{"id":24050,"date":"2017-01-05T10:45:37","date_gmt":"2017-01-05T16:45:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/editing-writing.com\/?p=3501"},"modified":"2023-02-13T23:06:03","modified_gmt":"2023-02-13T23:06:03","slug":"finding-literary-agent-dos-donts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/finding-literary-agent-dos-donts\/","title":{"rendered":"Finding a Literary Agent: Do’s and Don’ts"},"content":{"rendered":"

Do:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Follow submission guidelines on the agent’s website.<\/p>\n

Personalize your query letter. Find a connection between your work and the agent you are approaching, be it a writer you admire that the agent represents or a common interest or something else that catches your attention about him or her on the agent’s website.<\/p>\n

Open your query letter with a referral source, if you have one. Promising referral sources are: other agents (by name), established editors, published author(s) who admire your work, experts in your field (nonfiction), friend(s) of the agent.<\/p>\n

Make every word count. The query letter makes that all-important first impression. Describe your project in tantalizing prose that arouses curiosity to learn more about it.<\/p>\n

Write it yourself. The query letter is the agent’s first brush with your talent. Showcase your own skills, not those of a ghostwriter. Your book editor can help tweak it but it should sound like you.<\/p>\n

Contact several agents (multiple submissions). If an agent asks for an exclusive reading, limit exclusive access to three weeks, tops.<\/p>\n

Keep records during the querying process so you know when to re-contact agents who have not responded to your query.<\/p>\n

Continue writing. Agents are more likely to represent writers who have new books in the wings than writers who are pinning their hopes and dreams on one title.<\/p>\n

Don’t:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Send a letter with errors in spelling or punctuation. Ask your copy editor to double-check your query for accuracy.<\/p>\n

Write in a folksy style as if the agent were your best pal. This is a professional relationship you wish to establish.<\/p>\n

Badger the agent with phone calls or questions. Observe the timeline established on the agent’s website for submission responses.<\/p>\n

Tell the agent that your book will be the next Pulitzer Prize winner or #1 bestseller. Let the quality of your writing speak for itself.<\/p>\n

Pitch an incomplete novel. Fiction agents want to read the whole manuscript; nonfiction agents want a book proposal.<\/p>\n

Submit chapters unless the agent requests them.<\/p>\n

Sit around and chew your nails waiting for a call or letter from an agent. Silence does not mean rejection. Most agents receive dozens of queries every day.<\/p>\n

When an agent asks for more:<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Send the requested chapters or pages right away and identify them as materials the agent requested from you.<\/p>\n

If an agent offers to represent your work, review the agency contract with a copyright attorney before you sign anything.<\/p>\n

Good luck! – Beth<\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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First … make sure you follow the submission guidelines on the literary agent’s website!\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n","category_list":"Book Marketing and Publishing<\/a>","author_info":{"display_name":"Beth Bruno","author_link":"https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/author\/bbruno\/"},"comments_num":"0 comments","featured_image_urls_v2":{"full":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/author.jpg",297,170,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/author-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/author.jpg",297,170,false],"medium_large":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/author.jpg",297,170,false],"large":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/author.jpg",297,170,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/author.jpg",297,170,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/author.jpg",297,170,false],"bloom_image":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/author.jpg",297,170,false],"et-pb-post-main-image":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/author.jpg",297,170,false],"et-pb-post-main-image-fullwidth":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/author.jpg",297,170,false],"et-pb-portfolio-image":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/author.jpg",297,170,false],"et-pb-portfolio-module-image":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/author.jpg",297,170,false],"et-pb-portfolio-image-single":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/author.jpg",297,170,false],"et-pb-gallery-module-image-portrait":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/author.jpg",297,170,false],"et-pb-post-main-image-fullwidth-large":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/author.jpg",297,170,false],"et-pb-image--responsive--desktop":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/author.jpg",297,170,false],"et-pb-image--responsive--tablet":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/author.jpg",297,170,false],"et-pb-image--responsive--phone":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/author.jpg",297,170,false]},"post_excerpt_stackable_v2":"

First … make sure you follow the submission guidelines on the literary agent’s website!\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n","category_list_v2":"Book Marketing and Publishing<\/a>","author_info_v2":{"name":"Beth Bruno","url":"https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/author\/bbruno\/"},"comments_num_v2":"0 comments","featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/author.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24050"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24050"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24050\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":111393,"href":"https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24050\/revisions\/111393"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25035"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24050"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24050"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24050"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}