Demystifying Literary Agents

The First Three Steps to Finding A Literary Agent
An Excerpt from How to Find A Literary Agent Who Can Sell Your Book for Top Dollar
By Jill Nagle

Congratulations—you have a manuscript, a book proposal or the wherewithal to create one. You are on your way to getting published! One way to drastically increase the chances that the top-paying, most reputable publishers will get a look at your work is to engage a literary representative or agent.

Unfortunately, this is not an easy prospect. Even more difficult is finding exactly the right agent for you.

Here are three steps to get you moving in the right direction.


Step 1: Get your work into tip-top shape.

For nonfiction writers, tip-top shape requires having your book proposal and query letter polished to perfection before you contact your agent. You do not have to write your entire nonfiction book before approaching an agent—in fact in most cases it works better if you don’t.

You will, however, need 20-30 pages of sample chapter material for most nonfiction (self-help, how-to, memoir, biography, etc.), usually the first chapter plus one or two other chapters.

For a memoir, where the quality of the writing weighs more heavily, plan on at least 60 pages of material.

Fiction writers, on the other hand, usually do need to have their novel written, as well as a synopsis of the work, which is a brief description of the plot and characters, plus an analysis of how the work compares with others in its genre.

Step 2: Profile a hit list of agents.

This means you are to research agents, and create a list of those appropriate for your work, with as much information about each agent as you can gather. You will use this information to prioritize which agents to contact and what to reference in the letter.

Start with the Internet and expand outward. Sources as obvious as guides to literary agents and as obscure as comments made during an author’s reading all count as research in creating your collection of agent profiles.

Personal references are your best source. Who do you know? From as many of these sources as possible, create a list of anywhere from 12 to 40 agents who represent work like yours, then begin building a data file for each including all your findings.

Step 3: Create a personalized letter for each agent.

If you’re approaching more than a handful of agents, you may want to use the same basic query letter for each of them. However, you don’t want to make it look as though you’re doing a mass mailing. Therefore, each letter should be personalized for the individual agent.

Begin each letter with something from the profile you created that relates personally to the particular agent. The more immediate and relevant, the better. The sentence (or two) you create should spark instant recognition in each agent. This will make your letter stand out from the dozens she may read that day that come out of the blue. So you might have:


Dear Jane Adams:

“Only the obsessed should write novels,” your warning in the October issue of Write This!, sits above my desk as I put the final compulsive touches on The Night Before the Dawn.

or,

Dear Adam Janeway:

Your comment at the Maui Writer’s conference this past summer still has me laughing. The part about not showing an agent your fangs on a first date made me go get mine filed down.

If you have a referral from one of the agent’s current clients, make that name the very first thing they read:

Dear Jane Adams:

Alice Walker speaks very highly of your work and suggested I query you about my self-help book, What to Do When You Find your Mother’s Garden.

In the second paragraph, summarize your credentials, and in the third, give a brief summary of the project, (or the reverse, depending on which is most impressive) and make sure to mention somewhere that you’re also querying other agents if indeed you are.

Even though a query letter is a short, to-the-point missive, spend some serious time on it. Expect to go through at least 10 drafts of your query letter over at least a few weeks before you send it out, and show it to at least three people (or one with stellar qualifications)—you've got exactly one shot, and you want to make it your absolute best.

Stick with standard professional letter formatting; eschew fancy fonts, unusually-colored paper or anything resembling a gimmick. Keep your letter to a page or less if possible; a page and a half maximum.

What Now?

If you have read this far, you’ve now circumvented the mistakes that get at least 20% of all publishing attempts rejected. You’re now on your way to upping your acceptance odds even further.

Your next step is to get even more selective about who you want to represent you. That’s right—finding an agent isn’t just about who accepts you—it’s about who you accept to represent your work.

This is because having the wrong agent can do more harm than having no agent at all.

Jill Nagle is a published author and the founder and principal of GetPublished: guerilla guidance for your writing adventure, which provides coaching, consulting, editing and other services for aspiring and ready-for-next step authors.

To Have an Agent or Not to Have an Agent—That is the Question

To Have an Agent or Not to Have an Agent—That is the Question
By Rob Parnell

Probably one of the most frequently asked question I get is how do
I get an agent?

It's like an obsession with new writers—despite the fact that many successful authors don't use agents at all. But still, new writers are convinced that, if only they had an agent, their careers would somehow sky rocket.

