As a literary agent constantly bombarded with questions that any writer should research before making initial contact, I decided it was time to lay out the cold hard facts of the business of obtaining and agent. In 2004, I began writing a short guide that speaks the truth and lays out the cold hard facts of the business.
New and seasoned writers in search of a literary agent will find that An Agent’s Point of View provides insightful and sometimes humorous information to guide through the process. Originally published in 2005, An Agent’s Point of View explains the process of obtaining and keeping an agent, while illustrating the important aspects of contact, etiquette, and more.
An Agent’s Point of View, an out-of-print paperback, is now available as an e-book. I am currently writing a new version that promises to give writers a plethora of information that will help land them a place in the publishing industry.
Contents of the first edition include chapters on queries, manuscript formatting and submission, proposals, guidelines, etiquette, what agent’s expect, what to expect from an agent, making the author/agent relationship work, and more.
What is the big deal about queries? Why should you send a proposal? What the heck is a proposal? Why haven’t you heard from the agents you queried? Why do I need an agent? If you have ever asked these questions, this book is for you!
Every day, our office receives dozens of queries. Ten out of twelve queries do not meet our needs. Eight out of twelve have nothing to do with the genres we represent. At least half are rife with errors, badly written, and offer insufficient details. Of the other half, a third hits the mark.
Every facet of this book is written with you, the writer, in mind. This book will show the novice writer the basics of querying, etiquette and what it takes to become a professional writer. In addition, this book will aid the seasoned writer in maintaining healthy and prosperous author/agent relationships by learning what agents expect from clients and what writers can expect from an agent.
