Deciding to write and publish a novel is a huge decision, and more often than not, requires years of patience and labor. As any aspiring novelist with a finished product knows, many publishing companies refuse to consider a book unless it is presented to them by a literary agent.
But how does one contact an agent? Here are a few guidelines on what to do – and what not to do – to find the perfect agency.
Write a Strong Query Letter
This is how most aspiring authors connect with agents, and it is the method most agents prefer. Most agents have their own very specific guidelines on what they would like included in the query letter. Some of the most important parts include:
- A salutation that addresses the agent by name – not "Dear Agent", but "Dear Ms. Brown".
- The title of the novel being queried – in some cases all caps are preferred, i.e. OUTLIERS.
- The word count of the novel, rounded to the nearest thousand – not 92,347, but 92,000.
- The genre of the novel, i.e. fantasy, literary, science fiction, etc. (Tip: combining a few genres is acceptable – for example, "paranormal romance" – but avoid creating a hybrid monster genre. Focus on the general genre of the story in the query.)
- A short synopsis of the novel. Be sure to pay careful attention to each agents' preferences stated in their guidelines. Most agents want a short blurb about what happens in the novel that doesn't give away the ending, much like what is printed on the back of a book to entice readers to pick it up.
- A brief bio of any writing credentials. (Please notice that this does not include degrees unrelated to literature or writing, non-writing jobs, number of pets, etc. For those with few credentials, keep this section short and sweet.)
Although it can be tempting to try flashy "tricks" to get an agent's attention – colorful paper or fonts, gifts, etc. – this will, more often than not, completely backfire on an aspiring novelist.
Hearing back from an agent can take months if ever at all, but many accomplished authors found their first literary agent through the query letter system.
Attend a Writer's Conference
Every year, there are hundreds of different conventions and conferences for writers all over the world. For a membership fee, and perhaps the cost of travel, one of these conferences can be a great way for an aspiring author to rub elbows with agents and editors.
Many writing conferences hold "pitch sessions" of varying levels of formality. An interested writer with a new novel can attend for the chance to pitch his/her book to an agent or editor in the hopes that they'll take an interest. In some cases the agent or editor will invite the writer to submit the entire novel for them to review.
Find a Professional Reference
A reference from a fellow agent, an editor, or a published author can greatly increase an aspiring writer's chance of landing a literary agent. However, the writer must always explicitly ask for the reference first. If an agent reads in a query letter that the author has been referred by a specific person, the agent will most certainly contact that person to confirm before requesting more materials.
More Help on Literary Agents
Publishing is often an extremely slow business, and patience begins with finding an agent. Aspiring novelists should take time to craft a good query letter and pitch, do the necessary research for finding the right literary agent, and most of all, keep writing!
For more help, try these tips for standing out in the slushpile.
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