First off, the reality is different. Even if you do get an agent, you will still need to do most of the real work—constantly improving as a writer—yourself. Whether having an agent can actually do anything for you is for most writers largely an unknown—even if you're good.

But, but, I hear you cry, I still want to get an agent! Because that's how it's done, right?

Okay, if you're desperate, the easy answer is to buy a copy of
Writers Markets, look up agents relevant to your genre, send off your MSS or query letters to them...and wait.

However, for the novice, this approach rarely leads to success.

Why? Because, simply put, if you don't have publishing credits or a deal in the offing, the agents don't want to know you!

So then, the question becomes how do I get published without an agent?

There are many publishers who say they don't want to see unagented work. So it would seem a Catch 22 situation—you can't get your work seen by the publishers you want and they won't look at anything you write unless you have an agent, and you can't get an agent because, ya di ya di ya, the cycle goes on.

Or so it would seem.

The truth is many authors DO get published without agents—at first in magazines, anthologies, on the Net etc. By winning writing competitions. By networking, self-promotion, self-publishing and,
of course, by sheer luck.

The real reason the big publishers don't want to see new writers work is they don't have the time. They need to know you're a good writer first.

The trick is to keep building your credits - to fatten up your resume. You then use this resume (your reputation for producing quality work) to accompany your submissions to publishers—some of whom will take you seriously if you are unagented if they see that your writing career is solid and looks promising.

Just as in every other profession, you need to show your potential employers (agents and publishers) that you know what you're doing and that you're good at it—BEFORE they'll take a chance on you.

If your work is good, you really don't need an agent when you're starting out. So, the short answer to this oh-so-frequently-asked question is, don't waste your time trying to get one!

Write well and pursue your career persistently and they will come to you.

Rob Parnell is a prolific writer who’s published novels, short stories, and articles in the U.S., U.K., and Australia, and a teacher who’s conducted writing workshops, critique groups, and seminars.

Please visit Mr. Parnell’s Web site at:

http://easywaytowrite.com

Book Publishing Literary Agents

The Secrets of Agents

The Secrets of Agents
By Jeanne Lyet Gassman

The Literary Agent. Almost every writer wants one, but not every writer needs one. So, when do you need an agent? What can an agent do for you, the writer, that you can’t do on your own? If you determine that an agent is the right choice for you, how do you find a good agent, one who “gets” your book? How do you avoid the scams, the rip-off artists, and the agents who are merely incompetent? You begin by doing your homework and a lot of research.

When do you need an agent?

You don’t need an agent for: poetry, short fiction, nonfiction articles, op-ed pieces, short creative nonfiction, and most picture books. An agent earns her living from the commission (usually 15%) she receives from the sale of your writing to publishers. The writing genres listed above either pay nothing (poetry) or such small amounts (fiction, nonfiction, and picture books) that it’s not worth the agent’s time to market these genres for you.

You do need an agent for books. This includes novels, memoirs, young adult books, and nonfiction books. Before you approach an agent to represent your novel, memoir, or young adult, the book should be polished, edited, and complete. The first step is to send the agent a query letter. If the agent is interested, she will then request sample chapters and a synopsis. To learn more about writing the synopsis, visit this site:

http://www.charlottedillon.com/synopsis.html
Click here

A nonfiction book can be sold on the basis of a query letter and a requested book proposal. The proposal needs to have a complete outline of the book and some sample chapters, but the entire book doesn’t need to be written. These two sites explain the book proposal:

http://www.prlit.com/bookproposal.htm
Click here

http://www.shephardagency.com/writing_proposal.html
Click here

What can an agent do for you?

In addition to finding the right publisher for your book, an agent can also negotiate contracts, market the subsidiary rights to your work, and help you develop a long-term writing career. She can make suggestions for changes that will improve your book’s chances of publication. A good agent will also see that your book receives the proper promotion and support from the publisher from the day of the sale to the day it arrives in the bookstores.

How do you find a good agent?

The best way to define a good agent is to recognize that the relationship between the writer and agent is very much like an equal business partnership. There should be open communication and a mutual desire for shared success. Never, never pay a reading/editing fee to an agent who says he/she is interested in your work.

