There are many views on the question of whether or not a writer needs an agent to make a first sale. Some people think a new writer’s energy is best spent on submitting directly to publishers. Others feel that, with more and more publishers closing their doors to unagented submissions, a new writer stands a better chance if she seeks an agent first. (For the record, I think that if you want to sell a book to one of the large publishing houses, you’re best off looking for an agent. Here’s why.)

But there’s no disagreement on the fact that after that first sale is made, a good agent is a tremendous boon to a writer’s career. Agents have industry contacts and inside knowledge that most writers don’t possess. They keep current with editors’ tastes and needs, know when new imprints are starting up and when established ones are downsizing, stay abreast of changing corporate policies, keep track of who’s newly hired and who just got fired or laid off. They negotiate advances and publishing contracts to their clients’ advantage, and are experienced in marketing subsidiary rights. Just as important, agents serve as writers’ advocates in the increasingly complex and competitive world of publishing.

There are many successful literary agents who provide excellent representation to their clients. Unfortunately, there are also many dishonest and incompetent ones, who relieve writers of money and waste their time–and sometimes damage careers by squandering submission opportunities or brokering contracts with bad publishers. A few decades ago, such agents weren’t terribly common. These days, due to changes in the publishing industry that have made agents the principal gatekeepers of the publishing world, they are legion.

Query Letters are one of the tried and true ways of getting your script read.  A query letter is like a cold call on paper.  Production companies and talent agencies are flooded with queries from writers on a daily basis but they are sometimes the only way to get your script read – particularly if you live outside of Southern California.

You must put your best foot forward.  You have to gain the reader’s attention immediately and entice them to want to read your material.  Typos, rambling, poor grammar, offering up too much detail, comparing your script to successful movies (our worse, unsuccessful ones) will get your letter tossed into the round file before the ink is dry from your printer.

Your query letter represents you.  If your query letter is poorly written, the reader is likely to think: If he/she can’t write a single compelling page…how good can their 120 page screenplay possibly be?

There’s a right way and a wrong way to do a query letter.  Let’s take a quick look at some examples:

Sit down, take a deep breath, relax, and ask yourself one question: “Are you having fun with this whole process?” I mean writing the book proposal and looking for a literary agent. If you’re not enjoying it you’re approaching it the wrong way.  Nancy Drew book cover  One of my graduate school professors used to tell us: “Most professional writers don’t work, they play.”

Harriet Stratemeyer Adams, who wrote many of the Nancy Drew series books, treated the whole process like a game. She had the perfect attitude. And I bet you’ll enjoy looking for a literary agent for your book proposal when you follow my method, which is outlined on this page.

Like doctors and lawyers, literary agent specialize. Some only handle fiction. Others handle fiction and nonfiction. But of those that represent nonfiction there is almost always further specialization, and you’ll find agents that handle only cookbooks, self-help, or narrative nonfiction, etc. There are scores of different categories, so finding an agent who handles your type of book is the first thing you’ll want to do.

* Look for agents who handle your type of book.
* Give extra points to agents from New York City.
* Find out what the agent has sold.

Literary agents are professional representative agents who wish to represent you as their client. Their job is to get you published–that’s how they make their money; they get paid by taking a commission percentage of whatever you make. In some segments of the publishing industry–particularly the large, well-established publishing houses–getting a literary agent is a must, for the publishers simply will not talk to anyone but an agent. In other segments, it makes no difference. In this webpage I will tell you everything about agents literary.

Here is what a literary agent can do for you:

1. An agent has connections. They know the publishers inside and out. They have social contact with the editors and publishers; they have lunch with them. They will make sure your manuscript gets into the hands of the right kind of publisher for you.
2. Having agent representation gives you an instant degree of credibility. The publishers know that an agent screens out worthless manuscripts they never want to see. They understand that if an agent has agreed to represent a manuscript, there must be some merit to it.

As an aspiring author, you may have heard, “If your work is really good, you can get an agent. Getting the work into shape is the hard part. If you get the work into shape, the right agent will follow.” Is it really that simple? Well, yes and no.

The seven essential points below prepare you for what to expect when seeking an agent, or literary representative.

Point 1: Fiction or nonfiction? Differences in Approach

As a novelist, or fiction writer, you need to complete your whole book, format it properly, and find an agent who specializes in selling novels. If you write nonfiction (self-help, how-to, memoir), forget about writing the whole book, unless you want to self-publish. Instead, write your book proposal.

A book proposal is like a business plan for your book. It’s job is to convince the publisher to part with money so you can get paid to write your book.

In either case, to minimize your chances of rejection, you’ll need to have your proposal or manuscript polished before approaching an agent.

Point 2: That someone calls herself an agent says nothing about what she can do for you.

Some things haven’t changed in the century since the first literary agent was born. Today, anyone can still hang out a shingle and say she’s an agent—many people do. Not all agents are effective, ethical, or even sell any books.

Jill’s Guerilla Caveat
Don’t settle for just any agent. Agents vary tremendously in their effectiveness and in what they sell well. Get your proposal (for nonfiction writers) or manuscript (for novelists) into tip-top shape, then go for the agent who has a proven track record selling work similar to your own.

While it may be technically possible to get published without a literary agent, it’s advisable to get one. Many publishers have stopped accepting submissions directly, and only consider material submitted through an agent. Agents can help you get a better deal, and can give you good advice on contracts, rights, the way the industry works, and all sorts of other things.

How to find good agents

Both the UK and the USA have a standard reference book that lists the literary agents for that country. In the UK, this is the Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook, while the USA has Writer’s Market. Both are updated annually, and offer listings of agents and book publishers, along with their interests, contact details, and how to approach them. There’s also general advice about the industry, and listings for various other potential outlets for your work, like newspapers and magazines. Get the relevant book for your country—it’s indispensable.

You should also keep an eye on trade websites like Publishers Weekly in the USA and the Bookseller in the UK, both of which list some of the deals being made. Take note of any agents that seem to be making deals in your field. If there are other authors who write like you, try to find out who their agents are (this can be done with a little time spent on Google).