How To Secure A Literary Agent? Lesson #4: How to Find the BEST (and reputable) Literary Agent for YOU!
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Finding a literary agent — the one who truly loves you and your work, the one you are truly meant to meet and spend the rest of your life with — is a bit like online dating. There are tons of great looking candidates out there, but which ones are truly legit and interested in you? Moreover, will one even respond to you?
I know it can seem difficult and scary to put yourself out there, and — trust me — it is, but it’s not as bad as it seems. Also? You have no option. If you want your book to be published with a traditional publisher, you MUST have an agent. (Note: My next post will detail what a literary agent actually does.)
Just remember that you must 1) trust and stay true to yourself; 2) do tons of research to find your literary soul mate; and 3) not get discouraged if it doesn’t happen right out of the gate. There are literally hundreds and hundreds of great agents out there.
So you have your completed manuscript and query letter. Now what? Here we go:
WHAT DOES A “REPUTABLE” LITERARY AGENT MEAN?
Let’s cut to the chase here: A literary agent only makes money if they sell your work. Period. Done. They will take 15% of your advance, future royalties, etc. That is why it’s a BIG deal to secure an agent; it means — in most cases (although not all) — that they not only believe in your work but also believe that they can sell it. Fast. Otherwise, they wouldn’t take you on as a client (or even express interest in your manuscript). A reputable literary agent (and hear me loud and clear on this!) DOES NOT CHARGE A READING FEE! THEY DO NOT CHARGE A DIME TO READ YOUR MANUSCRIPT OR TAKE YOU ON AS A CLIENT. IF THEY DO, THEY ARE SHADY AS HELL! RUN AWAY AS FAST AS YOU CAN!
WHAT SHOULD YOU LOOK FOR IN A LITERARY AGENT?
A track record of RECENT success. Clients in the genre you are writing. Agency doesn’t have to be huge, although it can, agent doesn’t have to represent every bestselling author (though they should rep a few) … agent and agency must be treat YOU (as well as your manuscript) like gold. Follow your gut. Don’t be seduced by shiny objects if the people are rude.
Reputable literary agents will have a track record of sales over the past few years. These sales are (typically) public knowledge and are listed in the guides I suggest below or via the publishing trades such as Publishers Weekly and Publishers Marketplace.
If you are wondering if someone is legit, or have questions/concerns about them, there is a great site called Writer Beware that “shines a bright light into the dark corners of the shadow-world of literary scams, schemes, and pitfalls.”
HOW DO YOU FIND THE BEST LITERARY AGENT?
I still believe the following guides provide the best and most current information on legit agents:
Jeff Herman’s Guide to Literary Agents
Jeff Herman is a literary agent famed for making the Chicken Soup for the Soul series a huge success (after hundreds of rejections, he took it on and made it a part of our lives, so he knows what he’s doing). Jeff reimagined the guides to agents, and his was the guide I used, loved and personally recommend. Why? It essentially personalizes the agent process by providing not only the nuts and bolts of every reputable agent/agency (client list, recent sales, if they are looking for new clients) but by interviewing them. A Q&A details their career in publishing, why they became agents, what they love most about their jobs, a peek into their personal lives (kids, dogs, hobbies, where they live), so you get a real sense of who the agents are. I loved this, and it really helped “guide” me. This guide is typically updated annually so it stays very current.
The Writers Digest Guide to Literary Agents
This is a great guide as well, compiled by the trusted editors at Writers Digest magazine. It’s a bit more straightforward than Jeff Herman’s guide, but is updated annually and includes valuable listing information for more than 1,000 agents. Both of these guides were my go-to’s for finding an agent (I still have them to this day, filled with millions of Post-Its and yellow highlighter marks everywhere), and I still recommend them.
Writers Digest Guide to Literary Agents
Online: Publishers Marketplace and Publishers Weekly
I think it’s worth your time and money to subscribe to these valuable trades so you can have an insider look at who is selling what. It’s a great “peek behind the curtain.” I still subscribe to them so I can stay in the know about the industry. It shows you what is selling (daily, weekly, monthly), who is selling it, who is buying it, what is hot, trends, movie deals, etc. Publishers Marketplace sends a daily “Publishers Lunch” email with the day’s deal. Publishers Weekly has all the insider info on publishing (deals, jobs, reviews, bestseller lists, international sales, books to movies). Links follow:
As I mentioned, my next post will detail what a literary agent actually does. Fascinating stuff.
Keep writing & believing.
XOXO,
Thank you for this valuable information.