Remember, the agent makes her money when she sells your writing, not before. Look for good agents in the following places:

 Writer’s Conferences. Many conferences offer the opportunity to meet with an agent and pitch your book to her for a small extra fee. To find a conference near you, start your search here: http://writing.shawguides.com/
Click here
 The Bookstore. To find the name of agents who represent the type of books you write, take a trip to your nearest bookstore and look in the acknowledgment pages of books that are similar to your own. Authors, especially first-time authors, often mention their agents by name.
 Books. There are several guides that are published annually with lists of legitimate agents. These books are a good starting point, but you should always visit the agent’s website for the most up-to-date information. Look for these agent resource guides in your library or bookstore:
 Jeff Herman’s Guide to Book Publishers, Editors, and Literary Agents
 Writer’s Digest Guide to Literary Agents
 2009 Writer’s Market
 The Writer’s Handbook 2009
 The Internet. The Internet is an excellent resource to research agents and find their websites. If you enter literary agent+agent’s name at Google, you can find the agent’s website and links with references to the agent. There are also several good databases of agents. Try these sites:
 http://www.agentquery.com/
Click here
 http://www.aar-online.org/
Click here
 http://www.litmatch.net
Click here
 http://www.querytracker.net
Click here
And, to find information about agents who are making the best deals for their clients, look here:
 http://www.publisherslunch.com/
Click here
 Other. Other places to find information about agents include writer’s groups, referrals from published authors, creative writing classes, and professional organizations for writers. The most important thing is to network, network, network!

Beware the scams. The process of searching for an agent is not a quest for the unwary. Scams and rip-offs abound. It’s absolutely essential that you do your homework. Before you send your work to anyone, double-check her credentials. To confirm that the agent you’re interested in is legitimate, try these watchdog sites:

http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/
Click here

http://www.sfwa.org/Beware/
Click here

The effort to find an agent to represent your work can be daunting, but if you have a book ready to market, there is no time like the present. Do your research, draft that perfect query letter, and start submitting. Happy writing!

Jeanne Lyet Gassman is an award-winning writer whose fiction and nonfiction has been published in numerous magazines, newsletters, and anthologies. The recipient of artistic grants from the Arizona Commission on the Arts and the Creative Capital Foundation, she is currently studying for her MFA in writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She lives in Phoenix and teaches writing workshops and classes in the metro area.

Visit Ms. Gassman at her Web site:

http://www.jeannelyetgassman.com
Click here

Or her blog:

http://jeannelyetgassman.blogspot.com
Click here

David Farland's "Kick in the Pants" Advice for Writers: Agents

Demystifying Literary Agents

Seven Essential Points on Literary Agents
By Jill Nagle
Reprinted by permission from author

(An excerpt from the no-longer-for-sale e-book, “How to Find A Literary Agent Who Can Sell Your Book for Top Dollar.”)

As an aspiring author, you may have heard, “if your work is really good, you can get an agent. Getting the work into shape is the hard part. If you get the work into shape, the right agent will follow.” Is it really that simple? Well, yes and no.

The seven essential points below prepare you for what to expect when seeking an agent, or literary representative.

Point 1: Fiction or nonfiction? Differences in approach

As a novelist, or fiction writer, you need to complete your whole book, format it properly, and find an agent who specializes in selling novels. If you write nonfiction (self-help, how-to, memoir), forget about writing the whole book, unless you want to self-publish. Instead, write your book proposal.

A book proposal is like a business plan for your book. Its job is to convince the publisher to part with money so you can get paid to write your book.

In either case, to minimize your chances of rejection, you’ll need to have your proposal or manuscript polished before approaching an agent.

Point 2: That someone calls themselves an agent says nothing about what they can do for you

Some things haven’t changed in the century since the first literary agent was born. Today, anyone can still hang out a shingle and say they’re an agent—many people do. Not all agents are effective, ethical, or even sell any books.

Jill’s Guerilla Caveat
Don’t settle for just any agent. Agents vary tremendously in their effectiveness and in what they sell well. Get your proposal (for nonfiction writers) or manuscript (for novelists) into tip-top shape, then go for the agent who has a proven track record selling work similar to your own.

Point 3: Membership in the Association of Author’s Representatives (United States) indicates that the agent has agreed to abide by the AAR’s code of ethics

This professional guild for agents requires, among other things, that an agent:

* has sold at least ten literary properties (i.e. books) in the eighteen months prior to application for membership; and
* does not charge any fees for reading or evaluating authors’ work.

However, not every legitimate US agent belongs to the AAR. Many extremely successful agents opt out of AAR membership. A comparable agency called the Association of Author’s Agents operates in Britain.

