Michele Torrey, one of our dear PALs, has a great blog post on finding an agent--and specifically, how to make that list of people you'd like to query. Here's the start: Finding That Top Agent - Part IFace it. It’s a jungle out there. Finding a literary agent can be a confusing, agonizing, and frustrating... Continue Reading →
Why you need a proactive agent
Editorial Ass explains why it's a good idea to investigate your agent thoroughly before signing, to make sure you're working with someone who follows through. Here's the thing: editors have developed a habit of hiding their heads in the sand. I can speak on behalf of not all editors, but most. We have so much... Continue Reading →
Query lessons from Barry Goldblatt
Swiped from the Twitter feed of @barrygoldblatt, who reps some of the biggest names in our business:Query Lessons: 208,000 words??? You're completely out of your mind. And I think that's a record.4 minutes ago from web Query Lessons: If the first line of your letter says you can't find any good books for teens, then... Continue Reading →
9 reasons an agent might reject your query
Jessica Faust has a great list on her blog. Some ways to get yourself rejected:- send your query through an agency, spouse, or pet- send to more than one agent at a time- you ignore her submission guidelinesRead the rest.
Three More Ways to Find an Agent
Noah Lukeman (author of THE FIRST FIVE PAGES) has started a blog. He lists a few ways you might find an agent who reps your type of work (note--he recommends a service that has a subscription fee), and just as important, invites you to ask him questions.Check out the blog post.
One Writer’s Successful Query Process
Read how children's author Shaun David Hutchinson researched and hooked his agent, Chris Richman at Firebrand Literary. This is a great case study of how it can be done.
Quote of the Day: Ann Whitford Paul
"My adult students always want to know first of all how to get an agent and I tell them that their first question should be: How do I write a fantastic, one-of-a-kind picture book?"Read more of an insightful interview at Teaching Authors.
Getting to Know Elana Roth
Yesterday I wrote that James Rollins had given hopeful authors bad advice. (He said to ignore certain submission guidelines when pitching agents and editors.)I said a better approach is to get to know the agents and editors who interest you. This is so you can see whether you're a good match. The Internet makes this... Continue Reading →
Bad Advice from a Bestselling Author
The Seattle Times ran a profile of James Rollins that had some well-intended but terrible advice:Rollins advises writers to ignore directions to send a one-page query to agents summarizing their work (though that's exactly what many agents say to do, for fear of their mailboxes overflowing). Submit 50 pages of your book and a synopsis... Continue Reading →