How to Secure a Literary Agent

You’ve written something great, whether it's an historical novel or a non-fiction book about dating in the 21st Century. Now you need someone who has the skills and connections to sell your manuscript to a publisher. Choosing the right literary agent is one of the most important decisions you’ll make as a writer. Read on to learn more.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Get a recommendation from a fellow writer, teacher, or publishing industry colleague if possible. If they have had good experiences with their agent, chances are you will too. If that agent doesn’t handle your genre, they may be able to put you in touch with someone who does.
2. Attend writer’s conferences and make sure to secure a short meeting with an agent while there. Make sure to pick a conference that is appropriate for your type of manuscript.
3. Use either the Internet or a book to find a comprehensive listing of all the literary agents in the country and read a brief description of them. Look to see if they handle your type of work. Choose only those who seem to be a good fit. For example, if you’ve written a children’s book but a particular agent doesn’t list the children’s genre in their biography, don’t waste time sending her you manuscript.
4. Once you’ve made a list of the agents you’d like to send your manuscript to, construct a short introductory letter that introduces the main concept of your story and offers a little intrigue without giving the whole plot away.
5. Find out how the literary agent wishes to be contacted. Some agents prefer email submissions and others prefer a hard copy. Also find out what other preferences they have. For example, some agents ask for only the first 25 pages of the manuscript while others may want the whole thing at once.
6. If an agent contacts you with interest in your manuscript, speak to him or her on the phone to get a better sense of your compatibility. Ideally, the goal is to develop a long term productive relationship with your agent, so it’s important that you are a good fit in terms of goals, strategies, future endeavors, and even in personalities.

Tips & Warnings

• If an agent asks for a reader’s fee, don’t do business with that person. It’s their job to read manuscripts and it is unethical to request a fee for it.