Point 4: Legitimate agents earn their living by selling to legitimate publishers the rights to publish authors’ books

In return for writing your book and granting a legitimate publisher the rights to print it, the publisher gives you, the author, a percentage of whatever the book makes, otherwise known as a “royalty.” In return for brokering the deal and acting as your advocate, you in turn give your agent a percentage (usually 15 per cent) of this royalty.

This is how legitimate agents make their money. They pick good literary prospects for the publishers to consider, who rely on them to reduce the time and energy it would otherwise take to wade through the enormous amount of submissions the publishers receive.

Publishers know the legitimate agent’s living depends on being able to separate the wheat from the chaff, so they tend to look more seriously at submissions from reputable agents.

To reiterate, legitimate agents get paid through commissions on book rights only, period. If an agent charges you any money, except a small fee for expenses (and many people believe agents shouldn’t charge authors even for those; they should simply be considered the cost of doing business), they have little incentive to sell books.

Successful agents use a well-established network of relationships with editors in legitimate publishing houses. They know the right editors to call for the particular projects that come their way. They don’t have time to do anything but sell book rights, because selling book rights is how they make their money.

Aside from selling the rights to publish your book in your own country, many other possibilities exist for making money from your book both within your own country and abroad. These include translating the book and selling it overseas, making an audio recording of the book, or having the book used as the basis for a movie. The legal permission to do these things is called foreign rights, subsidiary rights and options, respectively.

To help you make the most money possible from your book, your agent should be able to negotiate for the subsidiary and foreign rights to remain with you, and then work either on their own or with someone else, to help you sell and make yet more money on sales from those rights.

Jill’s Guerilla Caveat
Apart from those agents who are simply mediocre, watch out for scammers – there are plenty! Apart from trusting your gut, and not paying an agent, avoid any agent who:

* insists you hire a particular editorial or consulting service (this is different from making a referral, or even better, two or three referrals and letting you interview them and make up your own mind);
* refers you to a publisher who wants to charge you money;
* suggests representing multiple works of yours simultaneously (unless they have a really good reason for thinking this is a good idea).

Agents who profit from upfront fees for reading or handling manuscripts, who affiliate themselves financially with editorial, coaching or publishing services, or who claim to need your money for any other purpose probably aren’t selling the rights to your book for a living.

Why should they, when aspiring writers who don’t know any better are kind enough to bankroll their other enterprises?

Point 5: At their best, agents advocate for author interests, and earn their commissions by:

* using their inside information, reputations and well-oiled relationships with editors to approach just the right publishers for your book – especially the increasing number of those publishers who won’t take un-agented submissions;
* applying their contractual and negotiating expertise to garnering higher advances, more rights and a lot of other stuff you might not be aware of;
* helping you refine both the form and content of your book so that it appeals to the publishers they plan to approach;
* intervening on your behalf if you get into a disagreement with the publisher;
* assisting you with making long-term decisions about sequels, options, subsidiary rights, next steps and other aspects of your career.

Point 6: Agents reject 99 per cent of all material that comes their way

The best and most reliable way to up your odds of getting published is to a) research your market, b) know and communicate to the agent via a perfect query letter how your work fits in with and stands out from others in its class, c) deliver an original, well-written, impeccably formatted manuscript or proposal, then d) choose an agent who is obviously interested in and has a record of selling work like yours. Read that again.

Point 7: Don’t initiate contact with a phone call – really. Approach an agent with a query letter instead

Unless you are famous (and even then), approach an agent with a query letter. A query letter introduces you and your book idea, and invites the agent to see your book proposal or manuscript.

Don’t email unless the agent specifically states somewhere in print or on the internet that they welcome email queries. Also, don’t call with general questions about their qualifications.

Agents who haven’t expressed interest in representing your work generally will not consent to have you interview them unless you’re a journalist calling to give them publicity.

Once an agent has expressed interest in your work, you can and should ask questions of them, then take up to a week (or longer, by mutual agreement) to decide whether to accept their offer of representation.

If you’ve read this far, congratulations—you now have a solid introduction to agents, a crucial piece of the mainstream publishing world. However, as you might guess, finding exactly the right agent for your work, so you can beat those 99 per cent rejection odds, takes a bit more effort.

Jill Nagle, an author as well as a writing coach and consultant, has been helping writers get published for over a decade.

One-Day Workshop in New York City/Feb. 22!

