thanks for any help? I have a serious novel ready to go and a few more on the way.
All Answers To QuestionsAnswer 1
Check for literary agents at aaronline.org and agentquery.com and http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums
Good luck. Answer 2
Listen to Joss.
Nobody gets to skip doing his or her homework when it comes to finding an agent. AbsoluteWrite has done some for you, but there's more.
Your first step is obvious, but one many people try to skip. Complete your novel’s first draft, then rewrite and polish it until it can’t possibly be improved. This may take years. If you merely have a completed novel you've gone over a few times, it's not ready, even if it's pretty damned good.
Put it away for six months, no peeking, while you do your homework. You can jot yourself notes, but you literally cannot read any of it. You will be amazed at both the ideas you get for improving it and the flaws and weaknesses which fresh eyes see six months later.
While it's 'resting,' identify agents who have recently sold other novels like yours. ("Recently" means in the last two years or so.) Visit large bookstores. Note titles, authors, and publishers of humorous fiction.
Get online and try to determine which agent sold each book. (Search “Full Title” + agent. Also try “Author Name” + agent.) You can find other agents seeking work in your genre through “Writer's Market” and “Literary Marketplace” (US) or “Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook” (UK). Check the publisher listings, too, which will include “agented submissions only” or not. (Maybe you don’t even need an agent.)
Research each agent. Find websites with career history, sales, personal bio, blogs, AAR membership, etc. Determine whether they prefer email or regular mail for queries. Figure out who’s a good fit for you. Don’t be afraid to aim high. The worst that can happen is they say no. Your research should include a visit to Preditors and Editors.
Write a one-page query letter, tailoring it to individual agents based on the information you got from research, and send it to the few agents you'd most like to represent you. If the query letter is really good and you've done your homework well, at least some will ask for a partial or full manuscript. If none does, rewrite the query before sending out the next batch.
Remember, reputable agents charge the author NOTHING up-front. Some agents may deduct the costs of doing business (copies, mail, phone) from your first check, but nobody legitimate needs any money to get started. << GO BACK to questions
|