lots of great sites. Of course, the more you explore, the more careful you have to become. It can all get to be like a giant game of telephone, with more chances for confusion and distortion with each new chain of links.
On a positive note, pay special attention to resources that are noted repeatedly by sources you trust (the links are like endorsements). A few excellent websites are:
PublishersMarketplace (you don’t need to join to search for agents)
Preditors and Editors
Writer’sMarket.com (subscription fee — $29.99 [USD] annually or $3.99 monthly)
Association of Authors Representatives (agents listed there follow a strict Canon of Ethics)
DEFINITE DO’S AND DON’TS
There are some definite do’s and don’ts to follow when seeking an agent who’ll be the right match for you:
Definite Do’s…
DO confirm that the agent you’re considering represents your genre. Sending your romance to an agent who represents mainly sci-fi will just waste your time and his/hers.
DO look in the acknowledgments sections of favorite books. If you write mysteries, check out the names of the agents who represent the authors you like.
DO google the prospective agent. Often there will be an article, interview transcript, or client’s blog that will offer information about their priorities, expectations, the books he/she represents, etc.
DO tell people you know that you’re looking for an agent (this was a tip from Anne Hawkins at the 2004 conference). For example, you’ll never know if your hair stylist has a friend, or a friend of yours has a relative, who is an agent unless you mention that you’re looking.
DO join your local/state League or Association and make use of their resources. . For example, the Writers’ League of Texas has a library of resources at their office and a well-informed staff this is full of suggestions.
Definite Don’ts…
DON’T sign up with an agent who charges a reading/editing fee. Legitimate agents should charge no more than the standard 15% commission on your work’s earnings (i.e. after it’s published). If you have found an agent who charges a reading fee, the agent may be more interested in milking you for their own short-term gain rather than finding you a publisher.
DON’T pursue a huge pool of agents at the same time. PRIORITIZE. As you begin to send queries and material, contact the agents first who you would most like to work with (this was another point Anne Hawkins emphasized. You don’t want to end up with an agent you liked less just because he/she was the first to request your full manuscript (because of the time invested in reading your entire piece, the agent will often ask to have it exclusively — ensure there’s a time limit you’re comfortable with, such as three weeks or a month).
DON’T spell the agent’s name wrong when you contact him/her. It might seem like something that you’d never do, but several of the agents at the conferences told stories of such obvious mistakes. This point leads into my upcoming post about query letters (which is coming soon!)
This is just a dusting of this topic — after all, this is just a blog post (albeit a long one) and not a book. This is not a definitive list; rather, it’s my contribution to a discussion about finding an agent. Do you have some other tips? If so, I’d love to hear them! Please share your ideas with me (and the other readers) in the comments section.
Related Posts:
Go Boldly Into the Blogosphere: A Wake-up Call for Writers
Great Agents and Editors Conference!
July 15th, 2006 at 12:47 am
I don’t have any tips, but I wanted to let you know that this is a great blog post and very informative. I am not ready to find an agent yet, but someday I will and I need all the info I can get.
July 15th, 2006 at 2:43 am
Hi Dana!
I’m glad you found this post helpful! You certainly don’t need to have a tip to say hi here — I was just trying to encourage folks to join in the discussion.
You might be interested to hear that, over the next week, I’ll also be posting about how to write a query letter and about the agent/author relationship.
Thanks for saying hello!
Cuileann