Mike's Writing Workshop and Writers Helping Writers Presents:

The Writing Life
A one-day writers workshop in New York City offering advanced strategies on making it in the publishing world

Please join award-winning writer/journalist Michael P. Geffner, former Simon & Schuster book editor Marcela Landres, and literary agent Regina Brooks for three enlightening hours on the world of big-time publishing.

What: Building the Professional Writing Life; Learning How Editors Think; Finding, Impressing and Landing a Literary Agent

When: Sunday, Feb. 22, 1-4PM (with 4-5PM for private one-on-one consultations)

Where: A gloriously-serene restaurant in Forest Hills, Queens (easy to reach by car or subway)

Cost: $99.00 (PayPal available)

Pre-Registration required before Feb. 18: Please email mgeffy@gmail.com for details.

Register now with payment to reserve your spot! Only 20 people max!

Bios:

Michael P. Geffner has written for Details, Texas Monthly, The Village Voice, USA Today, The Sporting News, Los Angeles Magazine, and The Associated Press. His work has been acknowledged for excellence by The Society of Professional Journalists, the Associated Press Sports Editors, Best American Sports Writing, New York Press, and the New York Publishers Association.

http://mikeswritingworkshop.blogspot.com
Click here

Marcela Landres is the author of the e-book How Editors Think: The Real Reason They Rejected You, and is the publisher of Latinidad, an award-winning e-zine which was chosen as one of the 101 Best Web Sites for Writers by Writer's Digest Magazine. She speaks frequently for organizations such as the New York Round Table Writers’ Conference, Columbia University, and The National Association of Latino Arts and Culture.

http://www.marcelalandres.com/home.html
Click here

Regina Brooks is the president of the Serendipity Literary Agency LLC., where she represents a diverse base of award-winning clients in adult fiction, nonfiction, and children's literature, including: three-time National Book Award finalist, author Marilyn Nelson; and Oprah Book List pick Sundee Frazier. Brooks has held senior editorial positions at John Wiley and Sons and McGraw-Hill, is the author of Never Finished! Never Done!, and has been featured in Essence, Publishers Weekly, Sister to Sister magazine, and the Writers Digest Guide to Literary Agents.

http://www.serendipitylit.com/Old/
Click here

For an additional charge of $30, you can reserve a 15-minute private consultation with any of the speakers. Book writers should submit no more than 10 double-spaced pages of a manuscript plus a one-page synopsis by Feb 18th, so it can be forwarded well in advance to Ms. Landres (she does not accept poetry or children’s books) or Ms. Brooks. Journalists should submit to Mr. Geffner their query letters and/or resumes of no more than one page, or a story of no more than 10 pages double-spaced. You should include your name, mailing address, phone number and e-mail address on the first page of each piece of work.

These one-on-one sessions are open only to workshop attendees.

Testimonials from previous workshops:

"For writers new to the publishing market, but also for those with experience, Michael Geffner's One-Day Publishing Workshops are not to be missed. As someone who has been involved in small-press literary publishing for more than a decade, I can vouch for the good advice given to writers hoping to submit their work to editors and agents. Wearing my other hat, as a writer looking for recognition and support of my own work, I was moved by the generosity that Mr. Geffner and his panelists showed the workshop attendees. The inspiring workshops provide specific advice, opportunities to connect with mentors and peers in a lasting way, and also the unbeatable opportunity to sit one-on-one with professionals in the field, including editors and agents whose attention is otherwise difficult to attract, and receive direct feedback on manuscripts and query letters. Mr. Geffner is on a mission--self-explanatory in the title of his venture, "Writers Helping Writers." You'd be hard pressed to find a better value, or a better way to spend a day, than Mr. Geffner's workshops."
Allison Parker

"A big 'thank you' to Mike Geffner and Marcela Landres for putting so much into Sunday's workshop. I took away so many valuable action points for my next assignment. Thanks for being so generous with the inside track and how to set it all up properly. I walked away with a stack of notes that spoke directly to me and where I am right now. Judging from the writing going on around the room, everyone else was in the same frame of mind. I only wish I had gotten this information 20 years ago. You certainly delivered and I'm going to make sure I don't let you down. For anyone who may have missed it: If we ask really nicely, perhaps they will do it again. Mike and Marcela rock publishing! Thanks again."
Erin Snyder Dixon

"After attending Mike’s workshop I came away with a sense of direction in terms of where to focus my attention on how to find a place for myself as a writer. I now have tools as to where to look for contacts, how to approach the right people and ways to establish myself in this career path. The small group fostered a relaxed atmosphere and great dialogue between the participants and the workshop leaders, which included Marcela Landres. What a treat to be able to pick the collective brains of these two people! Their combined expertise and willingness to share the inside information pertaining to such simple inquiries as to income expectations and the process of publishing a book shed light on questions that too few “insider’s” like to or want to share. Oh and the food was great too!"
Melissa Dorfman

Q&A with Literary Agent Jeff Kleinman

pubQ&A with Literary Agent Jeff Kleinman
Interview Cunducted By Maria Schneider
http://editorunleashed.com
Click here

Jeff Kleinman is a literary agent with Folio Literary Management who represents both fiction and nonfiction authors.

