All Answers To Questions

Finding an agent is so hard. I don't know how to get one so maybe someone could answer for you and me both.

Question one-look through the Writers Market book for that answer. Get catalogues of the publishers works or look up their titles. Of those, choose the appropriate publishing house for your work. Question two-an agent is a gamble. If you've done your homework you probably dont need one. If your work is good then your query or proposal is probably just as enticing? Not all publishers require an agent to represent you or desire to work with agents at all. The publishing world is eager for fresh good stuff, therefore encourages writers. They're not out to tell you to burn your work. Altho any writer probably could have enough form rejection slips to wallpaper a small room. An interested editor will work with you. If you get a contract, again, a knowledgable lawyer can help you with the money. Use an agent if you like on a second book to negotiate your worth. First time around, your work will speak for itself and an agent provides you with just a false sense of security. Waste of money.

Hi there. First of all, agents don't do "pro bono" work. That's for defense lawyers. If an agent accepts you as a client, they typically get up to 15% of whatever money your book makes. An agent's job is to take your manuscript and show it to various clients (publishers) to see if there is any interest in your work. That takes time and costs money, so they don't work for free. Now, finding a reputable agent is very difficult. Most agencies have thousands of manuscripts sent to them every year and typically, they only select a few that are worthy to represent. DO NOT submit to anyone that requires up front money or "reading" fees. Good agencies will read your book for nothing if they think it's good. Reading fees are a rip off. You can check on legitimate agencies at the Preditors & Editors website. They keep an up to date list of current agents and any problems writers have had with them. Once you find an agency, you need an excellent query letter to get their attention. Search the web for examples. If your query letter is sloppy or has misspelled words, you're TOAST. Get an editor to help you, if you can afford one. Then, once the agency reads your query and agrees to look at your manuscript, MAKE SURE IT IS PERFECT before you send it off. Again, grammar problems or poor spelling will doom you from the start. Pay an editor to proof your work--it's worth a few hundred bucks to get your foot in the door with an agent. Then, be prepared to wait up to 3 months for an answer from the agency. And DO NOT submit to more than one agency at a time. That's the kiss of death with agents. If your work is good, an agency will then offer you a contract. From there, it's another 3 month wait (often) for them to find you a publisher. Once you get a publisher, it takes about a year to actually see your book in print. From there, who knows. I hope this helps. If you're serious about getting published, you can make it happen. It takes time, patience and a lot of luck. And as a note of reality, of all the books published in a given year, only about 13% ever sell more than 1,000 copies. Most (75%) sell fewer than 500. Contrary to popular belief, most authors don't get rich. I know, I'm a published author and I've been through all of this. Good luck, whatever you decide to do. Jon Baxley, author, editor, proofreader and book doctor THE SCYTHIAN STONE THE BLACKGLOOM BOUNTY