Get a Publishing Agent
Once you have finished writing a novel or a non-fiction book proposal, the next step for most new writers is finding an agent. Although it is not entirely necessary to be represented by an agent, most traditional publishers today do not accept submissions that are not handled by an agent, and an agent can help you get the best terms on your publishing contract.
Steps
- Consider whether you want an agent. If your dream is for your book to be published by a large publishing house, you will probably want an agent. If you are targeting smaller publishers, you may want to forego finding an agent.
- Although an agent will collect 15% of your royalties, including your advance, as their commission, they will often be able to negotiate a better deal for you. You should weigh all these pros and cons and consider what you really want to do at this step in your writing career.
- An agent will only be interested in a novel if the novel is completely written and well-polished. A non-fiction book does not need to be completely written, but there should be several sample chapters done and a full proposal (outline of the book). If you are not done, you aren't ready for an agent just yet. Focus on the book first!
- Begin compiling a list of agents. Look for agents who represent the genre of your book. If you have written more than one book in different genres or plan to write in multiple genres, you may wish to narrow your search to agents who represent all the genres you write.
- You can find agent information through their websites, writer's forums, or printed industry guides. Keep in mind that an online resource will probably be more recently updated than a printed resource.
- You can also find agents by looking at published books similar to what you've written. Check the acknowledgements page, or check the writer's online blog to see if they name their agent. One agent usually represents multiple authors, so don't worry - you're not 'poaching'!
- Avoid scamming or unethical agents. If an agent's website or communications with you mention paying an up-front fee to be represented by them, or to have your submission jumped to the front of the line, avoid this agent and do not pay them anything.
- Avoid agents who want to charge you for a mandatory 'editing service' or require you to hire a freelance editor - recommended by them - before they will review your submission.
- If you are unsure about an agent, ask around on writer's forums. You can ask without making accusations if anybody has any experience with this particular agent. You can also ask around for a list of known scammer agents.
- Begin sending out queries. Review the agent's guidelines for queries. Usually, for a novel, the query will be composed of a short query letter and possibly some sample pages. Many sample query letters can be found online.
- You can send queries to multiple agents at once, but it is usually best to not send to everyone on your list at one time. You may later realize that your query letter can be improved, and you will be glad that there are still agents on your list who did not see the old version!
- Keep track of your query letters as you send them out in a spreadsheet or a notebook. Make note of the agent's name, the date you sent your query, and the response time frame they have posted. Some agents do not respond to a query unless they are interested. Others say they will always respond; if the time frame passes without a response from these agents, you should re-query, in case your original query did not reach them.
- Be prepared to receive rejections. Just about every author who has an agent went through the query process, and 99% of them received at least some rejections. Many best-selling authors received tons of rejections before their first book found an agent.
- Remember that rejections may feel personal, but ultimately they are not about you as an author or a person. Maybe the agent just didn't have the right vision for your book.
- If you receive all rejections from one round of queries, it may be time to review your query letter. Maybe it isn't representing your book as well as you thought.
- If you can, review any rejections you receive with personalized notes that may offer constructive criticism. It may sting, but it may also help improve your book in a critical way!
- Be ready for the requests! If an agent is intrigued by your query letter, the agent will respond with a request for a partial or a full, meaning several chapters of your manuscript or the entire manuscript. With a non-fiction book, an agent will request the entire proposal at this point. Don't rush! Take a moment to celebrate that someone is interested in your book. Then, carefully review their message, as well as any guidelines on their website regarding how they like partials or fulls to be sent.
- Many agents prefer that you copy and paste the original query letter into the first page of the document. They also often require a heading and page numbers. Following their guidelines will make it easier for them to get to your submission more quickly.
- Track these submissions separately but in a similar way to how you are tracking query letters. Again, if the response window passes without a response from the agent, check in with them to be sure they received the materials you sent.
- Don't stop sending out query letters! A partial or full request is not the same as an offer of representation. The agent is still deciding, and you should not sit still to wait on their decision. They expect you are still moving forward, and you should do so.
- Prepare for the offer of representation. Having an agent actually offer to represent your book may seem like a pipe dream - until it actually happens. You should be ready.
- Have a list of questions that are important to you. This may include things like where the agent plans to submit the book, whether or not they will require significant edits, and what sort of communication style they have.
- Ask if you can contact any of the authors they currently represent.
- Do not immediately accept the first offer you get. This may seem silly at first - all this time waiting for an agent, why wouldn't you accept an offer of representation when you finally get one? Well, there's a lot to do, and you may be able to get yourself more offers to choose from!
- Tell the agent you need some time to contact other agents who have your material. This is considered common courtesy in the publishing world; you should not worry that this will make the agent withdraw their offer.
- Contact any agents who have requested a partial or a full from you, and inform them you have an offer from another agent. Give them a deadline to respond, or, if you are absolutely sure you prefer the agent who has already offered to them, you can simply say you are withdrawing your material from their consideration. If you like, you can do this same process with any query letters you have sent out that haven't had responses yet, but it is not expected.
- Contact the authors currently represented by the agent who offered. Ask them about their experiences with the agent. Remember you are not asking them to badmouth their agent; an agent can be the perfect agent for one author, and a terrible agent for another author. Communication style, taste, and persistence are all key.
- If you receive back offers from any other agents after informing them of your offer on the table, ask them all the same questions and ask for authors of theirs to contact as well. Fully evaluate all your options before choosing your agent.
- Finalize the deal. Once you have picked the agent who you believe is right for you, contact them and tell them you accept their offer of representation.
- Inform any others who have offered that you thank them for the offer but you have chosen another agent.
- Your agent may send you an agency agreement to sign, or they may work on a verbal agreement until the book actually sells to a publisher.
Tips
- Some agents make themselves available at writing conferences for pitch sessions. If they like your pitch, they will ask that you send them a partial or a full. This also gives you a chance to ask them questions and get to know them.
- Some authors do have more than one agent, or may find themselves needing to seek a new agent. Never start looking for a new agent without informing your current agent first, regardless of whether you intend to continue working with them or whether you are severing your professional relationship with them.
- You do not need to copyright your manuscript before querying agents. It is unlikely that an agent will steal your idea, but even if they do, a copyright only protects the text itself, not the idea of the book or story. If you are afraid of your story being stolen, remember that nobody else could have written it as well as you did; anything else will be a poor imitation.
Warnings
- Be wary when someone suggests a way you can make your query 'stand out'. Agents rarely appreciate gimmicky query letters. The best way to stand out is to write a good book and a good query letter for it.
- Do not try to call an agent to discuss your query, or visit their office. Agents are very busy, and they will not be able to give your query their full attention if you interrupt what they are currently working on to try and pitch to them in-person.