I asked Jeff what he’d most like to see in his inbox right now: “I’d love to see a splendidly written novel with a premise that’s very cool, very original, and that I can talk about at lunch with an editor and have the editor say, ‘Wow, that sounds amazing!’ ” As for nonfiction: “An amazingly written, never-before-known story, probably with a historical and/or science twist, that changes how I think about whatever the events are surrounding the story.”

Here, Jeff answers five questions, including whether or not publishers are buying now and his predictions about what they might be looking for in the next few years.
So read on, and make sure you check out the announcement at the end of the interview about Jeff’s upcoming visit to the Editor Unleashed forum.

1. Are publishers actively buying or have acquisitions slowed down with the economy?

I wish I knew. Oddly, I managed to sell five books last week, and one of my business partners sold even more, but I think that was very much the exception to the rule. I think acquisitions are slowing down—I think editors will be even more exceedingly careful before they take a chance on a new, untried writer.

2. What should a writer look for in an agent. Is AAR membership a credential writers should be concerned with?

I think AAR membership is helpful, but not critical. In this kind of an economy, though, having an established agent, or an agent at a very reputable firm, seems more important than ever—the agent’s clout can help tip the balance, I think. AAR membership means at least the agent has sold a certain number of projects, and abides by their canon of ethics. That said, a lot of incredible agents don’t belong to the AAR, so that shouldn’t be the deciding factor if the agent is highly reputable and with a very solid client list.

3. Folio offers some services that aren’t typically available at agencies, like marketing and PR services. How does that work from the writer’s perspective?

The marketing and PR services are examples of two ways that Folio tries to support its authors. We realize that publishers are often overextended and underfunded: so if we can help support the publisher’s (and author’s) efforts, we want to do so. All of the services that Folio supplies are elective —some of our authors decide to use them; others don’t. Either way is fine by us—we want to at least make the tools available, and if the author decides not to avail herself of those tools, at least we can sleep at night, knowing that we tried.

4. Are there any acquisition trends you see on the near horizon?

• Escape stories. Stories that take us totally out of our world and into another. Maybe another Harry Potter? Certainly these types of alternative worlds seem a lot more palatable right now than the grim one we’re presently living in. But they don’t have to be Science Fiction and Fantasy. It can be any story that transports us into a worldview different than our own.

• Brand authors. Authors with established track records and an established fan base—these will be “safe” for the publishing house and bookstore.

• Happy subjects. I think a lot of misery memoirs, difficult situations, and post-apocalyptic disasters are going to be difficult. Anything that isn’t upbeat will be a struggle for even me to read.

• Inspirational stories. Books that celebrate some aspect of life, or inspire people to try harder and work more. This doesn’t mean really saccharine stuff—I think well-written, solid stories that inspire and charm are definitely what I’ll be on the lookout for.

5. How important is it for writers to be social networking, blogging, etc? Does having a strong blog readership influence your decision to accept a client?

I think anything that builds the author’s platform is incredibly helpful. Strong blog readership, or a dazzling writing style, is certainly very helpful. I’m working with a writer now, Quinn Cummings, who writes The QC Report, is an absolutely laugh-out-loud writer; I sold her memoir, Notes from the Underwire, on exclusive to Hyperion, and I’ve just seen the final manuscript and it’s unbelievably funny. Quinn has a following, certainly, but more important her writing style is just so wry and witty that the editor and I both fell head-over-heels for her.

One-Day Writers Workshop in New York City/Nov. 2nd!

One-Day Workshop in New York City

Please join award-winning writer/journalist Michael P. Geffner, former Simon & Schuster book editor Marcela Landres, and literary agent Regina Brooks for three infinitely enlightening hours on the world of big-time publishing.

