Burning Questions About Book Publishing: Literary Agents, Part Two

by Ruta Rimas

Thank you to those who submitted questions for me to answer about book publishing at the Get Lit Salon on May 20th. There was one common theme  – agents!

In this post, I will tackle PART TWO of the agent-related questions. You can check out PART ONE here.

PART TWO:

How do I find the agent who is right for me?

There are many online resources to help you find the right agent for you, but you might want to start by picking up your favorite book – or a book similar to the one you are writing — and flipping to the acknowledgements, where many writers choose to thank their agents. Then, hop on the computer and dig deep. Who else does the agent represent and what type of books do they take on? Where have they sold books? When was their last sale? If they are active on social media, particularly Twitter, which is a hotbed of literary discourse, have a look at what they talk about as it pertains to books. Your best tool is knowledge.

This “Acknowledgements” page is included at the end of AMERICANAH by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

The research stage is hard work. Here are a couple of online resources that can help:

You may want to keep a running list of those agents and agencies who you are interested in querying, and then, when you are ready to submit, cull the list to a handful so that you take a targeted approach. Be professional, polite, and show that you’ve done your research when you send out your query. You shouldn’t, for instance, send a cookbook proposal to someone who represents mostly literary fiction. Be sure to follow the agent’s submission guidelines.

When should I submit my query to an agent?

You should begin researching and compiling names of those who you think might be a good fit when start to feel ready to sell your work! Once you are happy with your full manuscript, draft a query letter (here’s a great resource for that process). And once you draft your letter, have a trusted friend read it before you send it out. Then send out the letter, usually via email, to your curated agent list.

If you are a nonfiction writer, the timeline might be slightly different: many agents will accept a proposal and sample chapters for nonfiction.

ALWAYS check submission policies. Most are posted online. And, patience is going to be key. It’s hard to send out that query without falling into the trap of the over-eager. Be professional, patient, and kind in any communication you may have.

The next column in the Burning Questions about Book Publishing will address what happens when an editor wants to buy your book and takes the project to their acquisitions team. Stay tuned!

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