Literary AgentsWhat do literary agents do?Literary agents have the knowledge, experience and contacts which are so very valuable to writers. They know the market well, they know publishers and their requirements well and they know where the gaps are in the market and what will sell. An agent will liaise with a publisher on the writer’s behalf, dealing with the business side of things. For example they will negotiate contracts and handle rights. Good Agents charge nothing up front but do expect commission on work placed.It is for these reasons above that Writers need Agents. They can get your work read by people that you alone would find very hard, maybe impossible, to do. How do I get one?Finally, fresh from the printer, you have your finished manuscript in your hands. The hours of drafting and re-drafting and editing and re-reading are over. It’s time to take the next step and find out what a real professional thinks of the work you have so carefully nurtured over the last few weeks, months, years. Ready?Literary Agents all have guidelines about submissions and it’s really important to follow these. If they’ve taken the trouble to put guidelines on their website, they want writers to pay attention to them. One Agent may ask for the first three chapters of your book and a synopsis. Another may ask for one sample chapter and synopsis. They may accept submissions only by email or they may accept them only by post. It may be a requirement to enter your name and the title of your work as a header or a footer on every page. Make sure you get it right. These may seem like fiddly things to do but if it helps to have your work read by a top Agent, surely it’s worth it?! Literary Agents are listed in both the Macmillan The Writer’s Handbook and A&C Black’s Writer’s and Artist’s Yearbook. If you have access to the internet, do some research about the Authors the Agent you’re considering looks after. Try to target Agents who have knowledge of the correct area of publishing for you eg. children’s books. Once you have submitted your work to an Agent, don’t chase them. They will usually give an idea of how long it will take them to respond on their website. If they do turn you down, try someone else. Some of the best writers have received rejection letters. A phrase we like to say to one another is ‘Keep on keeping on.’ We’re not sure where we picked it up from but we believe that if you keep knocking on doors one of them is bound to open one day, just keep on! Other places to meet agentsIt’s possible to get your work read by Literary Agents as part of some writing events around the country. For example, at the Winchester Writers’ Conference you can book an appointment with an Agent who will give you their honest opinion of your work. Scary? Perhaps but even if the comments you receive aren’t the promise of a lifetime of success from your writing, you’ll be able to use the advice you get to your advantage. Perhaps it’ll mean a re-write or a plot change but if it gets you a step closer to your dream of being a published author, it’s advice worth getting.Authors on agents
‘The first agent I had sent my first three chapters off to had sent my manuscript back so fast that it seemed like they sent it back the same day it arrived. The second agent however, wrote back and asked to see the rest of the manuscript. It was one of the best letters I had ever seen and it was only two sentences long.’ |
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