What: Publish or Perish: Building the Professional Writing Life; Learning How Editors Think; Finding, Impressing and Landing a Literary Agent

When: Sunday, Nov. 2nd, 1-4PM (with 4-5PM for eye-opening one-on-one consultations)

Where: A gloriously-serene restaurant in Forest Hills, Queens (easy to reach by car or subway)

Cost: $99.00

Pre-Registration Required before Oct. 20th: Please email mgeffy@gmail.com for details

Bios:

Michael P. Geffner has written for Details, Texas Monthly, The Village Voice, USA Today, The Sporting News, Los Angeles Magazine, and The Associated Press. His work has been acknowledged for excellence by The Society of Professional Journalists, the Associated Press Sports Editors, Best American Sports Writing, New York Press, and the New York Publishers Association.

Marcela Landres is the author of the e-book How Editors Think: The Real Reason They Rejected You, and is the publisher of Latinidad, an award-winning e-zine which was chosen as one of the 101 Best Web Sites for Writers by Writer's Digest Magazine. She speaks frequently for organizations such as the New York Round Table Writers’ Conference, Columbia University, and The National Association of Latino Arts and Culture.

http://www.marcelalandres.com/home.html
Click here

Regina Brooks is the president of the Serendipity Literary Agency LLC., where she represents a diverse base of award-winning clients in adult fiction, nonfiction, and children's literature, including: three-time National Book Award finalist, author Marilyn Nelson; and Oprah Book List pick Sundee Frazier. Brooks has held senior editorial positions at John Wiley and Sons and McGraw-Hill, is the author of Never Finished! Never Done!, and has been featured in Essence, Publishers Weekly, Sister to Sister magazine, and the Writers Digest Guide to Literary Agents.

http://www.serendipitylit.com
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For an additional charge of $30, you can reserve a 15-minute private consultation with any of the speakers. Book writers should submit no more than 10 double-spaced pages of a manuscript plus a one-page synopsis by Friday 10/24, so it can be forwarded well in advance to Ms. Landres (she does not accept poetry or children’s books) or Ms. Brooks. Journalists should submit to Mr. Geffner their query letters and/or resumes of no more than one page, or a story of no more than 10 pages double-spaced. You should include your name, mailing address, phone number and e-mail address on the first page of each piece of work.

These one-on-one sessions are open only to workshop attendees!

Demystifying Literary Agents by Jill Nagle

Demystifying Literary Agents

Seven Essential Points on Literary Agents
By Jill Nagle

(An excerpt from "How to Find A Literary Agent Who Can Sell Your Book
for Top Dollar.")

As an aspiring author, you may have heard, "if your work is really
good, you can get an agent. Getting the work into shape is the hard
part. If you get the work into shape, the right agent will follow".
Is it really that simple? Well, yes and no.

The seven essential points below prepare you for what to expect when
seeking an agent, or literary representative.

Point 1: fiction or nonfiction? Differences in approach

As a novelist, or fiction writer, you need to complete your whole
book, format it properly, and find an agent who specializes in
selling novels. If you write nonfiction (self-help, how-to, memoir),
forget about writing the whole book, unless you want to self-publish.
Instead, write your book proposal.

A book proposal is like a business plan for your book. Its job is to
convince the publisher to part with money so you can get paid to
write your book.

In either case, to minimize your chances of rejection, you'll need to
have your proposal or manuscript polished before approaching an agent.

Point 2: That someone calls themselves an agent says nothing about
what they can do for you

Some things haven't changed in the century since the first literary
agent was born. Today, anyone can still hang out a shingle and say
they're an agent—many people do. Not all agents are effective,
ethical, or even sell any books.

Jill's Guerilla Caveat
Don't settle for just any agent. Agents vary tremendously in their
effectiveness and in what they sell well. Get your proposal (for
nonfiction writers) or manuscript (for novelists) into tip-top shape,
then go for the agent who has a proven track record selling work
similar to your own.

Point 3: Membership in the Association of Author's Representatives
(United States) indicates that the agent has agreed to abide by the
AAR's code of ethics

This professional guild for agents requires, among other things, that
an agent:

* has sold at least ten literary properties (i.e. books) in the
eighteen months prior to application for membership; and
* does not charge any fees for reading or evaluating authors' work.

However, not every legitimate US agent belongs to the AAR. Many
extremely successful agents opt out of AAR membership. A comparable
agency called the Association of Author's Agents operates in Britain.

Point 4: Legitimate agents earn their living by selling to legitimate
publishers the rights to publish authors' books

In return for writing your book and granting a legitimate publisher
the rights to print it, the publisher gives you, the author, a
percentage of whatever the book makes, otherwise known as
a "royalty". In return for brokering the deal and acting as your
advocate, you in turn give your agent a percentage (usually 15 per
cent) of this royalty.

This is how legitimate agents make their money. They pick good
literary prospects for the publishers to consider, who rely on them
to reduce the time and energy it would otherwise take to wade through
the enormous amount of submissions the publishers receive.

Publishers know the legitimate agent's living depends on being able
to separate the wheat from the chaff, so they tend to look more
seriously at submissions from reputable agents.

To reiterate, legitimate agents get paid through commissions on book
rights only, period. If an agent charges you any money, except a
small fee for expenses (and many people believe agents shouldn't
charge authors even for those; they should simply be considered the
cost of doing business), they have little incentive to sell books.

Successful agents use a well-established network of relationships
with editors in legitimate publishing houses. They know the right
editors to call for the particular projects that come their way. They
don't have time to do anything but sell book rights, because selling
book rights is how they make their money.

Aside from selling the rights to publish your book in your own
country, many other possibilities exist for making money from your
book both within your own country and abroad. These include
translating the book and selling it overseas, making an audio
recording of the book, or having the book used as the basis for a
movie. The legal permission to do these things is called foreign
rights, subsidiary rights and options, respectively.

To help you make the most money possible from your book, your agent
should be able to negotiate for the subsidiary and foreign rights to
remain with you, and then work either on their own or with someone
else, to help you sell and make yet more money on sales from those
rights.

Jill's Guerilla Caveat
Apart from those agents who are simply mediocre, watch out for
scammers – there are plenty! Apart from trusting your gut, and not
paying an agent, avoid any agent who:

* insists you hire a particular editorial or consulting service
(this is different from making a referral, or even better, two or
three referrals and letting you interview them and make up your own
mind);
* refers you to a publisher who wants to charge you money;
* suggests representing multiple works of yours simultaneously
(unless they have a really good reason for thinking this is a good
idea – see Q&A below).

Agents who profit from upfront fees for reading or handling
manuscripts, who affiliate themselves financially with editorial,
coaching or publishing services, or who claim to need your money for
any other purpose probably aren't selling the rights to your book for
a living.

Why should they, when aspiring writers who don't know any better are
kind enough to bankroll their other enterprises?

Point 5: At their best, agents advocate for author interests, and
earn their commissions by:

* using their inside information, reputations and well-oiled
relationships with editors to approach just the right publishers for
your book – especially the increasing number of those publishers who
won't take unagented submissions;
* applying their contractual and negotiating expertise to
garnering higher advances, more rights and a lot of other stuff you
might not be aware of;
* helping you refine both the form and content of your book so
that it appeals to the publishers they plan to approach;
* intervening on your behalf if you get into a disagreement with
the publisher;
* assisting you with making long-term decisions about sequels,
options, subsidiary rights, next steps and other aspects of your
career.

Point 6: Agents reject 99 per cent of all material that comes their
way

The best and most reliable way to up your odds of getting published
is to a) research your market, b) know and communicate to the agent
via a perfect query letter how your work fits in with and stands out
from others in its class, c) deliver an original, well-written,
impeccably formatted manuscript or proposal, then d) choose an agent
who is obviously interested in and has a record of selling work like
yours. Read that again.

Point 7: Don't initiate contact with a phone call – really. Approach
an agent with a query letter instead

Unless you are famous (and even then), approach an agent with a query
letter. A query letter introduces you and your book idea, and invites
the agent to see your book proposal or manuscript. We'll give you a
sample query letter below.

Don't email unless the agent specifically states somewhere in print
or on the internet that they welcome email queries. Also, don't call
with general questions about their qualifications.

Agents who haven't expressed interest in representing your work
generally will not consent to have you interview them unless you're a
journalist calling to give them publicity.

Once an agent has expressed interest in your work, you can and should
ask questions of them, which we'll cover below, then take up to a
week (or longer, by mutual agreement) to decide whether to accept
their offer of representation.

If you've read this far, congratulations—you now have a solid
introduction to agents, a crucial piece of the mainstream publishing
world. However, as you might guess, finding exactly the right agent
for your work, so you can beat those 99 per cent rejection odds,
takes a bit more effort.

Jill Nagle, an author as well as a writing coach and consultant, has
been helping writers get published for over a decade.